Make Ahead Meal: Tomato Basil Quiche

This summer I'm doing a NODA internship at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL).  The schedule for days when we have orientation sessions is tight, so taking time to cook is going to be on the back burner.  When I get busy I like to lean on some good make ahead meals like this quiche.  Make it on a Sunday afternoon and you can have it for breakfast all week, or have it for dinner with a salad.  You can also use this recipe as a base and add whatever ingredients you like - tomato and basil is perfect for the summer though!

Start by poking some holes in the bottom of the pie crust with the tines of a fork.  You could make your own pie crust, but I feel like that defeats the purpose of a time saving meal...  It will be delicious either way.

Next slice the tomato crosswise to maximize the surface area and make it look pretty.  Shred the cheese and cut the basil into a chiffonade.  Start with a layer of cheese, then tomato, then basil and repeat.  Top this off with a final layer of cheese and basil.  Pour four whisked eggs, heavy cream, salt, and pepper into the pie crust.  Bake at 350 for forty minutes.

This really isn't that hard - most of the time spent making it is not actively cooking so it makes a great time saving recipe.  Here are some of my other favorite quiche fillings:

• Turkey sausage, green chiles, and a mexican cheese blend
• Bacon, apple, caramelized onions, and swiss cheese
• Spinach, diced tomato, and feta cheese
• Asparagus and goat cheese

Tomato Basil Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 frozen pie crust
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 and 1/4 cups of shredded smoked gouda
• 5 large basil leaves
• 1 beefsteak tomato 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Thinly slice 1 large tomato crosswise, about 1/8th of an inch thick
3. Use a fork to poke holes in the bottom of the pie crust
4. Layer cheese, tomato, and basil (in that order) in the pie crust twice.
5. Add a final layer of cheese and basil to the top of the pie crust
6. Beat four eggs with 2 tbsp. heavy cream, salt, and pepper and pout over the tomato and cheese layers
7. Bake on a foil lined sheet pan for 40 minutes, or until a knife comes cleanly out of the center