Quiche is one of my favorite dishes. First off you can be very creative with the fillings. You can do the Lorraine (cheese and ham), crab and asparagus, bacon and cheddar, use chopped onions, green peppers...well you get the idea. This is the way my mother taught me how to make quiche and though very rich it is very delicious.

You need 1 pint heavy cream and 6 eggs (separating the white from the yolk), parmesan and swiss cheese, chopped sliced ham (try to get one that isn't overly salty) or use bacon which has been cooked to a crisp and crumbled.

Using a basting brush lightly coat a little bit of melted butter on the bottom pie shell, prick a few holes with a toothpick and put in the oven preheated at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes. Once that is done set it aside to cool.

Once your shell is cooled start layering your ingredients (I'm sorry I don't have exact measurements because we just do it all by "feel" so to speak. You'll want to put a little swiss cheese on the bottom, then some ham/bacon/crab, more swiss cheese, another layer of the meat you have chosen and top off with the grated parmesan cheese. Of course if you love onion and green pepper like I do put a light layer in the middle being careful not to use more than 1/2 cup or the liquid from the vegies will make your quiche too mushy from the liquid. Now set your pie aside and make the cream/egg mixture.

Using your mixer take about 1 cup heavy cream and whip it until it is frothy, slowly add the egg yolk to the mixture to blend it in. This is what will give your quiche that lovely thickness you sometimes see. Once your mixture has a nice soft peak go ahead and pour it into your prepared shell. Leave about 1/8 inch at the top to avoid spillage while baking.

Now you might be wondering what you should do with all that egg white. Well, I usually store it in the fridge for a day or two and use it for an omelette.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 45 to 50 minutes. You can test with a toothpick but be aware to check if you see what you might think is uncooked egg come out on it. It is very likely it is a bit of melted cheese.

The main thing is don't be scared to be creative. I've had quiche made with sundried tomatoes and prosciutto ham. If you will have quite a few people at the meal make two and make each one a different style. Just double your amount of cream and eggs. My in-laws love the crab and asparagus and almost everyone loves the classic lorraine.

Enjoy!

I like to use 1 large chopped tomato, two strips of fried bacon chopped, and a few quartered button mushrooms.

I heard someone say they used broccoli and blue cheese in a quiche, although I haven't tried it yet. But I will.