One of the few negative aspects of having chickens is the constant influx of eggs. Six eggs each day does not seem like an excessive amount; but for a family who rarely has time to make a nice breakfast in the morning, six eggs quickly becomes twenty four. Quiche is a simple yet satisfying meal that brings our egg count down. I was shocked to discover that my family actually prefers a quiche without the store-bought pie crust! Score! The lack of crust and the use of mostly egg whites in this recipe brings calories down significantly.

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet onions, chopped
• optional: 8 oz. mushrooms
• 1 c. bacon pieces (not bits – REAL BACON)
• 8 egg whites
• 4 whole eggs
• 2.5 c. reduced fat milk
• 3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 c. Roma tomatoes, diced
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. ground pepper
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Optional: 2 deep dish refrigerated pie crusts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*.
2. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil and cook onions (and mushrooms) over medium heat until lightly browned and translucent.
3. In a large bowl, whisk all the eggs, milk, cheese, spinach, cooked onions, diced tomatoes, half the bacon pieces, cornstarch, basil and pepper.
4. If not using pie crust: spray either glass pie dish or aluminum pie dish with nonstick spray and evenly divide between the two. Sprinkle remaining bacon pieces over the top.
5. If using pie crusts: Pierce the bottom of the pie crusts with a fork in several places to allow venting and place in oven for about 8 minutes for a crispier end product. Once the crust has had a nice head start, evenly pour the egg mixture into each pan and sprinkle with remaining bacon pieces.
6. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until the center is firm. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Cut each “pie” into four equal sections.

Yields approximately 8 Whitaker servings.

Eat, Bork, and Be Merry!