Bacon and Cheddar Quiche

This is a favorite at my house. Real men, women and children do eat quiche. (You'll have to be an 80s fan to get that.)

Bacon and Cheddar Quiche
Based on some recipe I found on the internet and didn't keep track of.
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

pre-made pie shell - (go fresh if you like)
1-1.5 cups cooked bacon (crumbled)
4 large eggs
1.5 cups half-and-half or whole milk
1/4 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1-1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line pie pan with pre-made pie shell or fresh if you like and bake for 8 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and put shredded cheddar and sliced mushrooms at the bottom.
4. Beat eggs by hand and add milk/half&half, thyme, and pepper.
5. Pour into pie shell.
6. Evenly distribute crumbled bacon on top of egg mixture.
7. Bake for 45 minutes or up to an hour until the center is firm.

Fusilli, Ham and Cheddar Cheese

Sometimes a kids dish can be transported into a great dish for more sophisticated palates. Think of it a meeting of the minds or compromise with the rug rats that will satisfy everyone. Pick any pasta - even plain old macaroni noodles. I like Fusilli Bucati - 'bucati' means the noodle is hollow. For cheese - go crazy and use white cheddar, or any other variation. I am biased towards lots of flavor - so the sharper the better. For the mushrooms, the regular white variety works but so does shiitake, etc.


Fusilli, Ham and Cheddar Cheese

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
8-16 ounces fusilli bucati (or other pasta)
1 8-ounce package of sharp cheddar (shredded)
8 ounce diced ham
8 ounce mushrooms (sliced)
1 10 3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.
2. Stir it all together.
3. Pour into lightly greased baking dish (2.5-3 quart).
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Mushroom and Smoked Cheese Pizza

Of course, the kids love pizza but I like something more interesting than peperoni pizza. So Moosewood comes to the rescue again and has some great veggie options that kids also love (assuming mushrooms aren't considered a poison from aliens to eliminate children).

It may seem like a lot of mushrooms but remember they cook down quite a bit - and besides the idea is to cover that pizza edge to edge with mushrooms. I used white mushrooms yesterday but I want to try a mix of mushrooms next time.

Mushroom and Smoked Cheese Pizza

Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooking at Home

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

2 prebaked (whole wheat) pizza shells (feel free to use your favorite homemade dough recipe)

2 pounds mushrooms (slided)

2-3 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons  fresh sage and/or dill (2 teaspoon if dried)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 cups grated smoked cheese (cheddar, provolone, Swiss)

2 cups grated mozzarella (or muenster)

1/2-1 cup scallions (chopped)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven according to pizza shell instructions.
2. Saute mushrooms in skillet in oil on high heat, stirring, until juice is released from mushrooms. 
3. Add dash of salt and pepper, sage and/or dill, mustard. Cook and stir until all liquid has evaporated.
4. In bowl, combine mushrooms and HALF of both types of cheese. Spread evenly over both pizza shells. 
5. Sprinkle scallions and remaining cheese on top of mushrooms on both pizzas. 
6. Bake according to pizza shell directions.