How To: This Quiche/Soufflé Hybrid Is Both Easy & Delicious

The morning started out like most of them do: I was hungry, and it was time to chow down on some breakfast. However, this particular morning had me craving something besides the usual milk and cereal.

I decided to take a quick inventory of my fridge's contents; I had eggs, milk, cheese, frozen veggies, and some leftover shrimp cocktail from a catering gig I did the night before. After a few minutes of consideration, a brilliant idea popped into my head—and I whipped up what I will from now on refer to as a Q-flé. It's wasn't a quiche, and not quite a soufflé... but it looked damn good and tasted amazing!

And today, I'll be sharing the excellent results of my impromptu breakfast creation with you.

Scared of Soufflés? Don't Fear the Q-Flé

To be honest, I've never made a soufflé before. After too many hours of Masterchef, I thought the process looked nerve-wracking and the timing too delicate.... but my Q-flé poofed up like a dream. And no matter how many times I checked the oven to look at my new invention, it never fell.

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So don't be intimidated by the fact that this dish contains the same rising properties as a soufflé: this recipe is practically foolproof as well as delicious.

Ingredients

These ingredients create one serving of Q-flé. Double or triple the recipe as necessary for multiple servings.

• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ cup freshly grated cheese (I used 75% cheddar and 25% Parmesan)
• ¼ cup vegetables (fresh or frozen spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, and/or onions)
• ¼ cup protein (bacon, ham, sausage, shrimp, and so on)
• butter or olive oil, for sautéeing

One last note: before you start, be sure to pre-heat your oven to 400°F.

Step 1: Sauté

Lightly sauté your veggies and protein in butter and/or olive oil. If you decide to use pork, make sure it is cooked through completely to avoid the chance of a trichinosis infection. (For this example, I used shrimp, broccoli, and onions.)

Once your ingredients are sautéed, remove them from heat and allow them to cool for a few minutes—it's important that they have the chance to cool before they come in contact with the uncooked egg. Otherwise, the residual heat may cook the egg a little and change the texture.

Step 2: Mix the Ingredients Together

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a bowl, then add cheese and whisk again. Add the cooled, sautéed ingredients and whisk once more, then pour the entire mix into a standard-sized ramekin.

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Step 3: Bake in the Oven

Bake at 400°F for approximately 25 minutes and/or until the crust is brown. Once the Q-flé is finished, carefully remove the ramekin from the oven and allow it to cool for a minute or two before serving/digging in.

As you can see, the top poofs up and browns quite beautifully!

Step 4: Enjoy!

True to its name, the consistency will be reminiscent of both a quiche and a soufflé. You will have a wonderful gourmet breakfast dish you can share with friends or enjoy all by yourself, depending on how much you've chosen to make.

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