Traditional quiche is made with a combination of eggs, cream or milk and baked in a pastry crust. Luckily for those of us with gluten-intolerance the movements towards low-carb diets have made crust-less quiches much more popular. Not only are crust-less quiches (particularly when considering the alternative gluten-free crusts) much easier to prepare but when you taste them you really don’t miss the crust. The tenderness of the quiche itself is truly the star and remains the star from the first bite to the last. This month we wanted to share the simplicity of making your own crust-less quiche in our on-line cooking class.

In this month’s class we will prepare our Ham, Mushroom & Three Cheese Quiche. We hope you enjoy!

Ham, Mushroom & Three Cheese Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 large, leek (white and pale green parts only)
• 4 cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup grated Meunster cheese
• 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
• 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
• 3 Tablespoons gf flour
• 1/4 lb. sliced gf ham
• 3 large eggs
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Tools/Equipment to have on hand:

• Chef’s Knife
• Whisk
• 9-inch pie dish
• 10-inch skillet

The key to a crust-less quiche, in my opinion is the layering of ingredients. Usually my quiche does contain some cheese (in this case we have three cheeses to work with) but the key is to toss the cheese with a small amount of flour, place this mixture in the bottom of the pie pan and then layer on the prepared vegetables and/or meat and then top with the egg custard mixture. By combining the cheese with the gf flour it creates a sort of pseudo crust and it is delicious!

So that said, let’s get started:

Step 1: Prepare the pie dish by lightly greasing it with olive oil or unsalted butter. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Prepare the vegetables. In this case we are using leeks and mushrooms for our vegetable. Always choose the freshest vegetables available and if at all possible look for organic — they not only are better for you but they taste better! When working with leeks you want to use the white and tender green part only. As you move up the stalk, the dark green parts are rather bitter. Leeks tend to have a lot of dirt within them so it is important to thoroughly wash them. Cut the leek in half lengthwise and then cut into _ inch slices crosswise. Place the leeks into a bowl of cold water and agitate the bowl to release the dirt particles. Drain and again thoroughly rinse under running water. Drain again and pat dry with paper towels. Melt the butter in a 10 inch skillet over medium low heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 8 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, until tender, about 2-3 more minutes. When vegetables are cooked through, remove from heat and let cool briefly.
Step 3: Place all of the grated cheese in a large bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons gluten-free flour. Pour the grated cheese mixture into the prepared pie dish and spread to evenly cover the bottom. Place the sliced ham over the top.
Step 4: Spread the cooked vegetables over the top of the ham in the pie dish.
Step 5: Prepare the egg custard. Whisk together the eggs, nutmeg and pepper until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and cream. Pour the cream mixture into the eggs and whisk until just combined.
Step 6: Carefully pour half the custard over the pie filling, gently spreading it over the top to disperse it evenly. Slowly add the remaining custard in the same manner.
Step 7: Cover the pie loosely with foil. Bake until the center of the filling is puffed and set (center will be slightly wobbly but not liquid), about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Check the quiche at about 1-1/4 hours, if the top is not browning, then remove the foil for the last few minutes of cooking time, but watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn.
Step 8: Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving (filling will continue to set as it cools). Serve warm or at room temperature.

I hope you can see how easy it would be to simply change the vegetables or the meat to make your own unique and delicious quiche. The steps remain the same, the ingredients just change!

Enjoy!

-Glutenfreeda.com