Baker's Corner: Broccoli-Cheddar Mini Quiche

I've been stuck at home with way too much time on my hands which is the reason this blog post came about. If that sounds like a good thing....erm, well....not exactly 😐

You see, the thing is, every single member of my household tested positive for Covid-19 last week. I guess it isn't surprising consider how cases in Singapore have been soaring since Chinese New Year. 

It started with my older twin, who most likely got it from school (the two consecutive Health Risk Warnings were clue enough) and after that it was just a domino effect. We had successfully dodged the damn virus since January 2020 but finally our luck ran out.

But you know what? Looking at the bright side, with us adults receiving booster shots not too long ago and the twins being doubly vaccinated slightly over two weeks ago, I'd say (as crazy as it sounds) if there was ever a "good" time for us to contract it then it would be now. The proof was the fact that flu-like symptoms suddenly appeared and then disappeared within a 72-hour window and we were mostly feeling fine after that. It took two to three additional days for all of us to test negative after which we were able to end our isolation. My home currently smells of a mixture of antiseptic, Febreze and fresh laundry!

Yet, despite having mild symptoms, it isn't fun to be sick. It is boring (especially for the children) to be stuck indoors all day. I felt guilty having abandoned my colleague with the experiments we had jointly planned to do in the lab during my isolation. I had made special plans for my husband's birthday which I had to postpone and that was a total bummer (for me; he doesn't seem to care 😂). I felt my insomnia rear its ugly head after being under control for two years. But I'm grateful that we were united in our fight against Covid-19, we suffered only minimally and with a natural immunity boost, I know that we have emerged stronger. I'm glad that it is over and can only hope that we don't have to go through it ever again *fingers crossed*

Coming back to this post, this is a recipe that I've been meaning to publish for quite a while since I've been asked for the recipe many times on social media. You may be aware that I have the recipe for Cheesy Mushroom Quiche on my blog. I make this 12-inch large quiche with salad for brunch on weekends and it is a good recipe. But the mini version is a much more recent development which came about when I was on the lookout for quick lunch box recipes for my seven-year old twins. 

While on the subject of kids lunch boxes, you can check out many interesting ideas here.

I have been packing these Broccoli-Cheddar Mini Quiches in my daughters lunch boxes for about a year now and they LOVE it. In fact, they love it so much that they asked me to include it in their birthday menu last year (that is a HUGE deal you guys). Broccoli is their favourite vegetable and they both love cheese so that combination was a no-brainer for me. I've tried a few variations with spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and sweet corn but the feedback I get from them is a frown with an exasperated - "but why didn't you put broccoli in it?" So, that's my reason for firmly sticking with broccoli 😄

Don't like broccoli? Not a problem. These mini quiches are super customizable. You can put in anything that you think will work well. Here are some combinations that I like,

i

💚 Spinach, garlic and mushroom

💚 Olives, sun-dried tomatoes & feta cheese
💚 Bell peppers, red onion and corn

💚 Asparagus and goat's cheese

💚 Cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & basil

More advantages of these bite-sized savoury goodies you ask? I'll give you plenty. These are easy to make, nutritious, satisfying, delicious, economical, can be made ahead of time and freeze well. Are you sold yet?

Try this recipe for Mini Quiches you guys. It is great to pack in lunchboxes, for picnics or to take to a potluck. You can also make them for breakfast, brunch or an evening snack or as a starter/appetizer for a party. They are bound to be a hit with anyone you serve them to. Please don't ask me for egg substitutions in this recipe though. I have never tried it and it is highly unlikely that I will even think of doing so 😛

Broccoli-Cheddar Mini Quiche

Preparation: 20 min; Dough chilling time: 1-3 hours (inactive); Baking time: 20 min

Total time: Minimum 1hr 40 min

Makes: 12-14 mini quiche

Recipe category: Breakfast or Appetizer/French

Recipe level: Easy

Recipe source: Adapted from here

Ingredients:

For the homemade quiche crust:

1-1/4 cups (185g) plain flour/all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes

Additional seasonings of choice (you can use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried herbs etc)

3-5 tbsp ice cold water 

For the quiche filling:

4 medium to large eggs

1/3 cup cream, heavy/thickened

3 tbsp whole milk

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Additional seasonings of choice (you can use garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried herbs etc)

Method:

For the homemade quiche crust:

1. Place flour, salt, butter and additional seasonings (if using) in a food processor. Note that I have used Trader Joe's green goddess seasoning blend here. 

2. Pulse a few times or until it looks like breadcrumbs.

3. With the motor running on low, first pour 2.5 tbsp of ice cold water into the tube feeder.

4. Turn up to high and blitz for 30 seconds or until it turns into a ball of dough. Initially it will look like breadcrumbs, then it will turn into a ball of soft dough - some random escaped bits is fine. If it doesn't look like its coming together at 20 seconds, add another 1/2 tbsp of water. Don't blitz longer than 30 seconds at most.

5. Form the dough into a disc and wrap in cling wrap. Do not be tempted to knead this dough. Refrigerate for 1 - 3 hours. Or you can do this in the night and leave the dough overnight in the fridge. 

6. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Spray or grease 2 standard muffin tins with oil.

7. Sprinkle work surface with flour, unwrap chilled dough and place on the flour. Sprinkle top with flour, then roll out into 10cm rounds of uniform thickness. Do not roll it too thin as it can tear. 

8. Cut 12 rounds in total out of pastry. Press each round into the greased indentations of the muffin tin, making sure there's no air underneath the pastry. Prick the base a few times with a fork.

I had only 1 muffin tray of 6 indentations do I divided the dough into 2 equal parts and did two batches. 

9. Bake (no baking beads required) for 5-6 minutes JUST until a skin partially forms on surface of pastry. 

10. Remove from oven and let cool - pastry should be partially cooked on surface only.

For the broccoli-cheddar filling:

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, add in the cream, milk, seasonings and grated cheese. Whisk again. Add in the broccoli florets and mix. 

To assemble the mini quiches:

1. Add the quiche filling mixture into the partially baked pastry almost up to the top. Ensure the filling doesn't go beyond the edges. If it does, the quiche will tend to stick to the tray and might break when you try to take it out. 

2. Bake 20 minutes at 180°C/350°F until surface is light golden. They will puff, then sink.

3. Sprinkle the mini quiche with parmesan shavings and fresh herbs if desired. 

4. Serve warm

Notes:

• Other combinations of fillings that can be used for mini quiche include - spinach, garlic and mushroom; olives, sun-dried tomatoes & feta cheese; bell peppers, red onion and corn; asparagus and goat's cheese; cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella & basil. If you want to use animal protein, you can use ham, bacon, cooked chicken or sausage in the filling
• If you don't have time to make your own crust, you can use frozen shortcrust pastry sheets or store-bought pie crusts. 
• The homemade crust dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months
• For this recipe any melting cheese will work well. I recommend feta cheese, goat cheese, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, or gruyere.
  
• Prepared mini quiches keeps perfectly in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, place for 5 minutes in the oven at 180°C/350°F. They freeze quite well too - cool the baked mini quiches completely, then layer between sheets of parchment paper in a large freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter, then bake at 180°C/350°F for 10-12 minutes or until warmed through.

Cheers,

Megha