When spring comes my heart turns to asparagus. We picked it on the ditch banks when I was a kid and I learned to love it, especially creamed on mashed potatoes. But this Asparagus Quiche is a close second in my heart. This year I found a quiche without the crust and thought I would give it a try because it is loaded with fat as it is and the crust makes it downright wicked. I also changed the half and half to whole milk and actually didn't miss any of those fat grams.
Crustless Asparagus Quiche
1. Soften but don't melt 1 T. butter and rub it around the bottom and sides of a 10 inch pie pan.
2. Spinkle with 1/2 C. of soft bread crumbs chopped in a processor. You could probably use Panco. Sometimes I put a layer of stiff crackers like Town House Pita for a bit more of a crust.
3. Grate 6 oz. Cheese. I like Swiss in quiche but you could probably substitute others. Sprinkle in the bottom and sides of the pan.
5. Trim a bunch of asparagus (3-31/2 cups) into 2 inch pieces and steam for 1 or 2 minutes. This is just a blanch as it will cook more in the oven. Scatter over the cheese.
5. Beat together 5 eggs, 1scant tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and 2 C. Whole Mile (use half and half if desired) Pour over the top. Bake 350 for 30-40 minutes or until the center is set. I usually cut a hole in a piece of foil to keep the edge from getting over brown.
The leftover pieces reheat beautifully in the microwave and taste even better the next day.
