Bacon and Leek Quiche: Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free (Cow)

I set out to find some quiche recipes I could reconstruct. I have successfully converted quiche recipes to gluten-free and dairy-free (cow) ones but wanted to elevate the flavors.  I made two different quiches, both of which got raving reviews from my dinner guests. I made a Bacon and Leek Quiche and a Spinach and Mushroom Quiche (recipe to follow).  

Let's start with the Bacon and Leek Quiche. The house instantly filled with the aromas of bacon cooking. Then the addition of leeks, onion, and spices took this mouthwatering aroma to a whole new level. The best part was the 1st bite. My mouth filled with the tastes from the perfect combination of savory and sweet ingredients. There was silence around the table, then a lot of chatter about the wonderful rich flavors each quiche created. 

Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free:Bacon and Leek Quiche

I always make Pie Crust first since it has to be refrigerated for 2 hours.  
I prefer to make my own gluten-free and dairy-free pie crust but if you don't have time there are several pre-made and  frozen options in the stores. For my Flaky Gluten-Free  Pie Crust click on the words or go to my recipe section on this blog

The quiche ingredients can be prepared several hours ahead of time and refrigerated. 

Bacon and Leek Quiche  This version is gluten-free and dairy-free (cow)
Ingredients:
      Bacon - 8 slices ( I used turkey bacon but pork would also work well)
      4 eggs (well beaten)
      1/2 cup leeks - chopped
      1/2 cup onions - chopped
      1 teaspoon of fresh thyme
       salt and pepper to taste. 
      2 tablespoons of Earth Balance or Coconut Oil 
      1 1/2 cups of goats cheese or dairy-free alternative
         ( I use 3/4 cup of grated hard goats cheese such as goat Gouda or cheddar and 3 ounces of soft goat cheese)
       1 1/2 cups of milk alternative
          ( A combination of almond or cashew with coconut milk works well. 3/4 of cup of 2 of the milk alternatives) 
       1 tablespoon of melt Earth Balance or Coconut Oil 

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 
2. Place the prepared crust in the pie pan. Line the pan with parchment paper and place dried pinto beans in the pie pan so that it prevents the crust from bubbling when being pre-baked.
Bake the pie crust for 7 minutes and remove.Remove the beans and parchment paper.Cool for at least 5 minutes before putting quiche mixture into the crust.
3.Reduce oven to 325 degrees.
4. In a frying pan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove and allow to cool. Break the cooked bacon into small pieces and set aside. Remove most of the bacon oil form the pan. 
5. In the same frying pan, add leeks, onions, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 7 minutes. Add a little Earth Balance if needed. Take off heat.
6. Add soft cheese to onion mixture so it can begin to melt from the heat of the mixture. 
7. Combined the eggs, milk, and the 1 tablespoon of melted Earth Balance or Coconut Oil. 
8. Layer the ingredients in to the pie crust a third at a time. 1/3 onion mixture, 1/3 grated hard cheese, 1/3 milk mixture, until pie crust is filled.
9. Bake at 325 for approximately, 40-45 minutes. I always place the uncooked quiche on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil so that any spillage lands on the foil and not on the bottom of the oven.  The quiches should be firm but not solid to the touch. 

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