National Quiche Lorraine Day is May 20, which is cool on a couple of levels. First, May is National Egg Month, so of course you want to celebrate by eating a quiche of some sort, and this one is a classic. Plus, besides the obligatory eggs, my Quiche Lorraine has tons of bacon and lots of yummy cheese – need I say more?

My brother-in-law’s brother owns the Sumner-Byrd Farm and Hatchery in Holly Springs. I recently took the kids there to visit Roy and David and to check out all of the cool birds and other creatures they have. What a cool place! In addition to being treated to a great tour of the farm, we graciously were sent home with two dozen fresh chicken eggs as well as a dozen fresh quail eggs (more about that in an upcoming post.)

As some of you know, I adore quiche ever since my wonderful and much missed Aunt Jean introduced me to it back in the early 1980s, as noted in my previous artichoke, potato and red pepper quiche post. So, with fresh eggs and National Quiche Lorraine Day staring me in the face, here’s a recipe you will love to serve for brunch or even dinner. BTW – the fresh eggs do make a delightful and tasty difference.

Quiche Lorraine ingredients

• 12 oz. package of bacon, cooked crisp
• 1 pie crust (I use the ones in the refrigerated section of the grocery but feel free to make your own if you are so inclined.)
• 5 large eggs *
• 1 cup Swiss cheese, grated*
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated*
• ¼ cup light mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup half and half, fat free
• ½ cup green onions, green and white parts chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Hot sauce or cayenne pepper, to taste

Preparation

Place the pie shell into a greased quiche pan, prick it with fork and heat it in the oven (325 degrees F) for 7-8 minutes, until it is lightly browned.

In the meantime, cook the bacon until it is crisp. Drain, cool and crumble into small pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and add the half and half and mayo until nice and creamy. Blend in the cheeses, salt, pepper/hot sauce, scallions and bacon.

Pour this mixture into the prepared pie crust.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the quiche is lightly browned.

Serve this with fresh fruit or a nice tossed salad and your favorite beverage.

*This recipe makes a dense, cheese-centric quiche. For a fluffier version, add 2-3 more eggs and decrease the cheeses by ½ cup each.

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!