real men eat quiche

I came of age at a time when it was considered chic to dine on quiche and crepes. There were entire restaurants devoted to this fare. I loved the savory creamed chicken crepes, the studded quiche with its flaky crust, and the crocks of cheese capped French onion soup. But just as jumpsuits and wide-collared shirts went out of fashion, quiche seemed to drop out of favor.

Recently I was shopping with my daughters in L.A. and I felt like I was having a flashback. I had to sit down on an overpriced tuffet as they pulled the Mohair sweater vests, rompers, and pantsuits off the racks. And while no one is ever going to see me in a romper again (cringe-worthy confession I did once romp in one for a short stint in the seventies), I am here to say quiche should definitely make a comeback.

While you can make your own crust, I think Trader Joe’s frozen pie crust is amazing. Just be sure to thaw it either overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for several hours so that it is completely at room temperature. Drape the pie crust into a deep 9-inch pie plate. Remove any excess crust from the rim, then flute the edge.

Sauté the onions over medium to medium-low heat in one to two tablespoons of canola oil. Cook stirring often until the onions are cooked down and just golden, but not brown, about 15 minutes. Spoon into a bowl and set aside.

Sauté the bacon over medium heat until just crisp. Drain and combine with the onions.

Grate ¾ cup of Gruyere or Jarlsberg cheese. Set aside.

In a deep bowl combine the half and half, eggs, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

With a hand blender blend until frothy. The froth is important as it will keep the layers of ingredients suspended in the pie crust while it cooks.

Scatter half of the onion-bacon mixture into the pie shell.

Pour half the frothy custard over the mixture.

Sprinkle with half the cheese.

Layer with the remaining onion-bacon mixture.

Re-froth the batter and pour the rest into the shell.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Place the filled pie plate on a foil covered, rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the center is just set. Note that the time may vary from 35 minutes to an hour. Cover the top loosely with foil if the quiche appears to be browning too quickly. A paring knife should come out clean when inserted in the center, but there should still be some jiggle to the center. Cool on a wire rack for at least a half an hour to set the quiche before slicing and serving. The quiche can be served warm or at room temperature. The quiche can be made a day or two ahead of time. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. To serve hot, slice and reheat for 10-15 minutes in a 375-degree oven on a sheet pan lined with parchment or lightly oiled pie of foil.

My man knows this classic never goes out of style.