When I set out to make a savory version of my Paleo pie crust, pretty much the only thing I had on my mind was to make the ultimate Paleo Quiche. I really love quiche and it is one of the foods I’ve been missing the most (right behind Trenton Style Pizza from DeLorenzos).
At some point a couple of years ago, I became a bit obsessed with how to make the perfect quiche. My goals for this Paleo quiche were to keep it Gluten Free, Grain Free and Dairy Free but truly mimic the taste and texture of a “regular” quiche.
When it comes to quiche, it all about the cheese and the ratio of egg to milk. Many traditional quiche have a nice amount of shredded cheese on the bottom (between the crust and the egg filling), and a nice amount on top of the quiche. The cheese on top is one of the things that makes the quiche look attractive and not just like an overcooked omelette. To achieve a “pretty” quiche without the cheese on top, I set aside a decent amount of filling and strategically placed a bit on top so it would bake into the top and not under, creating a visual very similar to a cheese quiche.
The proper egg to milk ratio is what lends that inherent creaminess and silkiness to most quiche. Since this is a Dairy Free Quiche and I planned to use full-fat, canned coconut milk, I knew that I was going to have to amp up the spices and make sure the fillings were very flavorful. My goal was that the coconut milk taste would not be detected by “non-Paleo” Eaters. Score!
This quiche went over to rave reviews from the Paleo and non-Paleo testers. Not only did everyone equally love it but there was agreement that the crust was great, you couldn’t taste coconut and it “looked” like there was melted cheese on top.
NOTES:
- I chose the ingredients for the filling based on how they would balance out the flavor of the coconut milk so note that if you decide to substitute any ingredients, you may not have the same results.
Everyday Maven
Yields 8
Recipe Makes 1 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 Quiche. Suggested Serving Size is 1/8 of Pie. 12 Points Plus Per Serving (including crust)
15 minPrep Time
45 minCook Time
1 hrTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 Precooked and cooled Savory Paleo Pie Crust
- 3/4 pound crumbled chorizo sausage, cooked and drained
- 8 ounces organic spinach, cooked and drained
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced and sauteed
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups full fat, canned coconut milk
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Start by cooking the ingredients for the filling (sausage, spinach and shallots). I used a large non-stick frying pan and cooked the sausage first then removed it with a slotted spoon and cooked the spinach and shallots in the sausage fat. Make sure to drain the sausage, spinach and shallots well, squeezing out any extra liquid as it can affect the texture of your filling. Once done, set aside to cool (and continue draining).
- Set your oven racks to middle and lower 4th position. Place an empty baking sheet on the lower 4th rack (to catch any run over that may happen) and preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, coconut milk, salt and pepper.
- Whisk until foamy. Add in about 3/4 of the cooled and drained filling mixture, reserving the remaining 1/4 to "top" the quiche.
- Pour egg mixture into crust and gently place remaining filling by hand on top of quiche, taking care not to submerge these pieces as you want them to stick out just a bit so they bake into the top.
- Place quiche in oven in the center of the middle rack (with the empty baking sheet centered on the rack below) and bake undisturbed for 45 to 50 minutes. The quiche will rise quite a bit and may even foam over the sides. Remove to a cooling rack (you can see the rise here and how it settles after cooling in the next picture).
- Allow to cool for at least 20 to 30 minutes, serve! If you prefer your quiche chilled, place in the refrigerator after the initial cooling time and serve within 24 hours. To reheat, preheat the oven to 250F and heat for about 20 to 30 min until warm throughout. Enjoy!
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