Crabcake Quiche

One of my favorite appetizers to have are crabcakes. I mean, who doesn't like crabcakes? Weirdos. That's who. (No offense to you non-crabcake lovers out there). The crunchy, panko crusted outer edges, and the soft meaty crab... the flavors are just superb... when done correctly, of course.

I've also recently developed a lover for quiches. Cheese plus eggs. How can you go wrong there?

So, the genius inside of me decided one night... why not combine the two? Hell... I could be one to something here. Unless it's already been thought up... but as far as I know, I haven't seen or heard of anyone else making this. So, consider yourselves lucky, because this is a knockout dish perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!


Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus 3 tablespoons melted
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. lump crab meat
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
small handful parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

I've been in love with this simple cream cheese pastry dough. It's uber easy and pairs perfectly with practically anything savory.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt. In a large bowl, beat the 1 cup of butter and cream cheese until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Slowly beat in flour mixture until dough starts to form.

Dive the dough in half and shape into 2 rounds. (You can store the other half in the freezer in a freezer bag for up to 1 month for another use, or another quiche!). Cover and refrigerate the dough round for about 1 hour, or until well chilled.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the crabmeat, panko, onion, and bell pepper. Stir in parsley, mustard powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Toss with melted 3 tablespoons of butter and heavy cream. Mix well and fold in eggs and cheese.

Roll out dough on a floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness. Make large enough to fit a normal sized pie pan. Grease pie pan and preheat oven to 350F.

Set dough in pan and place pie weights or dry beans atop of dough. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until starting to brown.

Add crabmeat mixture and bake for about 25-30 minutes longer, or until filling is set. Let cool for about 5 minutes and serve!


I'm telling you, this was one of those light bulb moments like "why haven't I thought of this before?!" It was soooooo good. Happy weekend and enjoy guys!

Chipotle Pork & Cheddar Quiche

This was my first time making a quiche, and considering it went over very well, it won't be my last. This was extraordinarily simple and delicious. Andy seemed to love it, seeing as he ate it for lunch the next day. This is unusual because he's an avid believer of not eating the same thing twice in a row (which I don't understand why you can't have things two days in a row, but to each his own). This was inspired by these mini quichelettes over at La Fuji Mama blog.

Ingredients:

1 & 1/4 cup flour
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt, divided in half
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced chives
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
fresh ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

This crust was simple, but full of flavor. Just mix flour, butter, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in bowl until mixture forms clumps. Then gather into a firm ball.


Line a greased pie dish with the crust mixture and press down until whole pan is covered. You should have just enough to cover the whole dish and the sides.


Heat a large skillet under medium high heat and cook your pork until no longer pink. Season with the chipotle chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Take off heat and set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the remaining two eggs, heavy whipping cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Beat by hand until well combined.

To assemble quiche, line bottom layer with ground pork (I had a good amount left over, but Andy used it as a garnish for his quiche pieces so it didn't go to waste). Then top with cheddar cheese and chives. And finally fill rest of quiche with the egg/cream mixture (you should have just enough to perfectly fill the dish).

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until your crust is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve topped with extra cheese or leftover ground pork.


This was a great weeknight meal. I loved how every bite was simple and delicious. The quiche was creamy inside, but not runny. The pork just added a nice subtle depth of flavor and the crust was simple to die for. Enjoy!