A Breakfast of Champions: The Ultimate Quiche

Because of hunting season, I have been arriving at early hours at my parents house while Tim heads outside to hunt. The last visit was special because my brother and sister-in-law were in town from South Carolina. It was a great opportunity to make breakfast, especially since I'd be awake before most people and have extra time! I decided to make The Ultimate Quiche, a recipe my mother-in-law gave to me. I had it at her house a few times and in my opinion, it is the perfect quiche. If you want a no-fail recipe, rich and classic, this is the one for you. My notes/adjustments are sprinkled throughout the recipe below.

The Ultimate Quiche
A Recipe from my mother-in-law (possibly originally from the Gourmet cookbook, 4th edition)

Serving Size: 8

3/4 pound (12 slices) bacon
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 inch/14 ounce package-- thawed)
6 large eggs
2 10 ounce containers creme fraiche (2 1/4 cups) (or heavy cream or half & half.. or a mixture)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly graded nutmeg
1 cup coasley grated Gruyere (about 4 ounces)

Special equipment: an 8 inch deep dish (2 inches deep) fluted quiche pan with a removable bottom or a 9 inch ceramic quiche dish. (I made a double batch in an 11x17 pan, and it was great - made for a shorter quiche)

#1. Put a baking sheet on middle oven rack and preheat oven to 375 degrees

#2. Cook bacon in a 12 inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to paper towel and drain. * I used a full lb (oops) and it turned out great!

#3. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 13 inch square (because pastry is a square, it is easier it into a larger square, then trim it into a round if using round pans). Fit pastry into dish and roll rolling pin over top to trim pastry flush with rim if using a metal pan, or rim with a knife if using a ceramic dish. I personally folded my extra edge of puff pastry over onto itself and it made a lovely thick crust all the way around. No need to toss out perfectly good puff pastry!

#4. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until well combined, then wisk in creme fraiche, salt and nutmeg just until smooth. Pour filling through a fine-mesh sieve into pastry shell. Use your hands to crumble bacon and sprinkle bacon evenly over filling. Top with Gruyere.

#5. Bake quiche on heated baking sheet until center is set ( it should not jiggle when shaken), 45 minutes to 1 hour. (my shorter/more spread out quiche was plenty done at 45min) Transfer to a rack to cool to warm or room temperature. If using a quiche pan, remove rim of pan before serving. I refridgerated this quiche overnight and kept it heated the morning I served it, and it tasted great after staying warm in the oven for an hour or so.

I hope you enjoy! This is an easy, delicious, make-ahead breakfast well-suited for entertaining or special occasions.