Hometown Get-Togethers - Candace Floyd [53]
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TIPS FROM OUR TEST KITCHEN: Don’t omit the fresh basil.
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Onion Quiche
Jeannie Hutchins, Newport, Washington
Serves 4 to 6
“This is a wonderful quiche. Our family loves this quiche on holidays and during the winter when it is cold outside. It is great with the two kinds of onions—caramelized on the bottom and fried on top.”
3 tablespoons butter
2 large white onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cream sherry
2 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
One 9-inch unbaked piecrust
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup French’s Original French Fried Onions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 20 minutes, until caramelized, stirring frequently. Add the sugar and cream sherry and cook until the onions are very soft and golden, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions will cook down considerably. Remove the onions to a dinner plate and place in the freezer for 3 to 5 minutes to cool quickly.
3. Whisk the eggs, half-and-half, and nutmeg in a bowl until well blended. Place the piecrust on a baking sheet.
4. Remove the caramelized onions from the freezer and arrange them in the bottom of the pie shell. Top with the shredded Swiss cheese. Sprinkle evenly with the French fried onions and pour the egg mixture over all.
5. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Spinach Pie
Lois Carlson, Palisade, Minnesota
Serves 4 to 6
“I enjoy inviting people over after church. With family and friends, there are usually at least ten people gathered around our large country table. My Spinach Pie has been quite a hit, so I keep making it.”
One 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded Cheddar
One 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 to 2 garlic cloves
½ teaspoon salt
One 9-inch unbaked piecrust
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
½ to ¾ cup French’s Original French Fried Onions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the spinach, onion, Cheddar, cream cheese, eggs, milk, garlic, and salt in a blender or food processor and process until well blended. Pour into the piecrust.
3. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the filling and top with the tomato slices. Sprinkle the French fried onions evenly over the tomatoes.
4. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Tomato Pie
Carole VanCleave, Concord, North Carolina
Serves 4 to 6
“This is especially good in the summer with fresh garden tomatoes.”
One 9-inch unbaked piecrust
1½ cups shredded mozzarella
3 to 4 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/3 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion
½ cup Caesar salad dressing
½ teaspoon dried basil, or to taste
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the piecrust for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella on the bottom of the cooled piecrust. Top with the tomato slices and arrange the onion slices evenly over the tomatoes.
3. Combine the salad dressing, remaining mozzarella, the basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; mix well. Spoon over the tomatoes and onions.
4. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
Photographic Insert II
Nona’s Italian Country Chicken
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Topping
Olive Salsa
Old-Fashioned Orange Layer Cake
Pear Rum Cake with Chocolate Topping
Bell Peppers with Peanuts and Water Chestnuts
Potluck Polynesian Chicken
Superb Red Pepper Soup
Roasted Eggplant Soup with Garlic Cream
Scarborough Fair Herb Bread
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta
Shrimp Feast
Spanish Rice
Spicy Grilled Chicken
Fresh Strawberry French Toast