Sybaritic Jewelry

I've always been a fan of quiche, and am endlessly peeved that it's a super-expensive dish whenever you can find it in a restaurant. It's also one of those things that you can never make enough of... a 9 inch pie will be dinner for two with no leftovers for breakfast tomorrow! (boooo!)
I have several recipes, but seldom follow them. Instead, I opt for a Alton-Brown-esque formula. It's a great way to vary the recipe, as well as the perfect vessel to use up any leftovers (and you can put in a LOT of leftovers in quiche... I've made one with rice and black beans. It was delicious.)

I've broken down the recipes: first the homemade (easy and cheap) crust, then the 'formula' and finally, the recipe for tonight's dinner.

Quiche crust:
1.5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 stick butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon cold water

Mix the ingredients using your hands, a fork, a pastry cutter or a food processor, following the biscuit method (flour + salt + sugar; then cut in butter; then add egg + water). If the dough is flaky it's too dry, add a little water. Turn out on a clean surface and knead briefly. Chill for one hour. Roll out and place on a 9 inch pie pan. This crust can be pre-baked, or kept raw until the quiche filling is added.

Quiche "formula":
1 9 inch pie crust (pre-made or from scratch)
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, pepperjack)
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
Customize:
a vegetable (I often use one 8oz package of frozen spinach, but you can also use broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes... whatever you want), cut into small pieces
a meat (this will probably be a leftover... often found in my fridge: lemon pepper chicken, spicy fajitas, barbecue pork loin, ground turkey for burritos...), cut into small pieces. In case of emergency, grab a couple of slices of deli meat.

Make sure your crust is thawed (if frozen). Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients (yes, very scientific). Pour into the crust, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce to 325 and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Can be eaten hot or cold (if you have the patience).

Tonight's dinner: Spinach-chicken-bacon quiche:
Recipe stated as above. Tonight I used:
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
7 oz of chopped spinach (thawed and drained, left over from making Southwestern Eggrolls)
1/2 cup of diced chicken (also left over from another recipe)
2 tablespoons of cooked bacon (I use store bought) <--- freebie... everything's better with bacon!