Mother’s Day will be different this year. Social distancing due to coronavirus is changing how we celebrate our loved ones. But just because we can’t gather and enjoy the company, it doesn’t mean you can’t cook something delicious to make this Mother’s Day more special than ever.
Making quiche is easy and you can use any ingredients you have on hand.
Quiche is the perfect mother’s day brunch meal. It’s savory, easy to make and everybody loves it and begs for the recipe. There is just something about its sweet and salty flavors and the crispy golden treat in each bite that gets even better when reheated.
While traditionally made with a pie crust, if you want to save time, stress, and have a beautiful result, choose phyllo dough. And the best advice we can give you is to choose my favorite phyllo brand: Athens Foods.
A lot of people can get nervous when they work with dough, especially phyllo. Maybe it’s because it’s so thin they feel it’s going to break it unless you’re a professional. But know that if you use a good brand like Athens Foods, you can’t go wrong. Quite easy in fact!
Whatever you do for Mother’s Day Brunch, phyllo dough is your best bet.
You can eat quiche for brunch or breakfast, but like all delicious foods, there are no rules. We are going to give you a base of what you can do. Quiche is easy to customize, so feel free to adjust as needed based on what you have on hand and are craving.
Something you should know about Athens Foods’ phyllo sheets is that they are dairy-free, have no trans fat, no saturated fat, and no cholesterol. Amazing, right? Perfect for taking care of mom.
I’m using ricotta cheese because it is absolutely delicious, and it gives quiche the fluffy and gloriously creamy texture you want.
It’s the perfect ingredient in quiche. However, you can substitute with other creamy cheeses like goat cheese, and even cream cheese. Or if you prefer a dairy-free option, you can go with any dairy-free cheese or for all my non cheese lovers, feel free to skip it.
Another thing you can confidently switch up is the vegetables. I’m using asparagus because I love them and they add a lot of flavor. But you can use whatever you have. Don’t stress about it. Especially as it can be difficult to get groceries right now, just use whatever you have. Some good alternatives to asparagus is broccoli or you can add extra spinach. But seriously, just have fun with this dish, it’s completely up to you!
Mother's Day Asparagus Ricotta Quiche
This recipe is designed to support any ingredients you have on hand. As long as you have eggs, a type of milk or cream, onion, greens, veggies, and cheese, you’ll be set. Prepare as suggested or - have fun and make a spin. You can’t go wrong. Note: this recipe fits a slightly smaller pie pan at about 2x8”. If your go-to pan is larger, no problem. Add an extra egg or two and splash of milk to increase the liquid mixture. You can increase the additional ingredients slightly as well, but only if you like.
Ingredients
- 1 package Athens Phyllo Dough Sheets
- 4 eggs
- 8 oz (1 cup) half and half (or whole milk)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, freshly cracked
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons onion, chopped
- ½ bunch asparagus, rinsed and cut in 2” pieces
- 1 small handful of spinach, rinsed and torn
- 194g (¾ cup) fresh ricotta cheese
- Olive oil, for crust edges
- Optional garnish: Fennel fronds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees on convection setting. Lightly grease a shallow, 2 x 8 inch size pie pan. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Over medium heat, warm a cast iron skillet with butter. Add chopped onion. Sautee for 1 minute.
- Add asparagus. Toss and cook until just tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.
- Measure your ricotta cheese. You’ll need ⅓ cup for the mixture (step 6) and the remainder to dot along the top of the quiche before placing into the oven.
- Add all remaining ingredients to your egg bowl, stirring gently until combined. Set aside and prepare your crust.
- On a clean surface, lay out Athens Phyllo Dough Sheets. Have a piece of parchment paper and damp, clean towel ready to prevent drying if needed.
- Working quickly, lay out 3-5 sheets at a time, overlapping as you criss cross each set. What you’re trying to do here is create a thick bottom crust. The overlapping prevents cracks in the middle. Continue until you have a thick layer, about 10-12 sheets minimum and about 4 crisscrossed layers.
- Gently pour in quiche filling.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly dab oil over the top layers from the filling top and around the crust edge.
- Now it’s time to work with the sheet overhang. Starting on one side, gently gather the edges and enclose to create a tighter, pastry dough type of thick top as you would with a traditional pie crust. Keep moving around the pan, gently pressing to create a beautiful border. Finish with a light brush of olive oil around all edges to ensure a beautiful even browning and rich color.
- Carefully place quiche in oven making sure not to spill. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Note: crust may brown within 15 minutes depending on your oven. Set a timer for the half way mark and cover edges (only) with foil if needed to prevent over browning.
- Serve warm. Store leftovers in airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Quiche looks fancy, and it’s an easy win that is fun to make.
I’m very excited to see how you personalize this quiche recipe for your own Mother’s Day brunch meal. It’s the kind of dish to share in love and online. Share your creation on social media and tag @christiannkoepke and @athens_foods! We would love to see.
