Sausage Quiche with Red Pepper, Caramelised Onion and Spinach

Growing up, I used to eat quiche a lot. Like, a LOT.

It was quick and easy, you could buy small individual ones and you could team it up with a lot of things, so I can see why my Mum liked the convenience of it. Plus, I really like pastry. Like, a LOT. So it was a win-win situation.

I had never, however, considered quiche a breakfast food. That was, until we were in the US at the beginning of this year and Scott’s Mum baked one for breakfast.

It was a revelation. Why had I never thought of this before? It’s got egg in it, so it’s totally acceptable to eat for breakfast.

These kinds of revelations change peoples’ lives.

Now I’m back in Europe and quiche is sold everywhere, in every different size. Plus, it’s still picnic season here and they make wonderful lunch and dinner meals in hot weather (if you eat them once they’ve cooled).

However, because it is still hot, I wanted to bake one without having to make the pastry as well. That’s just too long to have the oven on right now (can I get a “hell yeah!”?)

So I discovered that when you buy pre-made crust it is even easier and quicker to make a delicious quiche. There’s really no excuse.

I wanted to make something that had vaguely “breakfasty” (that’s a word, right?) ingredients, hence why it’s sausage quiche. But I also wanted to be colourful, hence the red pepper and spinach. And I just had to add caramelised onions…because caramelised onions just make everything taste good.

I pricked the base of my pastry even though it was store-bought, because it can never hurt to make sure that any trapped steam can escape so that your bottom doesn’t get soggy (sorry).

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Whisk your egg mixture together and then pour over your other ingredients in the base.

Bake, cut and eat! Voila. It really is pretty simple.

I definitely would have preferred homemade crust as opposed to the limited selection at our local supermarket here in Brussels, but it was still absolutely delicious. It took all of our strength not to devour the whole thing in one go.

Sausage Quiche with Red Pepper, Caramelised Onion and Spinach

Recipe by Julia

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Ingredients

• Store bought pastry crust

• 1/2 white onion, sliced into strips

• 1 tbsp butter

• 2 sausages, pushed out of their skin (crumbled sausage patties can be substituted)

• 3/4 cup red pepper, diced

• 3 whole eggs and 3 egg whites

• 1 cup low fat milk

• 3/4 cup hard cheese, grated

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Roll the pastry crust into the base of a flan tin, pushing the pastry into all of the corners of the base. Prick the bottom of the base with a fork and set to one side.
• Melt the butter in a small pan and add the sliced onions. Cook on a medium heat until browned, sticky and caramelised.
• Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a heavy-bottomed frying pan until browned. Remove from the pan and remove any excess grease by patting the meat with some kitchen paper.
• Using the same pan (adding a little oil or butter if necessary), cook the red pepper over a medium heat until softened. Remove from the pan and set aside with the sausage and onion.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and egg whites, milk and salt pepper until combined. Sprinkle in half of the grated cheese and mix well.
• Line the bottom of your pastry case with the cooked sausage, pepper, onion and uncooked spinach and then pour over the egg mixture. Top the whole thing with the rest of the grated cheese.
• Cook in the oven for 20 mins and then turn down the heat to 180C (350F) for another five minutes of cooking time.
• Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a couple of minutes and then slice and serve.