Mushroom Feta Mini Quiche Recipe

Preparing to move means cleaning out the freezer. Cleaning out the freezer means facing ingredients that I have put off using. Phyllo dough is one of those ingredients.

I sat down holding the box of phyllo. What do I do with it? My first idea was to make baklava, but I am trying hard no to gain any more weight than is necessary while cleaning out the freezer, so I quickly ruled that idea out. So illogically, my brain jumps automatically from dessert to quiche. How it did that, I have no idea.

This is a recipe I made 100 percent with my own knowledge of cooking. I am actually quite proud of myself. From using a new ingredient, to putting ingredients that taste well together, and projecting baking temperatures and times, I figured this out on my own. I usually take a base recipe and adjust it as necessary, but not this time!

Now that I have applauded myself, I need to add the “but.” I am very proud of myself, BUT the quiche didn’t taste exactly how I had conceived once it was out of the oven. The baking process squashed the strength of the feta, garlic, and onion. However, the tarragon was just fine, so it turned out to taste like a tarragon quiche! It was not bad, but I think I am going to toy around with the fillings for the next set of phyllo mini quiches.

So now that I just admitted that it wasn’t my favorite recipe in the world, you may wonder why I am posting the recipe below. The answer is simple. I am going to use this as a base and change the filling. Plus, it would be rotten to have taken the pictures for nothing!

Mushroom Feta Mini Quiche Recipe

Recipe yields 12 mini quiches.

Special Equipment

12 cup muffin tin

Container with a 4 inch rim (used to cut dough)

Ingredients

Cooking Spray

½ medium yellow, diced

4 oz mushrooms, diced

1 tsp garlic, minced

¼ tsp dried tarragon

1 roll of premade frozen phyllo dough (two rolls come in standard package)

5 oz feta cheese

5 eggs

¼ cup half and half or whole milk

Ground Pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Spray cooking spray into a small skillet. Add the onion, mushrooms, garlic, and tarragon. Cook the mixture until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

3. Spray cooking spray to thoroughly coat the cups of the muffin tin. Stack five sheets of phyllo on a clean work surface (I placed them on a silicone work pad). If they are dry and cracking, moisten them with water. Press the rim of a 4 inch container into the dough to cut circles. I was able to get at least 5 cups filled per stack.

4. Place the circles inside the muffin tin (overlapping is OK). Repeat process until all muffin cups are filled.

5. Put a rough teaspoon of feta cheese into the bottom of each cup.

6. Evenly distribute the mushroom and onion mixture into the cups. Use care not to disturb the phyllo layers if they are jagged and sticking up.

7. Top phyllo cups with one last rough teaspoon of feta cheese.

8. Measure half and half or milk into a liquid measure cup. Add the eggs and whisk until the ingredients are blended.

9. Pour egg mixture gently into each cup, filling them until they are 2/3 to ¾ full. Use care to keep the mixture from spilling over the sides. It is OK for small touches of the filling to be sticking out above the egg.

10. Grind a touch of pepper onto the top of each mini quiche.

11. Bake the quiches in the preheated oven for 20 -22 minutes, turning once halfway though.

The quiches can be served hot, room temperature, or cold.