Bacon, Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

My friend Michelle gave me a great recipe for bacon and cheddar quiche and I adapted it - adding broccoli for color, taste and vitamins. It's a great combination, and easy to throw together, and equally delicious for breakfast, lunch or dinner. (Pictured above with green beans with pine nuts.)

Start by cooking the broccoli until it is tender crisp, about 3-4 minutes.



Meanwhile combine the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and thyme in a mixing bowl and whisk well.



Add the drained broccoli



then the cheddar and bacon,



and pour into the prepared pie crust.





Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the eggs are set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.



Get more ideas at Mouthwatering Monday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tuesday at the Table , Tasty Tuesday, Whatcha Makin' Wednesdays , What's Cooking Wednesdays, This Week's Cravings, Let's Do Brunch.

Bacon, Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups chopped broccoli
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 - 9" unbaked pie crust

Steam broccoli until crisp tender; drain. Whisk together eggs, milk, thyme, salt and pepper. Add the broccoli, bacon and cheddar and stir to combine. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Custard Pie

I got this recipe from an Amish cookbook so I expected it to be a little different - maybe with a custard layer based on the title. Well, it's about the same as the recipe on the Libby can - but, no matter. It's a delicious pie, a little creamier than your usual run of the mill pumpkin pie. I love pumpkin pie, and this will be my go to recipe from now on. It's also simple and quick - I think it took me all of three minutes with a whisk and a bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk



then add the evaporated milk.



Add the spices next - cinnamon, ginger



and cloves.



Now add the salt and sugar



and whisk well, then finally the pumpkin.



Once it's all combined, pour the mixture into a prepared 9" pie shell.



Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.



Serve with cool whip, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Find more inspiration at Cooking Thursday, Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays, and Friday Food.

Pumpkin Custard Pie

1 unbaked 9" pie shell
3 eggs
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

Place pastry in a pie plate. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten, then add the evaporated milk. Add the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and sugar and whisk until blended. Add the pumpkin and whisk until combined.

Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serves 6-8.

Carrot and Potato Gratin

I love scalloped or au gratin potatoes so I was really excited to find this recipe that also included carrots. Usually I like to get my carrots in cake or bread so it's time for a vegetable-based recipe.

Start by making a basic white sauce - melt the butter in a medium saucepan and then add the chopped onions.



Cook for 3 minutes until the onions start to soften, then sprinkle with the flour and cook and stir until bubbly. Add the chicken broth and cook and stir until thickened, then gradually add the milk.



Cook and stir for several minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, and add the salt, pepper and nutmeg.



Now peel the potatoes and carrots, and slice them thinly. I used my food processor for the slicing.



Grease a 2-quart baking dish, and place about 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the dish, overlapping them slightly. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. thyme



and then 1/3 cup of the cheese.



Add a layer of carrots, and then another 1/3 cup of cheese.



Add a second layer of potatoes, another 1/4 tsp. thyme, and another 1/3 cup cheese.
Now, the rest of the carrots, then the potatoes and the remaining thyme. Top with the sauce






then cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered this time, for another half hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.



Find more recipes at Mouthwatering Monday, Tempt my Tummy Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table , Tasty Tuesday and What's Cooking Wednesday, Ingredient Spotlight.

Carrot and Potato Gratin

2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 Tbsp. flour
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 tsp. thyme
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
4 large carrots (about 3/4 pound), peeled and thinly sliced crosswise

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook and stir until bubbly. Add the chicken broth and cook until lightly boiling, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk, stirring, until the mixture is slightly thickened.

In a greased 2 quart baking dish, arrange 1/3 of potato slices, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with 3/4 tsp. thyme and 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat with carrot slices and another 1/3 cup cheese. Layer potatoes, 1/4 tsp. thyme, 1/3 cup cheese, then carrots and potatoes again, topping with the last 1/4 tsp. thyme.

Stir sauce and pour evenly over gratin. Cover with foil; bake at 350 until bubbling and vegatables just start to soften, about 40 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 30 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8 to 10.

Apple Almond Coffee Cake

Pumpkin, pear, apple - fall is a delightful time to bake! I made this coffee cake for a work meeting and I didn't bring any home. I guess I'll have to make it again! It is worth it (even though I HATE to peel apples!) - it's delicious and looks impressive.

Start by combining the nuts with 1/2 cup of the sugar



and cinnamon,



and stir to mix well. Set aside. For the batter, cream the butter and the remaining sugar, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Next add the almond extract.



In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.



Add the flour mixture to the batter



alternately with the sour cream.



Now spread half the batter into a greased springform pan then top with the apples.



Sprinkle with half the nut/sugar mixture,

then top with the remaining batter.



Now sprinkle on the remaining nut mixture.



Bake the cake for 40 minutes or until it tests done. Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack before removing the sides of the pan.



Then let the cake cool completely.



Get more recipes at Foodie Friday, Food on Fridays and Friday Food.

Apple Almond Coffee Cake

1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Combine nuts, cinnamon and 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter; gradually add remaining sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in almond extract. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition.

Spread half of the batter in a well greased 10-in. springform pan. Top with apple slices; sprinkle with half of the nut mixture. To with remaining batter, then with remaining nut mixture. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until cake tests done. Remove from oven; let stand 30 minutes. Loosen sides of cake and remove; cool completely on a wire rack. Serves 12.

Caramel Pear Pie

I am drawn to any recipe that has caramel - but the great news is, this pie is absolutely delicious even without the caramel topping. Pears are a great change of pace from apples for a pie with a "dutch" topping, and the caramel just takes it over the top. I've made it both with the caramel and without, though, and it gets gobbled up either way. (As you can see from the above picture, I drizzle EXTRA caramel over the pie and ice cream. I can't get enough caramel, much to my dentist's delight...)

Start by peeling, coring and slicing the pears.



Drizzle the lemon juice over the pears.



In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.



Pour over the pears



and stir carefully to coat all the pears with the sugar mixture. Let this stand for 15 minutes. In the meantime, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and butter



in a small bowl and cut in to make streusel (just like in fruit crisp). Pour the pear mixture into the prepared pie shell



then top with the streusel mixture.



Bake the pie for 45 minutes. While it's baking, make the caramel topping by combining the caramels and milk in a small saucepan. (Opening these caramels is the most time-consuming part of this recipe! If you have little helpers, enlist their assistance!)



Put the saucepan over low heat and melt the caramels, stirring constantly. Add the chopped pecans (I just didn't have any on hand but I think it would be wonderful with them!) to the caramel sauce. After the pie has baked for 45 minutes, remove it from the oven and drizzle with the caramel.



Return to the oven and bake an additional 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.



Get more ideas at Mouthwatering Monday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday , Tempt my Tummy Tuesday and What's Cooking Wednesday.

Caramel Pear Pie

6 cups sliced, peeled ripe pears (about 6 medium)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. cold butter, cubed
18 caramels
5 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, combine pears and lemon juice. In another bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to pears; stir gently. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Pour pears into pastry shell. In a bowl, combine the oats, flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over pears. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over low heat, melt caramels with milk. Stir until smooth; add pecans. Drizzle over pie. Bake 8-10 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Serves 6-8.