Mini Caramelized Onion Quiches with Sriracha Glazed Bacon

Have you noticed how many recipes for mini quiches are out there?  And yet so few of them utilize a crust.  I completely sympathize.  The pastry is fussy and time consuming when you're trying to work small.  One of my least favorite tasks in the kitchen is rolling out uniformly thin layers of pastry crust or cookie dough.  But in this instance, the butter crust adds a lot to the texture and flavor of the quiche.  And the crimped and pleated edges of pastry practically blossom out of the muffin tins.  They are quite stunning.

Many tarts, galettes, pastries and quiches have been featuring caramelized onions as of late.  So I have decided to  jump on the bandwagon.  Added bonus...mini quiches means I'll breakfast ready to heat on eat for the next few days.

the recipe is my own

yields 12 mini quiches

The Ingredients:
for the bacon
3 slices thick cut bacon
1 Tbsp honey
1-2 tsp Sriracha


for the onions
2-3 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt

for the quiche
pie crust or pate brisse  for a dbl crust
4 eggs
1/2 cup +2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
pinch cinnamon
3/4 cup cheese of your choice, shredded

The Process:
for the bacon:
Preheat the oven to 450.  On an aluminum lined baking sheet, lay the bacon out in a single layer.  In a small cup or bowl, stir together the honey and sriracha.  Brush the glaze evenly over each slice of bacon.


Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon reaches the desired level of crispness.  Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain and cool.

for the onions:
In a large skillet over high heat, melt the butter and heat the oil.  Add the onions in a single layer over the entire bottom of the skillet.  Reduce the heat to medium, medium-low.  Saute the onions over low heat, stirring every 2-3 minutes.  After 5-7 minutes sprinkle with salt to extract more of the liquid from the onions.  Continue to saute over medium-low heat, stirring only every 2-3 minutes.  The onions should slowly begin to brown and caramelize. 

After the desired caramelization is achieved, about 20-30 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.



for the quiche:
Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly oil a 12 cup, standard-sized muffin tin.

Roll out the pastry crust or pate brisse.  Cut out twelve 5- inch circles and gently press one circle into each cup of the tin, gently pleating and folding the edges as needed.

In a medium bowl whisk together the eggs, cream, milk and seasonings.  Set the egg mixture aside.

Divide the caramelized onions between the 12 pastry cups, using roughly 1 tsp per quiche.  Top each with 1/4 strip of bacon, snipped into small pieces.  Sprinkle with 2-3 tsp of shredded cheese. Pour about 3 Tbsp of the egg mixture into each cup, filling within 1/4 inch of the crust's lip.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the quiche puffs up and begins to brown.  A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out clean.  Allow the mini quiches to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, enabling the egg mixture to set up.  Gently remove the mini quiches from the muffin tin to a cooling rack.  Let rest until the egg settles and levels out and the quiches are cool enough to handle.

Serve warm.

The Review:
Fresh out of the oven, domed golden treasures peeked out from their pastry petals.  They quickly settled, but with that first glimpse I knew I was in for a treat.

I had a hard time waiting for the mini quiche to cool enough to take a bite.  But that first bite...heavenly.  The crust broke away in a flaky, buttery burst to reveal the smooth, velvety egg within.  A salty, smokey pop of bacon followed, and close behind that...the slight sweetness and almost creamy layer of caramelized onion.  A subtle warmth danced across my tongue as the Sriracha came forward to finish off the bite.  One small bite...so many flavors and textures. 

While still warm, the egg and bacon flavors dominated these lovely little breakfast bites.  As with many things, the flavor improved with time.  The next day the Sriracha created the most wonderful subtle warmth without a trace of vinegar or bite.  The onions held their own more strongly against the smokey burst of bacon.  And all in all the flavors mellowed and mingled a little more harmoniously.

Of course, saving them for next morning's breakfast sacrifices that gloriously flaky crust, unless you have time to reheat them in the oven.  Convenience always has its price.

Ross didn't care much for the Sriracha.  But the fillings for these quiche are limitless.  Even a change as simple as a maple-peppercorn or honey-whiskey glaze on the bacon would be enough to launch these breakfast gems into completely different flavor-filled waters.