Simple mini quiches with cream cheese pastry crust

As is common around a holiday, blocks of cream cheese are cheap this week. Since that holiday is currently Easter, so are eggs. Perfect opportunity to make and share a mini quiche recipe I have been making and tweaking for years. These are so versatile. They are a great party snack, satisfying lunch, part of a nice light dinner, or can be frozen and reheated for a quick protein-packed breakfast. And you can change them up based on what you have and what you like

A few basics, then choose your fillings

For the dough, you need all-purpose flour, a stick of butter, a brick of cream cheese, and salt. For the filling you will need six eggs, a cup of milk, a cup of your choice of crumbled or grated cheese, and any other fillings you want. I am using bacon (cooked quickly and simply in the oven), scallions, and sharp cheddar today, but the possibilities are many. Use your leftover Easter ham with some scallions and swiss, saute some mushrooms and onions, try spinach and feta, use sun-dried tomatoes, and on and on.

Pie dough is my NEMESIS

I mean it, whenever I try to make a traditional crust, I end up in a bad mood with a big mess and an ugly pie. I have found a couple of ways to escape that nightmare. One is this crazy-easy one that I found on allrecipes. It is suprisingly good for how simple it is. And results in zero stress! I used it for a spinach and bacon quiche that even my French mother-in-law approved of! The other one is this cream cheese dough that I use for these mini guys. But if you really don’t want to make your own dough (and believe me, I understand that position), try my breakfast biscuit cups.

Two cups of flour, a stick of butter, a block of cream cheese, and ¼ teaspoon salt in the food processor.

Pulse until it starts to come together.

Transfer to a bowl and separate into two balls.  Now would be a good time to preheat the oven to 400°.

Divide one ball into 12 pieces. You can do the same with the second ball and do all 24 at once if you have two muffin tins. I prefer this silicone one because they don’t stick even without spray or greasing. I only have one of those so I just do these one batch at a time. If you are using a metal pan, it is probably a good idea to spray it first.

Flatten each piece into a disc and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup. Take care not to make holes as the egg mixture could seep through and puff up in the wrong places.

Add about a tablespoon total of your meats and veggies to each cup, then top with about two teaspoons of shredded cheese (½ cup is divided among 12).

Whisk 6 eggs with a cup of milk and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Reserve half of the mixture for the second batch.

Divide the other half of the mixture among the 12 cups. Resist the temptation to fill them more than what is shown above, unless you really want a mess.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until the filling is set and the crust is light golden brown. Let them stand for about five minutes in the muffin pan before trying to take them out.

Once cooled, you can freeze these for quick, hearty breakfasts.  They can be defrosted in the fridge overnight or in the microwave, then microwaved for 30-45 seconds until they’re hot.