By Emily Malloy

Quiche is a classic staple that needs to be in every home cook's repertoire. It is arguably one of the easiest and most versatile dishes. Not only can it be made for brunch, lunch, or dinner, but it can be made plainly or with any amount of flourishes desired. 

This dish, consisting of an egg custard within a tart-like crust, has been originally attributed to France but has been proven to actually have German roots. Regardless of where it first came into the cooking world, its popularity has waxed and waned over the years. Its simplicity and deliciousness, however, make it impossible to take for granted. 

I recently concluded that I have been making quiche incorrectly for all of these years. My error was two-fold: I was baking two separate quiches in pie dishes and not using heavy cream. Making these two simple changes have elevated this dish to a new lovable height. Baking the quiche in a 9x13 dish makes it a breeze to feed a crowd. The heavy cream adds a deep richness to the custard that milk or half-and-half doesn't quite achieve. 

This smoked salmon and roasted vegetable quiche has a wonderful pairing of flavors: from the depth provided by roasting vegetables to the tartness of the goat cheese, finished off by the delicate smokiness of the salmon. It is sure to become a favorite in your repertoire! 

Smoked Salmon and Roasted Vegetable Quiche
Yields: 10-12 servings
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes+

Ingredients: 

For the roasted vegetables--
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
8 ounces baby mushrooms, chopped
1 red onion, julienned
10 ounces of asparagus, 3" trimmed off of the bottom
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the Quiche--
2 pie crusts (a recipe for a buttery crust can be found here) 
8 ounces of smoked salmon, broken into pieces
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
12 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. 
2. Place prepared vegetables (except for mushrooms) into an oven-safe dish. Toss them in the melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and roast for an additional 20 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes. Set aside to slightly cool when finished.
3. Meanwhile, prepare a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. 
4. Overlap the two pie crusts and roll them together to make one rectangular shape, about 11x15. Gently place the crust into the prepared baking dish. 
5. In a medium-sized bowl, gently beat the eggs with the cream and spices. 
6. When the vegetables have had a few minutes to cool, sprinkle them along the bottom of the dough. Top with goat cheese and smoked salmon. Pour the beaten egg evenly over the vegetables, cheese, and salmon. Crimp, roll, or decorate the edge of the crust however you like best! 
7. Place the quiche into the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the custard has set and the crust is slightly browning. 
8. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing and serving! Enjoy!

Printable recipe for the pie crust can be found here!
Printable recipe for the quiche can be found here!