Asparagus Quiche

I just love quiche.  Seems like I've said that before...Hmmm?  I found this recipe on the inside of a Challenge Butter box.  You know,... I love me some butter.  Anyway, I made this recipe to take to a beach potluck for a friend moving back to the mainland....Boo.  On the plus side, everyone seemed to like the quiche!

recipe on box is for a full pie to serve 6
I made mine mini.....I just gotta be different

Asparagus Quiche

from Challenge Butter (unsalted) box

adapted slightly by me

Ingredients -

• 1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust
• 3/4 to 1 lb fresh asparagus spears, cleaned and cut into 3/4 inch pieces (2-2 1/2 cups)
• 3 T Challenge Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1 c chopped onions (I used less - about 1/4 c)
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 c milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 ounces (1 1/4 c) shredded Monterey jack cheese (I used a little cheddar, a little Italian blend - it's all I had!)
• 2 inch biscuit or cookie cutter (if you want to make mini's)
• mini muffin pan (if you want to make mini's)
• non-stick cooking spray

Directions -

1.  Blanch asparagus for 2 minutes in boiling water, cool in ice water, drain and set aside.

2.  Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium heat.  Add curry and cayenne pepper; cook one minute.

3.  Saute onion in curry butter until soft and most of the moisture has evaporated; set aside to cool.

4.  In a small bowl beat, eggs, milk and salt. 

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

6. Unroll pie crust and use your biscuit cutter to cut 24 circles. 

7. Spray your mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.

8. Put the pie crust circles in your muffin pan.

9.  Add a pinch of cheese to each mini pie crust.

10. Add a little onion mixture and asparagus on top of cheese.

11. Pour egg mixture over the top.

12. Bake about 20 minutes or until custard is set and golden.

blanching asparagus

cooling asparagus in ice water

I just love refrigerated pie crust
the original recipe has you making your own

all ready to fill

all that's left now is to add the egg mixture

the mini's

some crustless asparagus quiche
I had asparagus, cheese, & egg mixture left over....
but no crust; not to worry - these were fantastic too
they were made in a regular size muffin pan

Makes roughly 36 mini's.

Calories per mini - approx. 82.5

Calories per whole pie if you go that route - 2970 - that serves six - 495 per serving

Nana's Stuffed Meatloaf

My in-laws were here visiting in early July and I had the pleasure to not only get this recipe from my mother-in-law, but to get to eat it!   On more than one occasion my husband has raved about this meatloaf.  Now, after hearing about it for almost 8 years, I got to try it.  It is so delicious and really not hard to make.  I hope you'll try it, you won't be disappointed.

Nana's (famous) Stuffed Meatloaf

Nana's Stuffed Meatloaf
from Nana

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 c. Pepperidge Farm herb stuffing mix (not cubes)
• 1 egg
• 1 pk Lipton onion soup mix or onion mushroom soup mix
• 7 dashes Worchestershire sauce
• 3 swirls around the bowl with ketchup
• 2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
• 8 slices thinly sliced ham
• other useful items you'll want to have - wax paper, rolling pin, foil, jelly roll pan

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Crumble ground beef in medium mixing bowl, add salt/pepper to taste, egg, Worchestershire sauce, ketchup, and soup mix; mix thoroughly with hands. 
2. Add stuffing mix and mix with hands again.
3. Transfer onto wax paper lined jellyroll pan.  Using a rolling pin, roll into ~1/2 inch thick rectange the same lenth/width as jellyroll pan.  (pic below)
4. Take ham slices and lay on top of ground beef mixture.....making sure to leave a border of about a 1/2 inch.  (pic below)
5. Add Mozzarella cheese on top of ham keeping with in the border.  (pic below)
6. Roll up jellyroll style; making sure the ends and long seam are sealed.  (pics below)
7. Place loaf pan over the rolled up loaf then flip so loaf will be seam side down in the loaf pan.  (pic below)
8. Place loaf pan on jellyroll pan (lined with foil) and pop into the oven to bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until nice and brown. (pic below)

Serves about 8.
Calories per serving - 318
Calories per meatloaf - 2542

Nana rolling out the meat.

ham added to meat rectangle keeping a border

now with cheese on top

Nana starts at this end, lifts up the wax paper

and begins rolling slowly

all rolled up & ready to seal the seams

seams all sealed

loaf pan on top

and flip it

ta da - it's in the pan

ready to go in the oven

all done....ain't she a beauty
Nana did good!

it is so yummy...with each bite you get
meatloaf, cheese, and ham