Caramelized Onion Quiche

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I wasn't sure if I should post this recipe or not, because I don't like how the photos turned out so much. I wasn't really planning on taking photos of it, but this quiche tasted so good that I thought it wouldn't be fair not to share it. I am a huge fan of caramelized onions, to me it is one of the easiest, simplest and most inexpensive ways to turn a good dish into a great one.  A while ago I made a quick list of my most affordable recipes, this quiche definitely deserves a place on that list too. Using one onion, eggs and  gruyere cheese, this is as budget-friendly as it gets, but if you want to spend even less than that, substitute the gruyere with mozzarella.

The quiche crust is nothing more than a flaky pie crust, the type you find in every supermarket and it is a real time saver. But if you have time, making your own is super easy and (again) inexpensive. It freezes very well and all you have to do is thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. I normally have some in my freezer and I use it for savoury quiches like this one, vegetable pies or sweet fruit pies. I listed the recipe I use here, so you can choose to make it or just use store-bought ones, whatever fits you.

One last note about the onions. When caramelizing onions, don't rush the process, they should cook slowly at a medium-low temperature gaining colour towards the end of the cooking time (normally 20-30 minutes).

 

 

 Caramelized Onion Quiche Recipe:

makes one 9 inch round quiche

 

You will need:

 

1/2 recipe of flaky pie dough, store-bought or homemade (recipe bellow)

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1 tablespoon of fresh thyme, chopped

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 eggs

3/4 cup of milk ( I use 2%)

1 cup of shredded gruyere cheese

salt and pepper

 

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

On a floured surface, roll the dough until you have a circle 10-11 inches in diameter. Lay dough into a 9 inch pie pan. Be careful not to stretch the dough, or it will shrink back in the oven. Trim edges around the pie plate leaving a 1/2 inch border. Prick the bottom of the dough with a fork and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.

Cover pie plate with foil paper and top it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes, removing the foil paper and beans on the last 10 minutes. Set aside until it cools.

While dough bakes, melt butter over medium-low heat, add the onions and thyme and cook slowly until onions are browned, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Lightly beat the eggs with the milk and season with salt and pepper.

Spread 1/2 cup of the cheese on the bottom of the quiche, add the onions on top and cover with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Pour the egg mixture and bring quiche to the oven. Bake it until golden brown and puffed, about 40 minutes.

Enjoy it warm or at room temperature along with a simple salad.

 

Making a Flaky Pie Dough:

This recipe makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9-inch pies. I used half for this quiche and froze the other half for later.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes

1/4 cup ice water

 

In the food processor, combine the flour and salt and pulse once. Add the pieces of butter and process until mixture forms small pieces of dough, like a crumb. With the processor on, slowly add the water until the dough comes together. Test it by squeezing a piece between your fingers, it should hold together. If the dough is not coming together yet, add more cold water, a tablespoon at the time. The dough should be a moist one.

Turn dough onto a floured surface, divide it in 2 parts and form disks. Wrap each disk with plastic film and store in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using, or freeze it.