Apple and Cheddar Quiche

I am back in the kitchen and I hope that everyone had a great Christmas filled with tasty food!

The week in between Christmas and New Years can be a bit hectic and I wanted to try to simplify things by making some meals ahead of time. I like to have quiches for breakfast and one of the reasons is that there is generally a lot of leftovers and they reheat well for quick and easy breakfasts during the week. This recipe will make enough for a few breakfasts for one or two people and it can be doubled for larger families. Another thing that I like about quiches is the near limitless possibilities for different flavour combinations. This apple and cheddar quiche was inspired by the flavours in the apple and cheddar tart that I recently made and enjoyed!

I started out by simmering chunks of apple in cider until they just turned tender and I did this because I knew that apple would not cook enough in the quiche to get tender and nobody wants to bite into a hard piece of apple when eating a quiche. Next I added a strong cheddar to finish off the primary flavours in the quiche. Since the rosemary went well in the tart I added some to the quiche as well and I figured that a bit of salty bacon would also be a hit. To keep things simple, I went with a pre-made frozen phyllo dough crust.

I have to say that the apple and cheddar flavour combination with rosemary works very well in quiche form! I was particularly happy with the way that the phyllo dough crust worked out. Even though it was full of an egg mixture, the phyllo still got crispy and it allowed for a 'deep dish' style of quiche that was really nice. I served the apple and cheddar quiche along with an arugula salad with walnuts, feta and a simple lemon and oil vinaigrette.

Apple and Cheddar Quiche

(makes 6+ servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 large apples (cored and cut into bite sized chunks)
1 cup apple cider
4 strips bacon (cut into 1 inch pieces)
6 sheets phyllo (thawed as directed on package)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon rosemary (chopped)
1 cup strong cheddar (grated)
4 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 cup half and half

Directions:
1. Simmer the apple slices in the cider until they just start to turn tender, about 3-5 minutes, remove and set them aside.
2. Simmer the remaining cider to reduce to about 2 tablespoons.
3. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a pan and set aside.
4. Brush a sheet of phyllo pastry with the olive oil and fit it into the bottom of a greased 9 inch pie dish or springform pan with the ends hanging over the side of the pan and repeat with the remaining sheets placing them on top.
5. Toss the apple slices in the reduced cider and spread them out over the bottom of the pan.
6. Sprinkle the bacon, rosemary and cheddar cheese on top of the apples.
7. Mix the eggs and half and half, pour into the pan and fold the edges of the phyllo dough that is hanging over the sides.
8. Bake in a preheated 375F oven until golden brown and set in the center, about 25-45 minutes.

Similar Recipes:
Apple and Cheddar Tart
Caramelized Apple and Cheddar Omelette with Bacon and Candied Walnuts
Caramelized Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Caramelized Pear and Gorgonzola Quiche
Apple Cinnamon Swirl Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Roasted Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage
Reuben Quiche
Caramel Apple Grilled Cheese Sandwich (with Bacon)
Apple, Cheddar and Bacon Fritters in Caramel Sauce

Use leftover phyllo dough in:
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Mushroom and Feta Phyllo Pie
Kolokithopita (Greek Zucchini Pie)
Agginaropita (Greek Artichoke Pie)
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel with Balsamic Syrup
Tomato Tart
Baklava
Galaktoboureko (Greek Custard Pie)
Chicken and Date Pastilla
Asparagus and Walnut Phyllo Pie (aka Asparagus Baklava) with Avgolemono Sauce
Roasted Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage
Strawberry Goat Cheese Banitsa
Lamb Exohiko (Lamb, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Phyllo Parcels)
Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart