Basic Cheese Quiche

Mark Bittman

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 (9 1/2inch)  deep dish pie shells, unbaked and chilled
• 6  eggs, at room temperature
• 2  cups  grated cheddar cheese (or the lesser known Emmenthal or Cantal cheese) or 2  cups gruyere cheese (or the lesser known Emmenthal or Cantal cheese)
• 2  cups heavy cream or 2  cups half-and-half or 2  cups  whole milk, gently heated just until warm
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°; prick the crust all over with a fork.
2. Line it with tin foil and weight the bottom with a pile of dried beans, rice, or other weights that will sit flat on the surface.
3. Bake 12 minutes; remove from the oven and carefully remove the weight and foil; turn the oven to 325°.
4. In a bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, cream, and seasonings; beat until well blended.
5. Place the baked crust on a baking sheet; pour the egg mixture into the crust, right to the top.
6. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven; bake 30-40 minutes, until the mixture is set but still moist; it should still jiggle just a little in the middle (cover pie crust edges with foil if getting too brown).
7. Cool on a rack; serve warm or at room temperature.