Mexican Quiche Recipe: Turn Dinner Into A Spicy (not hot) Fiesta

First, I urge you to make your own pastry. With four ingredients most of us already have in our kitchens, it takes only a little extra time, and it’s very worth it. The key is cold ingredients and a whole lot of butter! Making your own pastry also makes it easier to make two quiches, which is what I did.

The recipe did require a fair amount of chopping. The great thing about quiche is that you can adjust the ingredients to your taste. Don’t like olives? It’s fine to leave them out! I try to use organic ingredients but had to settle for regular frozen corn (a better choice than the canned version).

It’s the spices that really make this dish. I didn’t have much experience cooking with cumin, but as soon as I added it to the sautéing vegetables, the scent was wonderful and gave it a very Mexican flavor. (I’m looking forward to cooking more with this spice—it is also a frequent ingredient in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisines.) The chili powder, a whole 2 teaspoons, added just the right amount of color and spice. This vegetable mixture is really versatile; I think it would be great over rice or rolled in a tortilla.

The quiches browned beautifully in the oven. I made them the night before, and warmed them before serving for dinner. These are great for a buffet, too, because you don’t have to worry about the quiche being piping hot. For a pretty and festive touch, you can garnish the quiche with salsa or sour cream and some fresh cilantro leaves.

This recipe will definitely be added to my repertoire. How’s it sound to you? Try making it using fresh vegetables from the garden this summer!

Mexican Quiche Recipe

½ cup grated cheddar cheese
1 unbaked 9-inch piecrust (see recipe, page 272)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small tomato, diced
7 black olives, pitted and sliced
½ cup corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 eggs
1 pint whipping cream
Sour cream and picante sauce, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle the cheese onto the piecrust. In a skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onion, green pepper, garlic, tomato, olives, and corn until tender. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper and stir to blend. Spread the vegetables over the cheese in the piecrust. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, add the cream and beat to blend. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the eggs are firm in the center. Let stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with dollops of sour cream mixed with picante sauce.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

What do you think of this quiche recipe? If you have any thoughts, tips, reviews, or just a comment, let post below!