Chorizo Christmas Quiche
Every Christmas morning growing up, my mom would make something special for breakfast. It was something I would always look forward to after the presents, of course! As I grew older, the excitement centered more around family and togetherness, rather than all the presents, and breakfast was the perfect glue.
As time went on, I moved out, and though I would go back home for the holidays when I could, there were some times that I just couldn’t make it. My cooking chops weren’t as developed back then, and I was lucky to have anything special at all, being a poor college student! There were a few years that I really missed out on that Christmas breakfast.
Fast forward to the present, and many, many years of experience, I’ve transformed my love of food, cooking, and family into my own tradition – A Christmas Quiche! While every year tends to be a little different, there must absolutely be a quiche. For without it, it just doesn’t seem like Christmas. Admittedly, it is pretty involved to make, but it’s worth every single minute. I’ve always described it as a spicy, cheesy, smoky, and savory custard with a flaky crust. It’s the epitome of savory decadence, and is something that not only allows me to show love to my loved ones, but also brings us together. Serve with some spiked coffee, cozy socks, and start Christmas Day off in grand fashion!
WHAT YOU NEED
- For the Crust
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter, cut into cubes, and kept cold (½ of a stick)
- ¼ cup vegetable shortening
- ½ cup milk (ice cold)
- For the Quiche
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 onions, sliced, about 5 - 6 cups
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 package Cacique Chorizo (Beef, Pork, or Soy)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 5 ounces Cacique Queso Quesadilla, shredded, about 1½ cups
- ½ Cup Cacique Panela Cheese, crumbled
HOW TO MAKE IT
- FOR THE CRUST: Add the flour to a food processor along with the sugar and salt. Add in the cold cubed butter, and shortening, and pulse about 6 times until the butter is incorporated into the flour, yet pea-sized bits of butter remain. Pulse more if there are still large chunks of butter. Add ¾ of the milk slowly to the food processor, while quickly pulsing to incorporate. When the dough sticks together when squeezed, it's ready. If it is still a little crumbly, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time, until it stays together. Gather the dough into two disks, and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour.
- FOR THE QUICHE: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the butter to a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onions, salt and pepper. Continually stir about every minute, for 30 minutes until the onions are caramelized, but not burned on the edges. Turn the heat up to medium-high, and add the Chorizo, breaking it up and mixing with the onions. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from heat, and allow to cool. In a medium bowl, add the eggs and yolks, scramble them lightly, then mix in the cream. Remove one of the crust disks from the refrigerator, reserving the other disk for another use. Dust your work surface with a little flour, and roll out the crust to 1/8th of an inch thick, or until it clears all edges of your pie plate. For a successful pie crust, it's imperative to continually dust the crust with flour as you roll it out, while also flipping it, so it doesn't stick to your rolling pin or your work surface. Gently roll the crust around your rolling pin, by placing your pin on the top of the far edge. Carefully bring it around the top, then roll back towards yourself, until the crust is all around your pin. Gently pick it up, and transfer it to your pie plate, rolling it back out over the plate. Push in on the bottom edges, so the crust forms to the plate. Trim the edge of the crust with a sharp knife or kitchen shears, leaving ¼ of an inch around the rim. Tuck that excess underneath itself to make a pretty edge, and gently pinch the sides using both hands, twisting opposite directions all around the crust to make a fluted edge. To fill, start with half of the Chorizo mixture, evenly distributing it on the bottom of the shell. Then add half of the shredded Queso Quesadilla Cheese, then half of the cream mixture. Repeat these layers with the remainder of ingredients. Place the quiche in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes. Add the crumbled Panela cheese to the top of the quiche, and return to the oven for 15-25 more minutes, until the center no longer jiggles, or a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool 30 minutes before serving. This can be made a day ahead of time, covered and refrigerated after the cooling period. Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before serving, and serve at room temperature. Alternately, you can reheat the thawed quiche in a preheated 350-degree oven for 5-10 minutes.
- Cook’s Note (optional): If the crust starts to brown too quickly, form aluminum foil around the top of the crust to shield it from the heat. To make the crust even prettier, before putting it in the oven, mix the remaining egg whites (from the separation from the yolks in the recipe), with a tablespoon of water, and paint the top of the crust using a pastry brush. You can also use a pre-made pie crust if you'd rather not make your own.
