Living in a house full of men of varying ages, it’s not often that I make “girly” food. And honestly, I hardly think quiche qualifies as girly? (Real men eat quiche, right?) But I will admit that these adorable little BLT Quiche Tartlets are so pretty and elegant, they do belie the fact that they’re packed with hearty, satisfying flavor!
Whether it’s breakfast in bed, Sunday morning brunch, or just a light dinner, these tasty mini-quiches are so easy and versatile. That’s because you can use virtually any veggies and meats you have on hand, making them a delicious way to use up leftovers. And, if they’re a bit “too girly,” you can always make one large “manly” quiche instead (see recipe instructions below).
The first step in making a tasty quiche is to create a light and tender crust to hold of all of your delicious, nutritious ingredients. This grain-free version uses the Perfect Grain-Free Pie Crust recipe from my latest cookbook, Everyday Grain-Free Baking. (You can either use this crust to make four mini-quiches as shown here, or create one large 9-inch quiche, if you prefer.)
Even though these little quiches are pretty and elegant, they’re also quite tasty and filling. Although, as delectable as they are, it’s quite possible that you may find it hard to eat just one! (I know we do!)
Ingredients
- 1 Grain-Free Pie Crust dough, chilled (see recipe instructions)
- 5 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup leftover sauteed greens (or fresh spinach)
- 3-4 slices cooked bacon, fine chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced thin
- 4-5 small cremini mushrooms, fine diced
- 1 small plum tomato, sliced thin
- Optional: 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Instructions
- Prepare the Grain-Free Pie Crust dough according to the recipe, except OMIT the honey called for in the recipe and replace it with one additional tablespoon of palm shortening instead.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Divide the chilled pie crust dough into four dough balls of even size. Place each dough ball into a 4-inch mini-tartlet pan. (If you’d like to make one large quiche in a 9-inch tart pan, see recipe note below.)
- Press the dough evenly up the sides and along the bottom of the mini-tart pans. Poke bottom of crust with a fork. Place the tartlet pans on a baking sheet and carefully transfer to preheated oven. Bake for five minutes, just until the crust begins to puff up a bit. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit on the stovetop. (Do not remove the tartlets from the baking sheet.)
- Meanwhile, add the greens (or spinach), bacon, green onion and mushrooms into a small bowl, tossing well to combine. (Remember, you can substitute any of these veggies with whatever you leftovers you have on hand, or prefer. You can also substitute the bacon with crumbled sausage or omit the meat altogether to create a veggie quiche.)
- Evenly divide the veggie mixture among the four mini-tartlet crusts. Then, place the eggs, milk and seasonings into a blender. Blend on low, just until combined. Evenly divide the filling among the four mini-tartlet crusts, making sure to not overfill. (Depending on the depth of the pans, you may have extra egg mixture leftover.)
- Add a sprinkle of shredded cheddar, if desired. Top with a slice of tomato.
- Carefully place the tartlets back into the oven to bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes until center is set.
- Remove from oven and allow tartlets to cool about 3-5 minutes, until pans are cool enough to touch. Remove tartlets from the pans and place on a bed of salad greens tossed with a just a touch of healthy salad dressing of your choice.
Notes
Recipe Variation: To make one large quiche, use a 9-inch tart pan. Increase eggs to 6 and increase coconut milk to 1/4 cup. Following remaining recipe instructions, making sure to add all of the veggies first, before pouring in the egg mixture. Be sure not to overfill. Pre-bake crust as noted in recipe instructions, increasing time to 8 minutes. Also increase quiche bake time to 25-35 minutes, until center of filling is set.
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