You know what I hate? Besides squirrels, Times Square in the summer and adults who wear hats with bunny ears on them? I hate recipes that call themselves “caramelized onion” something, and call for cooking the onions for 10 to 15 minutes. Caramelizing onions – truly caramelizing them, until they’re almost falling apart, a deep, dark brown and your whole kitchen smells like them – takes a while. Like an hour. But it is totally worth it.
This quiche is pretty simple to make (even the hour of caramelizing is relatively hands-off), with just a few ingredients that are mostly pantry staples.
Together it is exponentially more than the sum of its parts, just straddling the line between sweet and savory. It would be a welcome addition to any brunch, weeknight meal or fancy dinner party.
You can use any recipe for pie crust or pick up a frozen one at the store – just bake it for about 20 minutes before filling; the star of this dish is certainly the onions. I ended the cooking with a quick stint under the broiler to get a nice, bubbly, brown top. If you don’t have a broiler you can crank the oven up for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Caramelized Onion Quiche
1 already baked pie shell – homemade or storebought
2 tablespoons oil
3 large onions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella
grated Parmesan cheese
Peel and dice the onions in to half-moon slices.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat, and add the onions, stirring to coat.
Cook, stirring every few minutes, over medium-low heat, 40 to 60 minutes. They should brown slowly and evenly – not burning on the edges.
Whisk together the milk and eggs until mixed.
Sprinkle half the mozzarella over the bottom of the pie shell. Top with all the onions and the remaining cheese, then pour the milk mixture over the top, being careful not to overfill.
Bake on 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes, then top with a sprinkling of Parmesan and place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully.** Serve warm.
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**You can only do this step if it is in a broiler-safe pan, like foil, metal or earthenware.
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