Quiche Lorraine

Ingredients

1 recipe Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie

6 slices bacon or turkey bacon

½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)

5 eggs, lightly beaten

1 ¼ cups half-and-half or light cream

¼ teaspoon salt

Dash ground nutmeg

1 ½ cups shredded Swiss cheese (6 ounces)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Chopped fresh tomato (optional)

Snipped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten pastry. Roll pastry from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry circle around the rolling pin. Unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry even with the plate's edge. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry.

Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy foil. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes more or until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. (Pastry shell should still be hot when filling is added; do not partially bake pastry shell ahead of time.)

Meanwhile, in a very large skillet cook bacon until crisp or cook turkey bacon according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Crumble bacon finely; set aside. Cook onion in the reserved drippings over medium heat until tender; drain.

In a large bowl stir together eggs, half-and-half, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in crumbled bacon and onion. In a small bowl combine shredded cheese and flour; add to egg mixture. Mix well.

Pour egg-cheese mixture into the hot, baked pastry shell. Bake in the 325 degrees F oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover edge of crust with foil for the last 10 to 20 minutes of baking. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with tomato and parsley.

Quiche Lorraine with Quick Pastry:

Omit Pastry for a Single Crust Pie. Use half of a 15-ounce package rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust (1 crust). Let stand according to package directions. Unroll and ease pastry into a 9-inch pie plate being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry. Bake as directed in Step 2. Continue as directed in Steps 3 through 5.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche:

Prepare Quiche Lorraine as directed, except omit bacon. Cook the onion and 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms in 1 tablespoon hot vegetable oil until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 cups lightly packed coarsely chopped fresh spinach. Stir into egg mixture with cheese in Step 3.