WESTERN OMELET QUICHE

Western Omelet Quiche image

No matter the diner, my breakfast order is always a western omelet. Here I've combined the classic flavors of bell pepper, ham and cheese into a creamy quiche. The trick is par baking the crust and precooking the peppers for a quiche with a smooth texture and knockout flavor.

Provided by Dan Langan

Categories main-dish

Time 1h50m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
Dough for 1 single-crust pie, store-bought or your favorite recipe rolled out and chilled
1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped
Kosher salt
3/4 cup chopped cooked ham
Small bunch scallions, chopped, white and green parts separated (see Cook's Note)
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups light cream or half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Freshly ground black pepper
One heaping cup shredded Cheddar or Cheddar jack cheese

Steps:

Place a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a sheet pan on the bottom rack to heat up.
Lightly spray a 9-inch standard pie pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with the crust, turn under any excess crust and then crimp the edges. Take a large square of parchment paper and crumple and unfold it twice to make it more flexible. Lay the parchment over the dough, pressing it into place, then fill the parchment with pie weights, dried beans or rice so that the pan is filled completely. If using a homemade pie crust, freeze the pie shell for 10 minutes.
Place the pie shell in the oven on the preheated sheet pan and bake until the edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, remove the parchment lining and weights and bake until the center no longer looks raw, 3 to 4 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and a pinch of salt and cook just until the pepper develops some color, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl. Add the ham to the skillet and cook until it begins to develop some color, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the scallion whites (reserve the greens for garnish) and remove the pan from the heat. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, 3/4 teaspoon salt, onion powder and black pepper to taste. Whisk until smooth and then whisk in half the cheese. Place the peppers and ham over the crust and then pour over the egg mixture. Top with the remaining cheese.
Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the quiche until the outer half is set and the center just wobbles slightly, 40 to 45 minutes. The internal temperature of the quiche will be about 160 degrees F.
Cool the quiche for at least 30 minutes before garnishing with scallion greens. Serve warm or room temperature, or wrap well and refrigerate to serve chilled.