Name: Mushroom Quiche with Creamy Cheese
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: ¼ lb unsalted butter; 1 ⅔ cups all purpose flour; ¼ tsp salt; 5 tbsp ice water; 4 oz dried Ceps (Porcini mushrooms) (already boiled); 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 cloves garlic; 1 sprig of thyme; 1 leek; 1 pinch salt; 1 pinch black pepper; 2 oz mascarpone; 2 oz parmesan; 2 oz gouda; 2 oz mozzarella; 2 oz gorgonzola

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The rich taste of Mushroom Quiche with Creamy Cheese will make your winter mornings perfect and will warm you up! It will, for sure do so because a piece of this caloric quiche with a cheese-scented crust is simply irresistible.

This Mushroom Quiche with Creamy Cheese can be one of the most versatile recipes that you have ever tried.

How to make the shortcrust pastry for Quiche?

The pastry for this mushroom quiche with creamy cheese is the classic shortcrust pastry that I always prepare for pies and quiches. The only difference is that for pies I add 1 tbsp of sugar. This shortcrust pastry is very simple to knead and does not need any kitchen robot. I recommend doing this with your own hands to avoid over-mixing the dough in the kitchen robot. So, take a bowl and tip ¼ lb of unsalted butter (100 gr) into the 1 ⅔ cups of all purpose flour (200 g). Rub them together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. Then add ¼ tsp of salt and 5 tbsp of ice water. Knead the dough gently with hand until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. If you have time, leave the pastry in the refrigerator to rest for about 30 minutes to one hour. If not, start working with the pastry immediately. You can make this crust pastry in double/triple quantity and freeze the remaining part. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week, or in the freezer for a few months.

How to Pre-Bake the Crust:

Roll out the pastry to ⅛ inch (0,3-0,4 cm) thickness on a lightly floured surface, place it carefully in a form and prick it with a fork. To make the crust crunchy before baking place it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 400°F( 200°C). Cover the base of the pastry with baking parchment paper and then fill it with weight (rice, beans or whatever you have). Place it in a springform baking pan and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the weight (with parchment paper) and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes to cook the base of the dough – until the crust obtains a lightly golden colour. When it is done, set the quiche crust aside.

How to boil dried mushrooms?

So, if you are using dried mushrooms for mushroom quiche the process of cooking will be a little bit complicated. But believe me, the intense aroma of dried mushrooms worth any time and patience. First of all, you need to rehydrate dried mushrooms (I used about 4 oz), by soaking them at room temperature water for 2-3 hours (better overnight, for me it is more comfortable). If you are in a hurry, soak the mushrooms in boiling water and wait until they cool to room temperature. After the elapsed time, boil mushrooms with 1 scant tsp of salt in 6 cups of water for about 30 minutes – mushrooms should be soft and chewable. When done, strain the mushrooms and let them sit in the colander for some minutes to drain well. If needed chop mushrooms. Do not throw obtained broth, you can freeze it and use for mushroom risotto, mushroom soups or as a base for the sauce. Its strong and flavorful aroma will make any of these dishes taste savory and delicious.

How to make the Mushroom Quiche with Creamy Cheese Filling?

To be honest, I have never used twice the same ingredients for the filling for the mushroom quiche with creamy cheese. I always opt to make the process as simple as possible and use my imagination. There is no rule on what kind of mushrooms (dried or fresh one) to use. The recipe depends only on your taste. As I write in some of my posts, I like to prepare meals from the products that I already have in my kitchen. For this quiche I took dried Ceps (Porcini mushrooms) – these are one of my favorites because of their intense flavor that even gets better after drying.

Let’s start with mushrooms! Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and a sprig of thyme. When garlic turns golden brown colour, take them out. Thinly slice one small leek into rings. Pour it together with mushrooms (if you used dried one – already boiled) in flavored oil and fry, stirring often for 6-8 minutes. If you use fresh mushrooms (it doesn’t matter what kind) you will need about 18 oz (500 g). Season with some salt and pepper. When vegetables are done, set them aside on a paper towel to cool and to leak excess oil from them.

Prepare the cheese! Grab about 8 oz (200 g) of cheese – I took 2 oz (50 g) of each: parmesan, mozzarella, gorgonzola, and gouda. Grate parmesan and cut in medium size pieces the rest of the cheese.

How to make Mushroom Quiche with Creamy Cheese?

This part of the process is the easiest! You will have to combine all the ingredients as you do with pizzas. Because of flavoured ingredients, as dried porcini mushrooms and the variety of cheeses, I did not use egg mixture.

To make the crust soft take 2oz (50 g) of mascarpone and evenly grease it along the bottom. Then nicely arrange the fried mushrooms and top with pieces of cheese (mozzarella, gouda, and gorgonzola). Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Lower the temperature of the oven to 375°F (180 °C) and bake the quiche for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the form!

If your willpower allows, let cool slightly! And enjoy!

Recipe tips

If you use dried mushrooms, prepare them in advance. So the cooking process will seem easier.
Use any kind of mushrooms and cheese you like or have in your fridge.
Do not bake quiche ahead, the cheese will harden and you will not feel the real flavor.
Cheese and Mushroom Quiche is full of protein, so serve it with a fresh FRESH TOMATO SALAD or VIBRANT BEETROOT & ARUGULA SALAD.