Make Ahead Chicken Quiche Food

EASY CHICKEN QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray.
• Line the prepared pie dish with puff pastry, covering base and sides. Trim excess pastry. Brush bottom with Dijon mustard.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped green onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Mix in chicken, and cook for 1 minute more.
• Whisk eggs, heavy cream, salt, nutmeg, ground black pepper, and Italian seasoning together in a bowl.
• Layer 1/2 of the Gouda cheese over the puff pastry and top with chicken mixture. Pour in egg mixture. Sprinkle the remaining Gouda cheese on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set and golden, about 25 minutes.

QUICHE

Steps:

• In medium bowl, toss 4 teaspoons flour with the grated cheese. Sprinkle mixture into the pie shell. On top of cheese, sprinkle 1/2 cup of diced ham.
• In medium bowl, combine eggs, milk or cream, and then add salt and mustard powder. Beat until smooth and pour over cheese and ham.
• Put piece of plastic wrap large enough to overlap sides over top of quiche, then a piece of foil, and seal well around the edges. (plastic keeps the foil from sticking to the food). Place prepared quiche in freezer.
• When ready to prepare, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.) Remove foil and plastic wrap. Put foil around edge of crust to protect it.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. Garnish with parsley and pimiento if desired

ULTIMATE QUICHE LORRAINE

Steps:

• For the pastry, put 175g plain flour, 100g cold butter, cut into pieces, 1 egg yolk and 4 tsp cold water into a food processor. Using the pulse button, process until the mix binds.
• Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, gather into a smooth ball, then roll out as thinly as you can.
• Line a 23 x 2.5cm loose-bottomed, fluted flan tin, easing the pastry into the base.
• Trim the pastry edges with scissors (save any trimmings) so it sits slightly above the tin (if it shrinks, it shouldn't now go below the level of the tin). Press the pastry into the flutes, lightly prick the base with a fork, then chill for 10 mins.
• Put a baking sheet in the oven and heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line pastry case with foil, shiny side down, fill with dry beans and bake on the hot sheet for 15 mins.
• Remove foil and beans and bake for 4-5 mins more until the pastry is pale golden. If you notice any small holes or cracks, patch up with pastry trimmings. You can make up to this point a day ahead.
• While the pastry cooks, prepare the filling. Heat a small frying pan, tip in 200g lardons and fry for a couple of mins. Drain off any liquid that comes out, then continue cooking until the lardons just start to colour, but aren't crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Cut three quarters of the 50g gruyère into small dice and finely grate the rest. Scatter the diced gruyère and fried lardons over the bottom of the pastry case.
• Using a spoon, beat 200ml crème fraîche to slacken it then slowly beat in 200ml double cream. Mix in 3 well beaten eggs. Season (you shouldn't need much salt) and add a pinch of ground nutmeg. Pour three quarters of the filling into the pastry case.
• Half-pull the oven shelf out and put the flan tin on the baking sheet. Quickly pour the rest of the filling into the pastry case - you get it right to the top this way. Scatter the grated cheese over the top, then carefully push the shelf back into the oven.
• Lower the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Bake for about 25 mins, or until golden and softly set (the centre should not feel too firm).
• Let the quiche settle for 4-5 mins, then remove from the tin. Serve freshly baked, although it's also good cold.

MAKE-AHEAD CHICKEN QUICHE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400.
• Mix chicken, bell pepper, onion and 1/3 the cheese together. Sprinkle into pie crust.
• Whisk eggs, milk,sour cream and salt and pepper together. Pour over the chicken mixture in the pie crust.
• Top with reserved cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes on rimmed baking sheet.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 for 20 minutes.
• Total cooking time 50 minutes.
• Let rest for 30 minutes before serving or refrigerate and reheat.
• Quiche can be frozen prior to baking or after baking; baking first may make the quiche a little easier to maneuver in the freezer. To freeze quiche before baking: Place quiche on a tray or baking pan and freeze until firm. Wrap with freezer paper or heavy-duty (or double thickness) aluminium foil or slide quiche into a freezer bag. Seal, label and freeze for up to one month. When ready to serve, remove from freezer. Do not thaw. Unwrap and bake as usual, adding 10 to 20 minutes extra time. To freeze quiche after baking: Proceed as above. Do not thaw before reheating. Remove wrap and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 25 minutes, or until heated through.