Swiss Chard and Onion Quiche

I needed something easy to bring to a New Years Eve potluck and quiche fit the bill perfectly. One thing I love about quiche is that once you have developed a good base you can add just about any vegetable combination and it's guaranteed to come out perfect! It's also a great way to use up vegetables in the fridge, in a way that will create several meals whether they be lunch, breakfast or snacks. Chard is easy to find in the Winter months because it thrives in cooler weather. Buy a big bunch for soup and keep some for this great Quiche dish.

For the crust I like a nice flaky and substantial crust- a little thicker than I would do for a pie. This pie crust is different in that it uses liquid oil instead of a solid like butter or shortening. For best results you will want the crust dough to chill for about 15 minutes before rolling so start with your crust and make the filling while it's chilling.

Easy Pie Crust Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/4 Cup Milk or cream

1 TSP salt

2 Cups flour

2 TSP baking powder

In a food processor, combine the dry ingredients together and while the food processor is running slowly add the milk and oil which you can combine together in a measuring cup. Blend until this creates a mealy texture. Rinse your measuring cup and add ice cubes and water. Swirl this around a bit to chill the water. SLOWLY drizzle ice old water into the food processor (while it's running) until the dough starts to clump. Test it by pinching the dough, it should be holding together yet still slightly crumbly. Wrap this in a ball in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Filling:

2 Cups chopped Swiss, Red, or Rainbow Chard

1 Large onion sliced thin

2 TBSP Olive Oil

1 TBSP dried Thyme

1 tsp. Dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

4 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

Other Ingredients:

1/ Cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Saute the onions until they are golden brown and begin to caramelize. This will bring out the sweetness in the onions. Add the chard and saute until leaves are tender and bright green. Add spices and continue to stir for another minute. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425

Roll out your crust on parchment or wax paper until about 1/8" thick. Invert the crust into a 9 inch pie plate or quiche pan. Trim off the excess from the rim by using a sharp knife, or crimp by hand. Line the crust with foil and add about 2 cups of pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for 15 minutes or until it begins to brown on the edges. Remove from oven and turn down oven to 350.

Remove pie weights and foil and place filling on bottom of crust making sure it's evenly distributed. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup grated parm cheese on top of veggie filling mix.

In a blender, blend the eggs and milk together then pour into pie crust. Place back into oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool to room temperature before serving. Quiche is best served warm but not hot. If you're bringing this to an event, let cool about 30 minutes before wrapping in foil. This is a great item to bring to a potluck brunch and sure to be a big hit.