Caramelized Onion Quiche

I've never had a homemade pie crust turn out for me until now. I'm not sure what the problem was, but it could never get it transferred to the pie plate without falling apart. They also never baked up well for me, often cracking. I thought I was destined to buy pre-made pie crusts, but decided to give it another go this week.

This recipe turned out so well - it was easy to make and form, it transferred to the plate without breaking, and baked up wonderfully. I couldn't believe how simple it was when I've had so many failures previously. I think a lot of it is due to Elise's great step-by-step directions. You can bet that this is my new go-to pie crust recipe!

My reason for making pie crust? We were having Caramelized Onion Quiche for dinner. The original quiche recipe calls for red onion, but I only had yellow onion on hand and wanted to use what I already had. I opted to add some freshly chopped herbs from my garden to the recipe for a bit of color and flavor accent.

I really enjoyed this quiche despite that it was a little time consuming. There was so much flavor. One of the aspects I love so much of quiche is that it goes great with breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. Just change up what you serve with it and it's a completely new meal. Next time I make this - because there will be a next time! - I'd love to use individual tart pans. I think that's be really cute and fun.

I served this for dinner along with a Spinach, Potato, and Green Bean Salad. Martha's original salad recipe calls for Arugula, but I substituted spinach since I had some that needed to be used up. It was a filling meal, but it didn't feel heavy at all.

Caramelized Onion Quiche
slightly adapted from Simply Recipes

• 1 recipe pie dough (see Pâte Brisée recipe)
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2-3 large yellow onions (about one pound total), French-cut (see below)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbs thin sliced basil
• 2 Tbs thin sliced green onion
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup half and half
  
• 3 large eggs
• Pinch nutmeg
• 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)

First, cut off the root end of the onion, so that cut the roots are cut, but the hard core stays intact. Make a deeper cut on the other end of the onion. Remove the papery skin. Standing the onion up, root-side up, cut the onion in half. Then take each half and make thin slices. Slice the onion in a way that keeps the onion segments attached to the root end, as shown in the photograph.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9-by-1 1/2-inch round tart pan, pressing dough into corners. Transfer to freezer to chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line pastry with parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil, pressing into the corners and edges. Fill at least two-thirds with baking weights - dried beans, rice, or aluminum pie weights. Bake first for 15 minutes, remove from oven and let cool a few minutes. Carefully remove parchment paper and weights. Poke the bottom of the pie pan with the tines of a fork and return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes or until lightly golden. (Fork holes are for any air to escape.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool while making filling.

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle a little salt over them. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, until the onions have softened and are translucent. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for an additional 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are well browned. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 10 minutes more, until onions are completely caramelized. Stir in herbs and green onion. Remove from heat.

Place tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any run-off there might be. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the bottom of the crust. Spread onions over the cheese and then top with remaining cheese. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, half and half, and eggs. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Pour over cheese. Transfer to oven, and bake until just set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.