By Kipp Rix
Quiche by any other name is still quiche; knowing that the average firefighter would not be caught dead eating such an item as quiche, I had to change the name to cook and serve such a meal. I added a few more manly ingredients and called it “Breakfast Scrambled Egg Pie.” The meal was a hit with the crew and all were surprised when it was revealed as quiche. This simple recipe also lends itself well to my philosophy of easy for a busy crew: You can cook the pie in advance, and it reheats well. The meat and vegetable combinations in the filling can be adjusted to meet any desire, but bacon, sausage, and green chile are my favorite thus far.
Ingredients:
1 refrigerated ready to use pie crust
¾ pound bacon
¼ cup ¼–inch diced sweet onion
½ pound hot breakfast sausage
1/3 cup fire roasted green chile
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup ¼-inch diced pepper jack cheese
¼ cup ¼-inch diced sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 eggs
Cooking Directions:
- Preheat oven to 430°F.
- Place pie crust in the pie pan and crimp the edges using your fingers. Lightly coat a piece of foil with butter and place buttered side down and form to fit the pie crust. Bake the pie crust for 10 minutes then remove from oven and discard foil.
- Dice bacon into ¼-inch strips and cook until browned and crispy; pull bacon from pan and allow bacon to cool and drain on a piece of paper towel. Pour off the bacon drippings and return pan to medium high heat. Use residual bacon drippings to sauté the onion. Once the onion is translucent, add the sausage and brown well; add mushrooms and continue to sauté until the mushrooms are tender.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, and flour. Add in the bacon and cheese; whisk to combine well.
- Spoon the sausage mixture into the pie crust filling to ¾ full; pour the egg mixture over the sausage filling to just below the top of the pie crust.
- Place pie in the oven and cook at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. Remove pie from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to cutting and serving.
This pie will stand alone when served as a breakfast item; for lunch or dinner, I recommend pairing the pie with a fresh green salad. Other filling ideas include, chicken and broccoli, chicken and green chile, or assorted fine diced vegetables.
Kipp Rix has been in the fire service for 19 years working as both a career and volunteer fire fighter in New Mexico. Kipp started cooking at the age of 10 and learned his early skills watching shows like the Galloping Gourmet and Julia Child. Throughout the years, Kipp refined his skills with a focus on grilling foods with a southwestern flair. In 2009 Fire House Publications, LLC released the first of Kipp’s two cook books with the second book released in 2011; a portion of the proceeds from the books helps fund Fire Kids. Kipp’s philosophy of fire house cooking is “Just because you work in a busy house does not mean that you have to settle for ordinary cooking, a crew’s attitude is directly related to the meals served!” Each of Kipp’s recipes has been Fire House tested and approved.
Please email krix@fhpllc.net with a crew picture enjoying this recipe along with your review; each month one entry will be selected to receive a signed copy of one of my cook books. In 2013 Kipp founded Fire Kids, an organization that works with New Mexico children’s agencies and other organizations like the Make A Wish Foundation, of New Mexico to identify children facing a life altering or terminal illness; working with local municipal agencies and fire departments Fire Kids affords these children an opportunity to live the life of a fire fighter for a day. Complete information can be found on our Fire Kids web page.
