The Pioneer Woman (otherwise known as Ree Drummond) does a great job with hearty, stick-to-your-ribs food that’s also comforting at its core and this Cowboy Quiche is no different. Chock-full of tender caramelized onions, smoky bacon, and cheddar cheese, it’s definitely a quiche, but it’s a quiche that isn’t just light lunch fare… it’s hearty enough that’ll keep you full whether you’re out on the range or serving a brunch for friends.
This isn’t a complicated quiche by any means, but as you might already know, caramelized onions take patience (but not a ton of skill). Getting them golden brown and sweet will take at least fifteen minutes in a skillet, but don’t rush that step – the sweet, rich flavor of caramelized onions is what makes this quiche so unique.
And there’s a fair amount of onions here. Two whole yellow onions, to be exact. But that’s not all. There’s also plenty of smoky bacon and cheddar cheese, which feels more ‘cowboy-esque’ than the Swiss or Gruyere you might see in most traditional French quiches.
The bacon and the onions are the only things you need to cook – your oven will do the rest of the work for you. Arrange those two and the cheddar in your pie shell and then whisk together eight eggs (yes, eight!), some cream, salt, and pepper and pour it into the crust.
I wouldn’t say this is a particularly manly quiche, but thanks to the plenitude of sweet onions, the smoky bacon, and sharp cheddar, it’s pretty rich and certainly very filling. As with most quiche, it works well for feeding a crowd or a week’s worth of breakfasts (or lunches), but this is one that has staying power. You don’t need a salad or a bunch of other stuff to go with it, it’s a hearty enough meal all on its own.
The Pioneer Woman’s Cowboy Quiche
Yield(s): Serves 9 | 30 m prep time | 1 h cook time
Ingredients
1 unbaked pie crust
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
8 slices bacon
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream or half and half
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
