Quiche with Prosciutto and Asparagus

 Back in May I went and visited my older sister in Orlando. We made this delicious quiche for lunch one day while I was there so I decided to make it again when my boyfriend came to visit me last weekend to celebrate my birthday. As always, he loved it. (I choose to believe this is because I am an incredibly talented cook and not because he will eat anything you place in front of him.)

A lot of people are intimidated by quiche but it is really a simple and elegant dish (especially if you use store-bought crust like me).

You will need: 1/2 bunch of fresh asparagus, 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese, 6 large eggs, 2 Tbsp heavy cream, 8 oz baby bellas, 1/2 large onion, 4 oz prosciutto, 1 pie crust, flour for dusting, and 2 Tbsp butter (not pictured).

It's amazing. The word butter is in the title of my blog and I can't remember to take a photo of it.

Take the pie crust and lay it on a floured surface and dust some flour on top.

Now, starting in the center, roll the crust away from you. Keep rotating and rolling, always starting from the center of the crust. Stop when the crust is about 3 inches wider than your pie plate or tart pan.

Gently lay the crust in the pan. Form the crust to the pan by pushing the dough into the crease and pinching the edges.

Tada! Now, either you can pre-bake the crust or you can fill everything and bake the quiche at a higher temperature at the end. I have found that pre-baking prevents a soggy crust so I went ahead and baked the crust according to package directions (after poking with a fork).

Now, break of the woody ends off of the asparagus. It's the only vegetable that is nice enough to tell you which parts you should throw away.

Break the tender part of the asparagus into 2 inch pieces. Keep going until you have a large pile.

Peel half of a large onion...

And slice it into thin strips so that you have half circles.

Add 2 Tbsp of butter to a large skillet over medium heat.

Throw in the asparagus...

8 oz. of baby bellas...

And the onions with some salt...

And fresh cracked pepper, to taste.

Give everything a good toss and cook until the asparagus is just tender.

While the vegetables are cooking, let's get the rest of the quiche ready to assemble. First, cut one rind off of the gruyere cheese.

Grate up about 1 cup of gruyere cheese. This doesn't have to be exact. If you prefer more cheese, grate more! If you're lactose intolerant, I suggest you don't add any.

Crack 6 eggs into a large liquid measuring cup (or anything that has a spout).

Add in 2 Tbsp of heavy cream.

Beat the eggs until a little frothy with a fork then add in the cheese with some salt and pepper, to taste.

Now, arrange the vegetables in an even layer inside the crust.

Top the vegetables with 4 oz. of prosciutto.

You could also dice the prosciutto and mix it with the vegetables, but I like it this way.

Now poor the egg/cheese mixture over everything.

A lot of the cheese will wind up on top, but that's fine. It makes a nice golden top.

Bake the quiche at 375 for about 50 minutes, or until the eggs are set.

See what I mean? Look at that golden top!

This quiche was delicious. And they're versatile! You could easily substitute any vegetables or meats you want to suit your taste, the method is still the same.

Enjoy!

Quiche with Prosciutto and Asparagus

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bunch of fresh asparagus, ends removed and cut into 2" pieces
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 6 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp heavy cream
• 8 oz sliced baby bellas
• 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 oz prosciutto
• 1 pie crust
• flour for dusting
• 2 Tbsp butter 
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Prebake pie crust according to package/recipe instructions.
2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Add butter to large skillet over medium heat and add in the asparagus, mushrooms, onions, salt and pepper. Toss and cook until vegetables are just tender.
4. Crack 6 eggs into a large measuring cup and add in the heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Beat until eggs are slightly frothy. Stir in cheese.
5.  Arrange the vegetables in the prebaked crust. Top with prosciutto. Pour the eggs over everything.
6. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the eggs have set.