Summer onions star in this satisfying quiche

July and August are prime onion season, when the new crop of yellow onions are ready for harvest and taste their sweetest.

This quiche uses a lot of onions – 4 to 5 big ones! Slowly cooking them in butter brings out their maximum sweetness.

Caramelized onions have enough flavor to carry a whole quiche, but why stop there? Add bacon and cheese, and this quiche is filling enough for any meal.

Caramelized onion quiche with bacon and cheese

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 (10-inch) unbaked pie crust

6 slices bacon

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter or margarine

4 to 5 large sweet onions, peeled and thinly sliced (about 6 cups)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

5 large eggs

¾ cup low-fat milk

¾ cup heavy cream

2 dashes Tabasco sauce

1 cup shredded white Cheddar or Gouda cheese

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Prepare pie crust in a 10-inch quiche pan or pie plate. Prick the crust bottom and sides all over with a fork, then line with aluminum foil. Weight the bottom with dried beans or other weights to keep the crust flat. Bake crust at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove crust from oven and let cool slightly. Carefully remove the weights.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange bacon slices on the foil.

Bake bacon at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, reversing sheet front to back after 5 minutes. The bacon may need a minute or two more to reach desired crispness, depending on thickness. Watch carefully; it can burn.

Remove bacon from oven. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain grease; let cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

Meanwhile, melt butter or margarine in a large, heavy and deep skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute onions, stirring often, until very soft and golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add thyme, stir and set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, cream and Tabasco sauce. Whisk until well blended. Fold in onions, then both cheeses.

Crumble bacon over the bottom of the prepared crust. Carefully pour egg mixture into crust, right up to the top. (Tip: Put the quiche on a rimmed baking sheet on the oven shelf and finish filling the crust after it’s sitting on the shelf.)

Bake quiche at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, until the mixture is set but still moist and top starts to turn golden.

Remove quiche from oven and let cool slightly, at least 15 to 20 minutes, before serving.

Serve warm or room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.