I’m an egg lover. Not in a red wine and dark chocolate kind of way, but still. I’m particularly fond of quiche when hosting a group, for obvious reasons. It’s less labor intensive and more friendly to everyone eating at once, opposed to some person standing over the stove churning out omelettes while everyone else eats.

Quiche was one of the first things I felt confident making when I started to love my time in the kitchen many years ago. I’ve tweaked this recipe over time, and this final version is a crowd pleaser. I’d like to say I always make my crust from scratch, but that’s not true. I love when I do, but sometimes I have one kid asking me to define a word from his 500-page book (and I have no idea), and the other kid who was just coloring and is now standing on the windowsill holding my coffee. For those times, pre-made crust works just fine. You could also eliminate the crust and go for a frittata instead.

If you dance while making this quiche, you will be a happier person and a more enthusiastic host. Fact.

kale-red pepper-mushroom quiche
1 – 2 tsp butter
1 large shallot
1/2 c, heaping, red pepper
8 baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c, heaping, finely chopped curly kale
4 eggs
1/2 c half and half
1 TBSP flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
large pinch nutmeg
couple grinds of pepper
1 c. freshly grated baby swiss
1 tsp fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt 1 – 2 tsp butter over med heat. Saute shallots and red pepper for a minute, then add mushrooms. Saute for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms start to release juices and soften. Add kale and cook for another 30 seconds to one minute.

Mix eggs, half and half, sifted flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper in bowl until combined. Add vegetable mix and freshly grated baby swiss and mix. Pour into prepared crust. Top with a tsp of fresh thyme. Cook at 375 for 35 min. Dance again.