[ Easter Brunch pt. 1] Broccoli & White Cheddar Quiche from Over Easy

Oh I have been waiting for this day. 

I have anticipated this book for well over a year and have been eagerly waiting for my pre-ordered copy since mid-January.  

Joy the Baker is the lady who inspired me to create this space and her work continues to motivate my efforts and spark my creativity.  

This brunch book is beautifully put together.  It is intuitive, instructional, and just really fun.  I love it and I know you will love it, and nobody is paying me to say that.  

Many of its golden recipes strike the comfy weekend balance between ease and effort.  When brunching, or breakfasting, on the weekends we have a bit more time for frills, but do not wish to feel like we are working.  This recipe is a perfect example of the book's approachable balance.  While we have to do some chopping and sautéing, we are going to let the supermarket handle the pastry side of things for us. 

It took me several trips of reading and skimming through this book to decide which of the many eye-catching and hunger-igniting recipes I would tackle first.  For whatever reason, my eye kept returning to this Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche.  

It's odd that I would turn down donuts for eggs, and even more peculiar that I would choose quiche when truly, up until now, I had only liked two of the quiches I had had in my life. 

Nonetheless, I bought and trimmed the broccoli, grated the cheese, and cracked the eggs. 

Side note: Trimming the broccoli is fun because you get to make teeny tiny florets and they are adorable.  I started giggling thinking about them being tiny trees and then my mind went to Bob Ross (who I have only recently discovered) and "happy little trees," and I giggled more.  No one else was home, just me giggling at my broccoli.  Simple pleasures, folks. 

The liquid side of this quiche is super simple, consisting of eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and of course, half and half.  With all that broccoli we can justify some extra cream.  

Pepper polka-dots. 

While Joy called for good old regula' cheddar, I went with a sharp white cheddar because I will always pick white cheddar over the orange stuff, and because I cannot seem to completely follow a recipe these days. 

Now for the vegetables!  

We have to talk about the crust for a moment.  You know I am a homemade puff pastry girl all the way, but I bought the frozen stuff for this quiche and I'll tell you why. 

First, this is an endeavor in balance.  We are taking time to chop and sauté and whisk, but very few of us wish to make puff pastry on a weekend morning.  Secondly, homemade puff pastry would almost be wasted here, because while those lovely, buttery layers are going to give us perfectly crisp edges, the greater part of the pastry will form the bottom crust and will have no chance to puff at all.  So, that is why I will heartily agree to pre-made puff for this recipe. 

Did I mention how delicious those puffy, crispy, buttery edges are?  I'm never making quiche with pie crust again. 

Now Monday may not be the best day to whip out this savory bake, but there does happen to be a lovely holiday just around the corner and this quiche would love to be invited to your pre-church breakfast or served alongside your spring greens salad for lunch.

I made this quiche several hours ahead of time and reheated it just slightly before serving and it was perfection.  Feel free to bake it up the night before for a quick breakfast or brunch the next morning. 

I have enjoyed it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at this point, and it was delicious every time.  It is likely my favorite quiche because it is hearty without being too rich, and the puff pastry crust gives it that extra something that has kept me coming back for more.  I really cannot wait for you to try it. 

Oh, you are wondering about that drink?  Coming soon...*wink wink.*

Sincerely,

Pedantic Foodie

---

Broccoli & White Cheddar Quiche

recipe from Over Easy (slightly adapted) / yields 6-8 servings

- 1 sheet frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed*

- all-purpose flour, for rolling 

- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

- 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced

- 3 heaping cups bite-sized broccoli florets 

- 6 large eggs 

- 1/2 cup whole milk

- 1/2 cup half and half

- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

- freshly ground black pepper

- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

- 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

*While thawing the pastry is necessary for shaping it, you do not want it to be warm enough to melt the layers of butter.  It should be just barely pliable, but still very cold when you roll it out. 

Lightly dust a clean surface with flour and gently unfold the puff pastry.  Carefully roll out the pastry, increasing the length and width by roughly an inch on each side.  Transfer the pastry to a 9-inch pie plate and gently press the pastry into the pan, rolling over the edges as necessary.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 

In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook until they become translucent and have just started to brown on the edges.  Add the broccoli to the pan and toss gently.  Cook for about three minutes.  The broccoli should still be bright green in color but slightly softened.  Add 1/4 cup water to the pan and cover with a tight-fitting lid.  Steam the vegetables for about 2 minutes, until tender, but crisp.  Uncover and remove from heat.  Allow the vegetables to cool to room temperature; about 20 minutes. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, half and half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until smooth.  Gently stir in the grated cheddar and then add the cooled vegetables.  Pour into the prepared pastry crust and smooth the top of the mixture with a spatula. 

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the quiche is puffy and firm and the crust is golden brown.  Allow the quiche to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.  

Personally, I enjoyed this quiche most when it was warm, but it may be served at room temperature or cold.  If you are not going to consume all of this quiche at once, just cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Enjoy!! 

White Cheddar & Burnt Sugar Crackers

I love appetizers.  I like standing around the table, picking up small handfuls of grapes, raiding the cheese trays, and eating all the sliced apples.  It stems from my love of snacking.  It’s a problem, but admitting that in no way compels me to reform.  If I had my way, lunch would always consist of a large tray of various cheeses, olives, apples, grapes, and warm baguettes.  Throw in a big sweater and an old book and oh my goodness - totally idyll.

The great thing about snacking is that no one (including you, thank goodness) can keep track of exactly how much you are eating.  The wheel of brie disappears and no one in particular is to blame.  It just disappeared when half a dozen people were standing around the appetizer table.  That’s a good thing when you consume brie at the rate that I do.

A mid-afternoon snack craving inspired these crackers.  Here’s what happened.  I was with my sister, (that line is always a warning that ridiculous and fattening things will follow), when she whipped out a bag of cheddar and caramel popcorn.  What?  Too weird.  I’m definitely not trying that…well, maybe a little bit.

“That's disgustin - wait…  I’m going to marry this stuff!  Give me that bag!”  And that’s how it all went down. 

Fast forward to the next afternoon when the popcorn was gone but the cravings were strong, and I started contemplating how I could recreate the enigmatic yet addicting snack.  Of course, I could make my own cheesey popcorn, but then I would need to dehydrate cheddar and make it into a powder and yeah -- I was not going to go there.

However, crackers were a reasonable option.  That would take care of the cheddar element.  The caramel, however, stumped me at first.  Then I remembered burnt sugar and I knew good things were about to happen.

Making your own crackers is not hard!  Can you make shortbread?  Then you can make crackers, I promise.  The hardest part is not eating them all. 

After the crackers cool a bit they are drizzled with a heavy dose of sticky, golden burnt sugar.

Burnt sugar is just what it says, burnt sugar.  Not super burnt, but just brown enough to give us that caramel flavor and a touch of sweetness.

I paired these crackers with some crisp apple slices and it was a perfectly balanced snack tray.  Think of the crackers as the cheese and the burnt sugar as the honey.  It’s weird but it really works. 

Snack lunching it up in here.  

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie

---

White Cheddar & Burnt Sugar Crackers

 makes about 70 crackers / recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

for the crackers

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sharp white cheddar, grated 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cold water 

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine butter, salt and white cheddar.  Mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes, the mixture will begin to form a ball.  While continuing to mix on low speed, slowly add flour in increments until all the flour has been worked in.  Add water, one teaspoon at a time.  Add just enough water to form a rough dough, you may not need the full amount or you may need a little extra, depending on the humidity.  The dough should not be wet or sticky, just moist. 

Shape the dough into two discs and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  

While the dough chills preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  

Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to an 1/8 of an inch in thickness.  Use a 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the crackers.  Use the end of a skewer to make several indentations into the center of each cracker.  

Place the crackers on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing them about 1/4 inch apart, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and fragrant.  Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.  While the crackers are cooling, prepare the burnt sugar.

for the burnt sugar

• 1 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/4 cup water 

In a small saucepan combine sugar and water and place over medium high heat.  Stir several times and then fit the pan with a candy thermometer and allow to cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 300 degrees.  

Remove from heat and drizzle the burn sugar over the cooled crackers with a fork.  Work carefully and quickly, as the sugar with set up rapidly as it cools.

Allow the crackers to sit for about 10 minutes before eating - this will allow the sugar to fully set. 

Serve immediately or store in airtight containers for several days.  Enjoy!

{The 1st Meal} White Cheddar Biscuits with Black Pepper Pancetta Gravy

I’m not much of a southern lady.  In fact, I will proudly claim otherwise.  I will turn down hot, humid weather for cold rainy days, and I could even do without a large number of casseroles and coconut cakes in my life.  But, there is one southern delicacy which I will always adore and devour at every chance I get. 

Biscuits and gravy.  Gosh, I can’t even look at you.  That buttery, fluffy buttermilk biscuit covered in a rich, creamy gravy, fragrant from a liberal dose of freshly cracked black pepper.  It’s just too much for my butter-lovin heart to handle. 

To be perfectly candid, I had never made biscuits and gravy until several weeks ago.  Sadly, it is not something that normally makes its way into my weekly diet.  That is changing, starting now. 

When I began to think about recipes that would be included in my 1st Meal series, I knew that Biscuits and Gravy would have to make the list.  After all, it is one of my favorite breakfasts!  So, I set out to make my own version of this southern classic, I knew that I could not simply make biscuits and gravy.  I had to put a little of my unneeded, but obligatory sparkly food blog magic on it.  Sparkly foodie magic came in the form of sharp cheddar cheese and crispy, salty pancetta.  I will always, always, always add cheese and fat whenever and wherever I can.

Biscuits and gravy are simple.  Biscuits are made with a bit of stirring, crumbling, and cutting, and a super simple gravy comes together in minutes as the biscuits bake.

There is something therapeutic about making biscuits when the air is still crisp and the fog is wafting off the dew-kissed grass.  It's all essential to the regardfully and gingerly constructed First Meal.

There is something so comforting about an airy biscuit covered in a rich, peppery cream sauce, which is what this “gravy” really is. 

These biscuits are layered with a profuse amount of sharp, white cheddar and are sprinkled with a generous dose of sea salt and fresh black pepper.

Your pepper grinder is working hard for this meal.  

Pour yourself a glass of orange juice, hand-squeezed if you're fancy, turn on your favorite playlist, and maybe light a candle too while you enjoy these morning moments. 

Begin well.

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie

---

White Cheddar Biscuits with Black Pepper Pancetta Gravy

serves 6 / biscuit recipe adapted from Baking At Home

for the white cheddar biscuits

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling 
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon fine salt 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2/3 cup buttermilk 
• 1/2 cup whole milk, plus extra for brushing 
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• course salt and freshly ground pepper, optional  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

In a large bowl sift to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  

Use the tips of your fingers to work the butter into the flour mixture, until in pea-sized pieces.  Stir in white cheddar.  Add milk and buttermilk and use a spatula or wooden spoon to blend, being careful not to overwork the dough.  

Turn the dough out unto a floured surface and roll to 1-inch in thickness.  Use the bottom of a glass or a biscuit cutter to cut into 3-inch rounds.  

Place biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Space about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Brush the top of each biscuit with milk and sprinkle with course salt and freshly ground pepper.  

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden, and then allow to cool slightly while you prepare the gravy.  

for the gravy

• 2 ounces pancetta, diced 
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups whole milk 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 

In a medium frying pan cook pancetta over medium heat until crisp.  Remove the pancetta from the pan, leaving the grease, and reserve for later use. 

Add butter and flour to the pan and whisk to form a paste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling - do not brown. 

Stir in whole milk, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, until thickened and then return the cooked pancetta to the pan.  

to serve

Slice each biscuit in half and cover with gravy.  Serve immediately, enjoy leisurely!