Definitely a light bite! Leek, Bacon and Cheese Crustless Quiche

 

 

Much as I (unfortunately) like pastry, it doesn't like me. In fact I am not sure it likes anybody to be honest, but I always saw it as a necessary evil to encase something really rather nice. Until now, that is. It was when I caught myself staring at a colleague who is far more restrained than me when it comes to eating healthier eating something resembling the custardy centre of a quiche that I thought that maybe making a quiche without the tart would be completely feasible. And so it is, and below is the proof.

 

Now I know that my colleague's 'quiche' is made using cottage cheese which is quite simply the work of the devil, not really my bag. I see myself as settling for half and I like it better, so if I am losing the pastry, I am keeping the cream. I just ensure that the cream is packed with lots of lovely things so that the custardy filling goes a lot, lot further. A mooch around Morrisons, (or indeed a mooch around the price checker) revealed the staple ingredients for this recipe: cream, bacon, cheddar and leeks that were either 'I'm cheaper' or very reasonably priced, so I am working on the idea that this is not only good for me, but good for my purse too. Coupled with the fact that I served this with a vibrant salad, also bought from Market Street at Morrisons, meant that this is really a light bite, good enough to be presented to friends and family for an alfresco summer lunch, or else cut into wedges and put into a lunch box with some of the aforementioned salad and taken to work, ready to be eaten at lunch time. And what's more, Finn - the fussiest of eaters - enjoyed it immensely. Though he did leave the salad...

 

I know that what I am proposing isn't ground breaking - I know that if I googled for long enough I would find someone had done this already and called it an omelette or something, but what I will say is that it is a great way of using staple ingredients which don't break the bank. And it's impressive but simple. And it goes well with a cold glass of wine, so what are you waiting for?

 

Leek, Bacon and Cheddar Crustless Quiche

 

Ingredients:

 

two leeks, washed and finely sliced

150g bacon sliced (or you could use lardons)

three eggs

300ml double cream

50g grated cheddar (or to taste)

chopped parsley (optional - I like my quiches flecked with green)

salt and pepper to taste.

 

Method:

 

Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease and line an 8/9 inch spring form pan or suitable baking pan.

 

 

 

Fry off the bacon and the leeks until the bacon has rendered its fat and becoming crisp and the leeks are becoming translucent.

 

Pour the mixture into a bowl.

 

 

 

Add the cream and whisk in the three eggs, then grate in the cheese.

 

Season to taste. Start off carefully for the bacon might be salty.

 

Add the herbs if using and mix well.

 

 

 

Pour into the pan and shake to ensure even coverage of custard and mixture.

 

 

 

Put into the preheated oven and cook for about 25 - 30 minutes until the custard has set and the top is becoming brown.

 

Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to cool a little before running a knife around the sides of the pan and removing it.

 

Serve barely warm or at room temperature with some salad and a sense of virtuous well being.

 

 

This post is an entry for the #MorrisonsMum (or #MorrisonsDad) Summer Recipe eBook Challenge sponsored by Morrisons, which has recently cut prices on over a thousand every day products. Find out more here price checker tool. I am submitting this recipe for the light summer family meals category.