Celebrating Mother’s Day for the first time as a mom is kinda surreal. OK, VERY surreal. It hasn’t quite hit me yet that I’m included in the mom crowd this year. It makes my heart overflow and my eyes teary. Like, whoa. I. AM. A. MOM. What?! I’m still coming to grips with this fact despite my boy being seven months old!
I am actually hosting a family brunch this Sunday to celebrate. I had some resistance from family members, with some saying I should be relaxing on my first Mother’s Day, but cooking is my thang. There’s nothing I’d rather be doing…especially when family is involved. I’m making all sorts of yummy things, and I can’t wait to celebrate with my mom, mother-in-law, and sweet baby boy. I know it’s so cliche to say, but I can’t remember what life was like before this little guy entered our lives. He’s such a gift. The only gift I need (I KNOW. I am totally that person now.). All I want is to spend the day with my family, snuggling this little boy and kissing his chubby cheeks.
And eat lots of food. BRUNCH food, to be exact.
On the menu will be fun, brunch-y foods like this lemon chiffon with berries, peach bellinis, mimosas, egg and bacon strata, deviled eggs, watermelon and feta salad skewers, and cinnamon-sugar pull apart bread. Oh, and these adorable little quiches. Quiche is such an awesome brunch food. Heck, I’d eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. It’s good hot, warm, chilled, or room temperature. Chilled may actually be my favorite way to eat it. Especially when bacon and caramelized onions are involved. Two of my most favorite things on this earth.
And because it’s a special occasion, why not take the extra step and make them mini!? They’re so cute, and everyone gets their own. I have said this many times before, but mini foods are just more fun. You could, of course, make this in a regular tart pan and just slice and serve it like a normal person…but I have to make things more complicated. Of course.
Really, though? It’s not that much more complicated. It just involves rolling out the dough like you would for a normal-sized tart pan and cutting six mini circles out of it. No biggie. All the other steps are exactly the same. The extra effort is definitely worth it. People will be impressed! They usually are when it comes to quiche, which is funny because it’s really easy to do.
I think it’s one of those foods a lot of people haven’t tackled before. Anything with pie/tart dough can be intimidating. I get it. If you’re not into making your own dough, or if you don’t have the time, just buy some pre-made dough! No one will know the difference. I’ve done it many times before. There are some really good pre-made ones out there now.
Either way, it’s all about the filling when it comes to tarts/quiches, anyway. And this filling has got it goin’ oooonnnnn.
Sweet caramelized onions, salty bacon, nutty gruyere cheese, a hint of nutmeg, fresh thyme, and a creamy egg custard to boot. It’s pretty much guaranteed that it’s going to be delicious.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. Savor every second (and bite!). I know I will be.
Mini Quiches with Caramelized Onions, Gruyere, & Bacon
- Yield: 6 mini tarts 1x
Ingredients
- Tart dough or storebought pie crust (I used this recipe)
- 6 strips bacon, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Roll the chilled dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Using your mini tart pans as a guide, cut out circles from the dough with a sharp knife. Carefully press the dough into the tart pans and poke the bottom with holes. Transfer the tart pans to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, crisp the bacon in a large skillet and then remove and set aside. To the drippings, add the butter and the onions and cook over medium heat until the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low and add in the thyme. Season with salt and pepper and partially cover the pan. Cook, stirring every now and then, until the onions are golden and caramelized. Allow to cool and then divide the onions over the par-baked tart shells. You want an even layer of onions in each one. Top with the crisped bacon.
- Grate the cheese and divide that among the tart shells. Finally, whisk together the eggs and cream, season with a little nutmeg and very lightly with salt and pepper (the other ingredients have plenty of seasoning). Pour the mixture over the onions, bacon, and cheese in each tart shell. You want the ingredients to be just submerged in the custard.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the egg custard is set and the quiches are golden brown on top. Allow to cool before serving.
Hi There. I'm Molly. I'm a food-obsessed, self-taught cook and I can't wait to share my passion for all things culinary with you. My love for egg yolks is just the tip of the iceberg!
These mini quiches are totally adorable… almost as adorable as your baby boy (those cheeks!!! Soooo cute!). Hope you have a wonderful first Mother’s Day! And thanks for sharing a great brunch recipe that I can’t wait to try! Cheers!♡
Hmm this look delicious, thanks for posting up this recipe, looks quite simple to make.
Simon