Bacon & Cheddar Grits Quiche

Over the weekend I made a new quiche that is definitely worth sharing with my fellow breakfast lovers (or breakfast for dinner lovers). Full disclosure, this recipe takes 3 hours and 10 minutes to get on your breakfast table. Most of the time is spent baking in the oven but you should definitely keep that in mind when preparing for an early morning breakfast.

TIP #1: The recipe comes from Southern Living which automatically makes it reliably delicious meal in my book. However, in reading the reviews I noticed a lot of cooks had issues with the springform pan. A lot of people ended up with their quiche at the bottom of their oven – yikes. So to completely eliminate that risk I slightly adapted the recipe by using a pie crust.

TIP #2: The use of a pie crust allows for lots of leftover ingredients so keeping the bake time in mind I served the leftover cheese grits for breakfast and saved the quiche for lunch to avoid any hungry toddler meltdowns. You could probably makes two quiches with the ingredients if you’re using pie crusts.

Bacon & Cheddar Grits Quiche

Ingredients
6 thick bacon slices
2 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup uncooked stone-ground grits
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
6 large eggs
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sliced green onions (leave out if freezing)
1 pre-made frozen pie crust (optional)

Instructions
 

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon; drain and crumble. Transfer 2 tsp. bacon drippings to a saucepan.

2. Bring drippings, milk, and butter to a boil over medium heat. Gradually whisk in grits, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper; cook, whisking constantly, 15 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup cheese; let stand 10 minutes. Stir in 1 egg; spread in a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray or directly into a pie crust.

3. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until set and browned. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese over warm grits, spreading to edges. Let stand 15 minutes.

4. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Combine half-and-half, cream, onions, and remaining 5 eggs, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Pour over grits; sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Place pan on a foil-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until lightly browned and just set. Let stand 20 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of quiche; remove sides of pan.

I always struggle to come up with meals for dropping off on porches of families in need, new parents, housewarming gifts, etc. that isn’t pasta or a casserole. Quiche is so versatile and can be enjoyed for
breakfast with a biscuit or dinner with an arugula side salad. It can be made ahead of time, is easily frozen for later and can be made as healthy or indulgent as you want.

Happy cooking!