Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Easy-Peasy Quiche Recipe


What's cookin,' mamas? Aren't toddlers the funniest little characters when it comes to their food preferences? From minute to minute, you just never know what they will agree to eat, or even just "try." One night, Marty will practically inhale his bowl of spaghetti, and then ask for more (in sign language, because he is still making us wait to hear that sweet little voice of his). Three nights later, I'll make spaghetti again because I am getting desperate for him to eat anything other than cottage cheese, and he won't even taste it. The same exact noodles, the same exact sauce. Nope.

I've given up on trying to figure out the rhyme or reason (or lack of) behind my toddler's mealtime behavior. And while maybe some parenting experts would say that I should require him to eat whatever is served, I just don't. I mean, there are many, many nights when I'm really not in the mood for spaghetti, so I figure he just gets that from me. Fortunately, cottage cheese can always be counted on in a pinch. Three meals a day, regardless of what other foods he has rejected, he will eat cottage cheese. Every. Single. Day. And I'm okay with that. At least it's not french fries.

There are a handful of recipes that I keep in constant rotation because they are Marty's favorites, a.k.a. foods he will mostly always try/eat without too much begging on my part. (Side note about "trying" food: if I can get him to try a bite of something, he will almost always realize that it tastes good, and finish his serving. I may or may not be guilty of shoving a bite in his mouth when he isn't looking and holding his trap shut until the taste registers.)

My sister-in-law's quiche recipe tops the list. In addition to the fact that my child always scarfs down a huge helping every time I make it (so far),  this particular recipe is one of my favorites for the following reasons:

1) Easy-peasy. The prep for this recipe is super simple and quick. Basically, you just mix everything together and dump it in a pie crust. Pretty soon, I think I will even let Marty "help" me make this one. I'm sure he'd love to pour in the flour, sprinkle the cheese, and stir it all up.

2) Healthy!! This dish is packed with protein and vegetables. Marty may not enjoy eating his veggies normally, but when they are hidden inside a big ole egg pie, he doesn't seem to notice.

3) Variety. Since you can use any combo of meat/veg/cheese that you choose, you can make this recipe often and still enjoy plenty of different flavors. I used leftover ham after Easter, I've used Jimmy Dean Turkey sausage crumbles (yum!), and sometimes I like to clean out my fridge and throw in all of my veggie bits and pieces. Meatless Monday, anyone?

4) Spoonless. Okay, maybe that isn't a word, but I love the fact that Marty can feed the quiche to himself without my help. He is still workin' on those spoon skills, but has become quite good with a fork. This food is a little spongy, and just perfect for fork-stabbing, or eating with fingers.

Easy Peasy Quiche Recipe (introduced to me by my sweet sister-in-law)

3 eggs
1Tablespoon Flour
2/3 cup Milk
1 cup shredded cheese (any kind)
2 cups total of any combination of fully cooked meat and/or raw vegetables, chopped (turkey sausage, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms is our favorite)
1 unbaked pie crust (I use the frozen ones from Trader Joe's, so I have to remember to let it thaw out in advance. Refrigerated ones are better if you are in a hurry.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Press pie crust into a 9 inch round pie pan

Mix all ingredients in a bowl

Add salt and pepper or your choice of seasoning to taste (I use Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute for just about everything).

Pour mixture into pie crust and bake for 50-60 minutes, until set and no longer jiggly in the middle. I like to let the top get slightly golden and crispy. My oven takes almost a full hour, but depending on what meat and veg you are using, time may vary slightly.

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