Summer Squash, Bacon, and Mozzarella Quiche

Either you are a quiche lover or hater and I am a lover.  It is such a versatile meal and so easy to whip together.  It is like a savory breakfast for dinner.  Eggs, cheese, veggies, and crispy flaky pie crust- count me in.  I have made many a quiche before but this one tops the charts.  It is officially my new favorite quiche.  The bacon and zucchini/squash go together perfectly with the eggs.   I found this recipe from Cooking Light but of course I had to fatten it up.  Flavor is in fat people- I wrote my changes in pink beside the regular recipe that way you can make the low fat version or my superior full fat version!  I had to add extra bacon and cheese.  I saved time and used a store bought pie shell, but if you are feeling ambitious go on and make the homemade one.  If you hate quiche give this one a try it just might change your mind. 

Enjoy!

:: S U M M E R   S Q U A S H, B A C O N,  A N D  M O Z Z A R E L L A  Q U I C H E ::

Adapted from Cooking Light

INGREDIENTS

• Crust: (I used store bought)
• 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup ice water

• Filling:
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups (1/8-inch-thick) slices yellow squash
• 2 cups (1/8-inch-thick) slices zucchini
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots (used 1/4 red onion instead)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (omitted this because I did not have any)
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk (I used 1 cup heavy cream)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used 12 slices of crumbled bacon)
• 3 large egg whites
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (I used about 1.5 cups of mozzarella and Gruyere)

PREPARATION

**If you use a store bought pie shell skip steps one- three and just bake the pie shell for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees.  From there follow the rest of the instructions from step 4 on.**

1. To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor, and pulse 2 times or until combined. Add butter and shortening; pulse 4 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With food processor on, add ice water through food chute, processing just until the mixture is combined (do not form a ball). Press mixture into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap, and cover. Refrigerate for 1 hour
2.   Preheat oven to 400°.
3. Slightly overlap 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp flat surface. Unwrap and place chilled dough on plastic wrap. Cover dough with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 12-inch circle. Place dough in freezer 5 minutes or until plastic wrap can easily be removed. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap, and fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray. Remove remaining plastic wrap from dough. Fold edges under, and flute. Pierce bottom and sides of dough with fork. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
4.  Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
5.  To prepare the filling, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add squash, zucchini, shallots, and thyme; saute for 5 minutes or until squash and zucchini are tender, stirring frequently ( I sauteed mine for about 10-15 mins to get good and tender). Cool the squash mixture slightly.
6.  Combine 1 cup reduced-fat milk and the next 5 ingredients (through eggs) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Arrange squash mixture evenly over crust, and sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Pour the egg mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until filling is set. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.