When it comes to holiday baking, I always look for a recipe that feels as festive as it tastes, and these Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti hit the mark. They’re sweet, lightly crunchy, and packed with buttery green pistachios and tart red cranberries. …
When it comes to holiday baking, I always look for a recipe that feels as festive as it tastes, and these Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti hit the mark. They’re sweet, lightly crunchy, and packed with buttery green pistachios and tart red cranberries. And let’s not forget the pièce de résistance - the optional chocolate dip (though,...
This article was written and published by Oh My Veggies. It may not be reproduce or republished without permission of the author. The original article can be found here: Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti.
If you’re looking for a hearty fall or winter meal that’ll fill up everyone’s bellies, look no further than this easy Pot Roast recipe. While beef is expensive no matter which way you slice it (literally), this juicy, tender Pot Roast can be stretched further thanks to an abundance of potatoes, carrots, and onions. Everything is cooked in a Dutch oven, and the meat is melt-in-your-mouth soft with a flavorful, herby gravy. There’s no need to make a side dish if you don’t want to; this is already one big, hearty, full meal!
I recipe-tested pot roast multiple times in the Budget Bytes kitchen to make sure you don’t waste your dollars on a subpar meal—this recipe is IT.
To keep this recipe under $3 per serving, I compared the prices of roasts at Walmart and Kroger. I found Walmart has the best prices and weight selection, so it pays to do a little price comparison before heading to the store! I knew lots of vegetables would be key for feeding 8 people, but this 2.6 lb chuck roast was the winner in terms of portion size for the meat. If you want more meat and fewer veggies, you’ll have to spend a little more money, but I can tell you these flavors will not disappoint! (My husband was an overjoyed taste tester during this recipe testing process!)
What is Pot Roast?
A pot roast is a hearty, flavorful dish where large (typically tough) cuts of beef are slow-cooked in a pot with a liquid and vegetables until tender. This cooking method is also known as “braising.” Most recipes call for red wine, but I found substituting red wine for balsamic vinegar sent the flavor of this oh-so-moist roast over the top. A Dutch oven is my cooking vessel of choice, and I flavor the broth with beef bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, garlic, and fresh herbs. It’s everything you could ever want in a comforting pot roast but made in a more budget-friendly way.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the best pot roast recipe ever:
Boneless Beef Chuck Roast: The best meat for pot roast! It’s usually more affordable than other cuts, and when cooked low and slow, it becomes perfectly tender. I recommend shopping for a roast between 2.5 lbs and 3 lbs, depending on how many people you’re feeding. Choose one with some marbling (white flecks of fat throughout) for the best flavor.
Salt: I rub the roast with a generous amount of salt and let it sit for 15-20 minutes before searing. This helps tenderize the meat and creates a nice crust.
Beef Bouillon: Adds a rich beef flavor to the broth.
Water: Combines with the bouillon to create a flavorful broth for cooking the roast.
Olive Oil: For sauteing and adding color to the veggies.
Vegetables: Onion, carrots, and mini potatoes bulk up this dish and add extra flavor. Slice the carrot and onions into large chunks and keep the mini potatoes whole so they cook evenly without getting too soft.
Balsamic Vinegar: A cheaper alternative to red wine for adding depth of flavor.
Worcestershire Sauce: Adds a savory, tangy kick.
Tomato Paste: Adds richness and helps thicken the broth.
Fresh Rosemary & Thyme: Use whole sprigs of fresh herbs to infuse the homemade broth with amazing flavor.
Garlic: Smash the cloves with the side of a knife or the bottom of a cup before adding them to the Dutch oven. Doing this adds a subtle garlic flavor that’s a bit sweeter than mincing, which would be overpowering.
How to Make Pot Roast Gravy
This is completely optional, but making gravy from the pan drippings is easy and ensures those extra bits of flavor don’t go to waste. Here’s how to do it:
Once your roast is cooked, remove some liquid from the Dutch oven and add it to a saucepan.
Heat over medium heat and whisk in a teaspoon of flour at a time.
Keep whisking and adding flour until desired thickness is reached.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Tips and Suggestions
The cooking time in this recipe is perfect for chuck roasts between 2.5 lbs and 3 lbs. If your meat still seems tough or you use a larger cut of meat, add an extra 30 minutes of cooking time and check for tenderness. The meat should easily shred with a fork when it’s done.
Don’t forget to sear the meat and saute the veggies before slow cooking. This simple step adds so much flavor to the final dish!
I like using a Dutch oven because it distributes heat evenly and helps retain moisture, creating a tender roast. You can try using a crock pot (I know many people swear by them!) and cooking on low for about 7-8 hours or high at 4-5 hours, but I haven’t tested this method, so I can’t guarantee the same results. You’d still need to sear the meat and saute the veggies before transferring everything to the crock pot.
Let your pot roast cool completely before storing. Keep it in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. Reheat everything in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through. Add a splash of beef broth or water if the gravy thickens too much or the meat looks dry.
2large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks$0.18
1large yellow onion, peeled and quartered$0.86
1sprigfresh rosemary$0.29
2-3sprigsof fresh thyme$0.05
5cloves garlic, smashed, but kept whole$0.10
1bag mini potatoes (about 1lb – 1.5 lbs depending on the size of your roasting dish)$3.54
Instructions
Rub boneless beef chuck roast on all sides with the salt. Then, let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
In a small saucepan, whisk together beef bouillon, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and water. Bring it to a gentle simmer. (We are purposely making the beef broth more concentrated for this recipe.) Keep it warm on the stovetop while you prepare the meat and veggies.
Drizzle olive oil in your dutch oven/roasting vessel of choice and heat on medium high on your largest stovetop burner. Once hot, add carrots and onions. Stir the carrots around every couple of minutes and sear the onion on all sides for approximately 8 minutes total. You want to see some color on those veggies! Remove vegetables from roasting pan and set aside.
To the hot dutch oven, add the salted beef and sear on each side for 4 minutes. You want to see a little color and caramelization of the fat when you flip it. No need to add more oil, the fat from the roast is enough!
Next, add the seared carrots and onions, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, smashed garlic, and potatoes on top of the seared chuck roast and pour the beef bouillon mixture over the top.
Put the lid on your dutch oven and slow cook the roast in the oven for 3 hours.
Rub 1 boneless beef chuck roast on all sides with 2 tsp of salt. Then, let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
In a small saucepan, whisk together 3 tsp beef bouillon, ½ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, and 2 cups water. Bring it to a gentle simmer. (We are purposely making the beef broth more concentrated for this recipe.) Keep it warm on the stovetop while you prepare the meat and veggies.
Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil in your dutch oven/roasting vessel of choice and heat on medium high on your largest stovetop burner. Once hot, add 2 diced carrots and 1 quartered onion. Stir the carrots around every couple of minutes and sear the onion on all sides for approximately 8 minutes total. You want to see some color on those veggies! Remove vegetables from roasting pan and set aside.
To the hot dutch oven, add the salted beef and sear on each side for 4 minutes. You want to see a little color and caramelization of the fat when you flip it. No need to add more oil, the fat from the roast is enough!
Next, add the seared carrots and onions, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, 5 cloves smashed garlic, and 1 bag of mini potatoes (1lb-1.5lbs) on top of the seared chuck roast and pour the beef bouillon mixture over the top.
Put the lid on your dutch oven and slow cook the roast in the oven for 3 hours.
This Dutch oven pot roast recipe is perfect for a cozy, comforting Sunday dinner or special occasion!
Pozole has always been one of my favorite soups. It’s a Mexican soup made with tender pork, hominy, and a rich red chili broth. When I can tear myself away from tacos long enough, it’s my go-to order at an authentic Mexican restaurant. I’ve NEVER been able to replicate this soup at home; it’s always…
Pozole has always been one of my favorite soups. It’s a Mexican soup made with tender pork, hominy, and a rich red chili broth. When I can tear myself away from tacos long enough, it’s my go-to order at an authentic Mexican restaurant. I’ve NEVER been able to replicate this soup at home; it’s always missing some major umph. My sister Laura, who lives deep in the heart of Texas, did a ton of research, consulted Mexican friends and old family recipes, and has come up with a super authentic and truly extraordinary pozole, perfect for Christmas or a special occasion!
Last week, I went to pick Charlotte and Truman up from their mountain biking class that I signed them up for a couple weeks ago. My kids are not experienced bikers. This is pretty out of our comfort zone, mine included (have YOU ever strapped heavy bikes onto a bike rack and driven on the freeway?? terrifying) but now they go out twice a week on the trail, and they are learning a ton!
At pick up, Truman’s coach makes a beeline for me and says, with a serious look on his face, “Ma’am, are you Truman’s mom?” Yes, I said. “Well, today, he fell off—”
Truman comes racing up, huge smile on his face, bounding around like a puppy, tail practically wagging— “Mom, I fell off a BRIDGE!”
😳 I’m sorry, WHAT now???
The coach follows up (as somber as possible), yes he did indeed fall off a bridge, but it was like, a tiny bridge, and it was a slow fall, and the brambles really helped buffer it all, and he actually did a great job falling the right way (??) and oh yeah you’re going to need a new bike because the handlebars are permanently bent out of shape now.
I was in a bit of a daze but I couldn’t see any signs of a concussion, and Truman certainly didn’t seem upset. Quite the opposite actually, so we went on our merry way. gaahhhh!!
I am getting exactly what I wanted, though, honestly. I’m obsessed with the Anxious Generation book that you’ve hopefully heard about by now, by Jonathon Haidt, all about how the rising generation is overly anxious, because they lack experience. (Instead they are on screens all day.)
Experiences like mountain biking — a little thrill, a little danger, outside in nature, with people — is exactly what they need. Especially during puberty when their brains are so plastic, and are rewiring for adulthood. (Remember “demo day” on Inside Out 2? 🤣) Highly recommend this book! Soon YOU TOO can have your children falling off of bridges in the name of experience!
What is pozole?
Okay, now we get to talk about THEE most amazing soup of all time. Seriously, this soup is now up there with the greats for our family, the greats including the likes of Beef Barley Soup and Creamy Turkey Wild Rice Soup. My 7-year-old ate nothing else for meals until this Pozole was gone.
Pozole is a simple soup, at it’s heart, but it’s just so different than the soups I’m used to (thanks mostly to the hominy, more on that later.)
It’s a brothy soup with slow-cooked super-tender pork, said hominy, and a rich red chili sauce mixed in to make it slightly creamy. The toppings are where a lot of the interest is for this soup, fresh and crunchy cabbage, a squeeze of lime, razor-thin radish slices, a dollop of cream. It’s got incredible flavor from the dried chilies we are adding. You are not used to flavor like this. It’s so different and so good.
It’s a labor of love, for sure. This is a special occasion soup, Mexicans often make it at Christmas time, kind of like how Americans only make turkey once a year. That’s why Laura didn’t try to make this a “cheater” recipe or take any shortcuts. It’s meant to be slowly, lovingly simmered, and hopefully made when family is around, so you can share the labor of deseeding the dried chilies, or slicing the veggies for the toppings.
There are SO many regional variations of pozole, but the basis for every pozole is hominy.
What’s hominy?
Hominy is made by drying out corn (maize), then cooking the dried kernels in an alkaline solution (usually water and lime) til soft. It’s the same process they use to make delicious, lime-y corn tortillas, I talked about this on my recent Cornbread Layer Cake post (because we use masa harina in that cake, bringing in that flavor.) If you’re a food nerd like me, definitely read this article about the nixtamalization process. So cool!
What makes pozole so good?
Since you may never have tried this soup, I’m going to break it down for you…this soup is 100% worth the time and effort.
pork shoulder simmered low and slow to get the most tender bites
soft and chewy, and definitely NOT soggy hominy
super rich, flavorful red chile flavored pork broth
ALLLLLLL the toppings: squeezed lime, thinly sliced cabbage and radish, cilantro, sour cream.
Pozole Rojo vs Pozole verde
To make this soup Pozole Rojo (RED), a blended dried red chile sauce is added to the broth, and to make it Pozole Verde (GREEN) a fresh, green blended chile sauce is added. Today’s soup is red, it’s a little more common.
Pozole has really deep roots going all the way back to Pre-Hispanic Mexico. A version of this soup has been made since the time of the Aztecs, isn’t that so cool?! So much tradition. Most historians say this was initially a special soup made at times of rituals and important events. And it still is! Many Mexicans and Mexican Americans make Pozole for certain festivals or holidays like Christmas, New Years, and Mexican Independence Day.
Pozole recipe ingredients
This list looks long, but I’ve broken it down for you so you can see all the parts. The soup itself is basically just a flavorful broth with some pork and hominy. This recipe is ALL about the toppings, just like my Chicken Enchilada Soup. This soup looks a little intimidating, but I promise it’s not hard. Just needs a lil TLC.
Okay, don’t freak out, but I’m going to show you a lot of pictures of raw meat 😂 The reason I include process photos on my blog posts is to make the “hard” stuff seem more doable. We have to get ourselves some chopped pork butt, and some pork bones, separate from each other.
The simplest solution is to buy a 3-4 pound bone-in pork butt. IF YOU CAN, haul it right over to the butcher at the store and ask them to debone it for you and chop the meat into 2-inch chunks. But if you can’t find a butcher to do it, it’s really not that hard. And I want to emphasize, it’s doesn’t have to be perfect. We are not cutting up uniform steaks; it’s all being thrown into a soup.
Here we go:
Here’s the bone that we need to get out.
Place the knife on top of this flat side of the bone, and cut all the way through to release this top flap of meat.
Now move to this curvy part. Use a smaller knife for this part, my chef’s knife was cumbersomely wide.
Maneuver the meat around however it’s comfortable. It’s coming along:
Once you have the bone completely out, cut off any large caps of fat.
Cut the meat into 2 inch cubes.
And save that bone, of course. Now it’s time to get cooking!
Sear the pieces of pork with lots of space in between, so they can brown instead of steaming each other.
Sear the bone, too, if there is a lot of meat on it. When you’re done, add all the meat and bone back into the pot.
Add in the onion, garlic, bay leaves, chicken bouillon base, cumin. Then add 10 cups of water too, and bring to a boil.
As the pork broth boils, these protein bits (called scum, ew) will float to the top. Every 30 minutes or so as the soup simmers, come back and remove as much of this as you can. I like to line a bowl with heavy foil and scoop it into that (then I chill it and discard it later).
Pozole is meant to have a “clear broth,” meaning it’s just liquid, no floating onions or scum or anything. It’s an annoying process to strain a hot soup, so I like to use this spooning-off-the-top method to remove as much as I can, then call it good. If you had a particularly fatty cut of pork, it can release an unappetizing amount of scum, so follow the instructions in the notes for straining the broth if you want.
While the broth simmers, you’ve got lots of time to make the chili sauce. This is the fun part!
Use a knife to chop the dried chile in half, and remove all the seeds with your hands. These black ones are ancho chilies. They are not the MOST traditional chile to use in pozole, but I’m obsessed with the flavor.
This red one is a guajillo, a classic chile used in pozole. I’m showing here how I pulled an inner vein out of the chile, we don’t need that.
Place all the chile flesh in a pan with some oil and toast it a bit:
Add in the onion and garlic. Then cover with water and simmer 20 minutes, until the water is reduced.
Pour the whole thing into a blender and puree it up.
Use a strainer to add it back into the pan on the stove. Then cook the chili sauce on the stove for another 10 minutes or so, so it gets nice and toasty.
Once your broth is as clear as you want it (see recipe notes for straining instructions if the scum is killing you), add the chili sauce to the soup, and a little cap of vinegar too, for the perfect acidic bite. And next up is the hominy, look at these gorgeous corny guys:
After the hominy has been added, the soup cooks for another hour or two, until the pork is fall-apart tender, the hominy is tender-but-not-mushy, and your kitchen smells like heaven.
Don’t forget to add in all the veggie toppings! They totally MAKE this soup!!
Pozole toppings and sides
The toppings for pozole are just as important as the soup! Similar to Ramen, the toppings are half of the experience. I recommend trying all the toppings at least once, they take the soup from delicious to OMG. Pick and choose or add to this list to make it your own. Laura’s friend Karla from Aguas Calientes in Mexico (Hi Karla!), who helped her with so much advice for this recipe, confided that she always eats hers with “lechuguita” (shredded iceberg lettuce) because she doesn’t like the taste of the more traditional cabbage!!
lime, cut into wedges
shredded cabbage
radishes, very thinly sliced
white onion, finely diced
cilantro, chopped
tostadas, or tortilla chips
sliced avocado, optional
sliced jalapenos or red pepper flakes, optional
Pozole tips
Pozole rojo is a very common soup in Mexico, and so many people have their own versions of it. Think of it kind of like a chicken noodle soup here in the states. The basics are the same, but there are about as many versions of the soup as there are people making it. Pozole is like that!
Don’t be afraid to play around with it and find the version you like best! You can totally change up which dried chiles you use, the amount of meat, broth, or hominy you like, and how spicy you like it. Here are some general tips that can help you in your search for your best pozole!
Use extra bones to make a more flavorful broth. The shoulder bone from your bone-in pork shoulder, pork neck bones, pig feet, etc.
I prefer canned Juanita’s Mexican Style hominy. It doesn’t get as soggy or mushy as other brands.
You can vary the liquid amount to your liking. Some people like it more like a stew, others like it better as a brothy soup. If you’re not sure, set aside some of the broth in the final cooking stage. You can add it back in to your liking!
The most “traditional” chile used in pozole is guajillo. You can choose to use only guajillo if you want to be ultra traditional. I prefer the flavor from a mix of chiles. I use guajillo for that famous red color, ancho for added depth and richness of flavor, and chile de arbol for a hint of spice!
If you want as little spice as possible, don’t use any chile de arbol at all. I use 3, which gives just a little punch of spicy.
Are you a spicy foods lover? Add in at least 6-10 dried chile de arbol, and you can even add 1-2 sliced jalapenos to the broth while you’re cooking to really amp it up. If it’s not where you like it after cooking, add red pepper flakes or fresh jalapeno slices to your bowl to your heart’s content.
How to store leftover pork pozole
Pozole stores very well in the refrigerator for up to a week. It must be stored separately from its toppings, of course. Wait for the soup to cool, then add it to a container with an airtight lid. It will do best in glass containers since the broth is quite red from the chiles, and the fat in the broth will stick to the side of whatever you put it in. If you do use plastic to store the soup, don’t reheat the container of soup in the microwave, it will for sure stain it. Instead, transfer the soup to a bowl. Once the plastic container is completely empty, use paper towels to wipe off all the red fatty residue until it looks clear again, then wash like normal.
To reheat a large amount of soup, transfer it to a pot and warm over a burner set to medium until it’s heated to your liking. I like to reheat individual bowls in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Use a microwave cover so it doesn’t splatter, and stir every minute. Take out any leftover toppings, or prepare more, and serve!
Can you freeze pozole soup?
Pozole freezes beautifully! Which is nice considering it makes a very large pot of soup. And unless you have a very large family, you WILL have a lot of leftovers. Once you’ve finished your meal, wait for the pozole to completely cool, then carefully ladle it into a ziplock freezer bag. Try to get as much air out of the bag as possible, and seal. You can put it straight into the freezer, where it will be good for about 3-4 months. The toppings that go with pozole (cabbage, radishes, lime, cilantro, onion) should not be frozen. The quality will not be the same, it’s definitely best to prepare those fresh when you serve again.
To use frozen pozole, put the bag in a bowl and leave it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Add it in a large pot on the stove over medium heat. Or, add the completely frozen block of soup into a slow cooker, put it on low, and let it heat over several hours. It should take about 15-20 minutes to heat on the stove, and 3-4 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low in the crockpot. While the pozole warms, prepare your toppings. Once the soup is hot, ladle it into bowls and serve with fresh toppings!
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between pozole and posole?
Nothing but the spelling! Pozole is the correct, or at least more common, spelling of the word in Spanish and what you will see for the most part in Mexico. Posole is just a variation of the original spelling. It’s not as common, and tends to be more frequent in the U.S. than in Mexico.
what is pozole made out of?
The soup is made by boiling harder cuts of pork and flavorings (like onion and garlic) for a long time in water to make a broth and tender bites of cooked pork. Once that part is finished, canned hominy (a corn product that removes the hull and germ and then is boiled), is added to the broth and cooked until tender. With no extra sauce, the soup is called a Pozole Blanco, or White Pozole. The more common versions add either a red blended chile sauce to make Pozole Rojo (Red), or a blended sauce of green chiles and tomatillos to make it Pozole Verde (Green).
is pozole healthy or unhealthy?
Heck yes it’s healthy! A brothy soup with some meat, corn, and a bunch of veggies as toppings? For sure. Obviously, everyone has their own opinion when it comes to what “healthy” means. If you decide to chow down 17 tostadas with your bowl of soup, then, you know. Maybe not so healthy. But I’m not here to judge your pozole process, ok, you do you.
why do mexicans eat pozole?
It’s tradition! Pozole predates the country of Mexico, going all the way back to the Aztecs. It’s been around for several centuries. Originally it was served to only the elite for special occasions. Over time, as access to meat grew, more and more people were able to make it and take part in the special dish. While it can be a normal weekday meal, it is still often served at special occasions even now, like on Christmas, New Year’s Day, birthdays, and more!
More delicious Mexican food to try
Mexican food is probably my all-time favorite food category. There is just SO much goodness to choose from! (as Jim knows 🤣) Here are some of my favorite recipes that I’ve gotten posted on the blog, there’s so much more to go!
Best Chicken Tacos Recipe (Stovetop or Crockpot) >> no plain, dry chicken swimming in salsa here. Instead, it’s the shredded chicken taco meat of your dreams. Check out the reviews on this one ⭐️
The Best Tres Leches Cake >> one of the most classic Mexican desserts, that would be SO GOOD after pozole!! match made in heaven
I am always down for a hearty soup on a chilly day. They fill you up, warm your bones, and generally tend to be good for you (not just for the soul). Here are some of my favorites!
Creamy Potato Soup >> I’ve never had a potato soup I’ve liked better than this one, TRUST
Crockpot Beef Barley Soup >> perhaps my most favorite soup ever, straight from my mother-in-law Kris!
Pozole has always been one of my favorite soups. It's a Mexican soup made with tender pork, hominy, and a rich red chili broth. When I can tear myself away from tacos long enough, it's my go-to order at an authentic Mexican restaurant. I've NEVER been able to replicate this soup at home; it's always missing some major umph. My sister Laura, who lives deep in the heart of Texas, did a ton of research, consulted Mexican friend's old family recipes, and has come up with a super authentic and truly extraordinary pozole, perfect for Christmas or a special occasion!
Start at the store. Find a 3-4 pound bone-in pork butt.* If you can't find a 3-4 pounder, an 8-11 pound pork butt is great; you can just halve it and freeze the rest for later.** Don't get boneless unless you're desperate. Take it over to the butcher at the grocery store you are at, and ask them to cut the bone out and save it for you. Ask them to chop the rest of the meat into 2 inch pieces. If you can't find a butcher to do it, follow this tutorial for how to debone the pork. (I'm no meat expert; as I was cutting I kept saying to myself "I'm butchering this" 🤣 don't stress out too much, it's going in soup.) It's ok if there is a decent amount of meat left on the bone. Cut off and discard any large strips of fat. Cut the pork into 2 inch pieces. Measure out about 2 and 1/2 pounds cubed pork butt, PLUS the extra weight of the bone. If there is any meat leftover, freeze it for another meal.*
Sear the pork. Heat a large stock pot or 6-quart dutch oven (your soup pot with the widest bottom is best) over medium high heat. Sprinkle 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt generously over the cubed pork pieces, on all sides. When the pot is hot, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and swirl to coat.
Use tongs to place pieces of pork in the oil, with about 1 inch of space in between. Don't crowd the meat, or it won't brown. Sear the pork pieces for about 1-2 minutes, then flip each piece to sear the other side. The meat will still be raw in the middle. Remove pork to a plate and set aside. Continue searing the meat, adding more oil as necessary, until it is all done. If you have a lot of meat on your bone, sear the bone meat as well.
Make the soup. Add all the meat and the bone back into the pot along with 10 cups of water. Roughly chop 1 large onion. Smash 10 cloves of garlic with the side of a chef's knife, then remove the peels. Add onion and garlic to the soup.
Add 3 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken base, 3 large bay leaves, 2 teaspoon cumin, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Go easy on the salt if you don't have kosher salt.
Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat, this can take 20-30 minutes. Once the soup is bubbling, turn the meat to low or medium low to maintain a low simmer. Simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours with the lid on. If you don't have bones in your soup, simmer for 2-3 hours total to bring in more flavor.
Remove foam. Every 30 minutes or so, remove the lid and use a large spoon to remove the congealed protein bits (scum) that will form on top of the soup. Any pools of fat should be removed also.***
Prepare the chiles. While your soup cooks, open your packages of chiles and pull out 6 ancho chiles, 8 guajillo chiles, and 3 chiles de arbol (or more if you like it really spicy). Use your fingers or a sharp knife to remove the stems, seeds, and any noticeable veins from all the chiles. We just want the colorful flesh. See photos. Sometimes the stems snap off easily. I used a serrated knife to slice each chile in half, then scraped the seeds out with my hands. The seeds are SUPER spicy, so don't leave them in. As you work, place the flesh of the chilies (no seeds; no stems) into a dry 12-inch skillet.
Prep the veggies you need to make the chili sauce: Smash and peel 2 cloves of garlic. Chop a quarter of a white onion and set it aside (save the rest of the onion for garnishing the soup later.)
Toast the chilies. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of oil over the chilies in the pan, and turn the heat up to medium high. Stir and flip the chilies until they become aromatic, this will only take a minute or two. Don't let them get too black and burned, keep turning them, and when you can smell them a lot, and there are signs of browning, remove the pan from the heat.
Add veggies to pan. Take the pan off the heat for a minute so it cools down a bit. Add the 2 whole cloves of garlic, a quarter of a white onion chopped. Stir the mixture around a bit and move the pan back onto the burner for a second, to toast the garlic slightly.
Add 4 cups water. Bring the water and chilies to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium to keep at a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the peppers, and stir or push with a spoon to keep the chiles under the water or move any that are slightly sticking out. They should be softening.
Make the chile sauce. After 20 minutes, the liquid in the chilies should have reduced quite a bit, to about 1 or 2 cups. Turn the burner off and let it cool down for a few minutes. Carefully transfer the whole mixture to a blender. I love my immersion blender, but there is not enough liquid here, so a regular blender is best.
Blend. Put the lid on the blender and process on the lowest speed, gradually turning the speed up to medium-high, and blend for about 60 seconds until the sauce looks smooth.
Strain the chili sauce. Pour the blended chilies through a small mesh strainer back into the pan you toasted them in, heat off. Use a spoon to really push the blended chili bits into the strainer to get all the sauce into the pan, put your back into it now. Trash the chile remains, and glory in your beautiful red chili sauce in the pan.
Add spices to chili sauce. Add 2 and 1/2 teaspoons oregano and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the chili sauce. Turn the burner on to medium high and bring it to a boil. Then turn the burner down to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. This brings out the toasty flavor, give it a sniff. Turn the burner off and set the pan aside til needed.
Back to the soup. Once the soup has cooked long enough that the pork is almost-tender, and the broth is flavorful (give it a taste!), make one final attempt to remove as much of the protein scum and grizzle from the top of the soup with a spoon.**** (See notes if your broth looks unappetizing at this point.)
Add 1 teaspoon white vinegar to the soup.
Add the chili sauce. Carefully pour the chili sauce from the pan right into the soup pot.
Add the hominy. Drain the hominy, don't add the liquid from the can. Add 4 cups hominy to the soup. This is slightly less than the hominy that comes in two (25 ounce) cans.
Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, turn down to medium low to keep it at a simmer. Cook at a simmer for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. If you like a thick pozole, more stew-like, leave the lid off so that some of the liquid evaporates. If you like a thinner broth, put the lid on, only removing it to stir occasionally.
Prepare your toppings. Just before you are ready to eat, prepare the toppings. Cut 2 limes into wedges. Place the 10-ounce package of thinly sliced cabbage into a serving bowl. Thinly (very thinly!) slice about 10 radishes. Finely dice the remainder of the white onion you used for the chili sauce. Chop up about 1 cup of cilantro. Slice 2 avocados, and squeeze on a bit of lime juice if there is a wait time.
Tostadas: Arrange the tostadas on a baking sheet. Right before serving put the tostadas under the broiler for about 2-3 minutes to warm them. (watch them carefully, they'll burn in the blink of an eye!)
Serve. Ladle pozole into large bowls, making sure to leave room for all the toppings. Let each person garnish their own bowl with tostada, lime, cabbage, radish, onion, cilantro, avocado, and Mexican crema. Devour!
Sides. This soup really is a whole meal in a bowl, but if you want some sides I think this cilantro lime cucumber salad or even a fruit salad would be great!
Notes
*2 and 1/2 pounds meat goes in this soup. You need 2 and 1/2 pounds pork butt for this recipe, plus the weight of the bone. Cut off and discard as much fat as you can. You need the bone, and you need a butt, and those are usually sold in about 4-11 pound packages, so you might have to buy more meat than you need. Save the remaining pork for the next time you make this, or use it to make Pork Ramen, another recipe that calls for about a half a pork butt.**Use other bones if you can’t find bone-in pork: If you can’t find a bone-in pork butt (a bone-in pork shoulder is a good substitute), buy a boneless pork butt/shoulder, and then find a butcher who will sell you some pig neck bones, or some pig feet, and add that in to the broth when you start. This will help bring the flavor we need for our broth; the meat alone is not going to cut it for this soup. Hopefully it’s not too hard to find a bone-in cut of meat. In the states it will be easier to find bone-in cut of pork than it will be to find pig feet. I’m just telling you what your options are! You can omit the bones entirely, but I would add another tablespoon of better than bouillon base, and reduce the salt called for in the soup to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.***Discarding fat. Remove the fat and scum to a bowl lined with aluminum foil. Don’t send it down the drain, it’s bad for your pipes. Stick it in the fridge when you’re done so that it solidifies, then throw it in the trash. ****Choose whether or not to strain your soup. After the pork has simmered a couple hours, and before adding the chili sauce, make an assessment of the broth based on your preferences. Are there a lot of protein bits at the top? Is there a lot of fat floating on the top? Do your best to skim this from the top with a spoon. But if you had a particularly fatty cut of pork, sometimes it’s not enough. Follow these steps:Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork to a plate. Using a liquid measuring cup, get 2-4 cups of broth at a time from the stockpot, and pour it through a mesh strainer into a fat separator. Pour the strained broth out of the fat separator into a large bowl. Discard the fat. Return all the strained broth to the soup pot, and return the pork to the pot. Continue with adding the chili sauce and follow the rest of the recipe. CHEATER POZOLE: Preparing the chile sauce is one of the most labor intensive parts of this soup, and if you are short on time, it seems like a simple solution would be to add a large can of enchilada sauce to your soup instead. I haven’t tried this! Let me know how it works out if you do it.
Quiche is not a breakfast casserole baked in a pie shell, oh no. It is a creamy concoction that is more custard like, with plenty of cheese and add-ins. This is my favorite basic spinach quiche recipe because it is easy, incredibly flavorful, and hello, bacon. I will show you step-by-step how to make quiche…
Quiche is not a breakfast casserole baked in a pie shell, oh no. It is a creamy concoction that is more custard like, with plenty of cheese and add-ins. This is my favorite basic spinach quiche recipe because it is easy, incredibly flavorful, and hello, bacon. I will show you step-by-step how to make quiche for the perfect brunch or dinner! Originally published January 8, 2022.
So, did your flight get cancelled over Christmas?? We had tickets to Montana to spend the holidays with Eric’s family. It’s a two-day drive and we have four kids, so if you do the math, it comes out to about 5,000 snack requests, 1,200 emergency bathroom stops, and at least 400 are-we-there-yets. I’m actively trying not to murder my children most days, so that’s why we bought plane tickets.
BUT THEN. On the morning of the flight, when we literally were packing into the car to leave for the airport, we get notified that the flight has been delayed so much that we would miss our connecting flight. Whaaat no!! The next flight would have us leaving our house at 2am, and since we are not insane, we just decided to jump in the car and start driving.
And we made it… eventually! Whew. Two days there, two days back, and all my children survived, so I’m calling it a win. It got down to -25 degrees up there in the frozen north. I went out of the house approximately 3 times. Montana, man. Not for the faint of heart.
Quiche
We had such a nice time celebrating the holidays, I hope you did too! I intended to get this recipe out to you guys before Christmas so that you could make it for the big day, but alas, I was too busy making a thousand cookies and enjoying a much needed break.
Spinach and Bacon Quiche Recipe
But you guys seriously need to start gathering the ingredients for this quiche RIGHT AWAY. No occasion necessary, you can make it for dinner tonight. I’m in love with this breakfast, or breakfast for dinner! A flaky, decadent homemade crust, plus three kinds of cheese (Cheddar! Swiss! Gruyere!), BACON of course, and spinach to make it healthy. Healthy I say! Okay maybe don’t quote me on that, there is a lot of cream in this recipe. Necessary for quiche!! Read on!
What is Quiche?
At its most basic, quiche is a mixture of cream and eggs, poured into a pie crust, and baked until it is custardy and golden. It is NOT an egg casserole, which is much heavier on the eggs (more on that below). Quiche has almost double the amount of dairy (cream and/or milk) to eggs. A proper quiche should have 1/2 cup dairy for every large egg. A large egg has about 1/4 cup of liquid in is, so that is double. This results in an irresistibly smooth, custardy texture. GIMME ALL THE CREAM.
What to put in it? Basically anything you want! Quiche is just a set of ingredients of your choosing, mixed with more cream than eggs, and cooked in a pie crust. Pretty simple! I wanted to create a MASTER quiche recipe, that you can literally add any ingredients to, and that’s what today’s recipe is. Go wild!!
Easy Quiche Recipe ingredients
Here’s everything you’re going to need to make the best quiche ever! If you keep the egg, milk, and cream amounts the same, you can literally change out any other ingredient on this list. Change up the spices, add ham instead of bacon, use any cheese you fancy.
Absolutely! Just make sure you thaw it out and drain it. This means you have to pick it up and squeeze the water out once it’s thawed. I have vivid childhood memories of my mom squeezing vomitous masses of spinach into the sink for her quiches. Apparently, I haven’t gotten over it?? You can decide what sounds easier: wilting fresh spinach in a bit of bacon grease, or squeezing out frozen spinach.
Bacon Quiche filling ideas
Today’s recipe is designed to be a basic master recipe that you can mix and match to your hearts content. I went with bacon, spinach, and cheese, but you can swap these however you like. Here are some other ideas for what to fill your quiche with! It’s a great clean-out-the-fridge meal, you can use whatever veggies you have.
You need 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups total filling(veggies + proteins), in addition to about 1 and 1/2 cups cheese.
We’re going to start by preparing the crust! If you’re ready to go next level on this quiche, definitely make your own crust. If not, store bought will do ya. (I’ve heard the Trader Joe’s crusts are pretty good!)
Make sure you tuck those edges under and mold the crust like play-dough to make sure they don’t end up all crackly when you bake. Use your fingers to smooth it out before you start crimping. See my Flaky Pie Crust tutorial for a bazillion more photos.
My non-blind baked crust turned out crispy and golden just as it should. You need to do a few things:
Freeze your pie crust for 30-60 minutes to help it keep its shape and not slump down when you bake the quiche
Use a generous amount of filling to help keep the pie crust up (see notes for a scaled-down version of this recipe)
Bake on the bottom of the oven to help get the bottom of the crust nice and toasty
Use a pie shield so you don’t burn the edges of your crust.
Proof that an unbaked pie shell browns in the oven just fine when done right :)
Once your pie crust is in the freezer chilling out, it’s time to make the filling!
We’re starting out with God’s greatest gift to the breakfast kingdom, bacon. And why chop when you can snip? Does anyone else use scissors for this or am I just a freak? Set your bacon aside onto some paper towels, and drain off most of the bacon grease. Leave a little in the pan so that we can saute our spinach in it.
You’re going to need about 2 cups of packed fresh spinach, make sure you punch it down in there! You need 2 cups because it’s going to cook down a ton when you wilt it. Spinach is mostly water, and we need to cook some of it off before adding it to our quiche. Say yes to flavor and vitamins, say no to watery quiche.
Once the spinach is wilted, set it aside and get to work on your cheese.
For today’s quiche, I used shredded Gruyere, Cheddar, and Swiss. You can use literally any combination of cheese that you like. Sky is the limit here. Mozzarella, Colby, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda, Goat cheese, Fontina…pretty much anything that melts well is going to be a winner for your quiche.
Why am I making you separate 2 of the eggs? It’s because I love you. Adding extra egg yolks and leaving out those whites makes the quiche extra creamy and custard like. See? If custard isn’t love, I don’t know what is.
The amount of eggs and dairy called for in this recipe is for a DEEP pie dish. I like having a thick and tall quiche. See notes for a scaled down recipe if you don’t have a deep pie pan (2 inches deep). You can see from the photos that I shot two different quiches. In the deep crust version, the egg filling goes right to the top of the edge of the pie crust, and that’s what most of the pictures show. Scroll down to the last quiche photo before the recipe, and you can see the scaled down version of this quiche, that has more crust exposed.
Okay now it’s time to assemble! First up, a layer of cheese, I did Swiss first. Then pile on all your bacon.
Top with a layer of cheddar and then all the spinach. Make sure you drain out any liquid that might have settled from the spinach. Say no to spinach juice.
Once you’ve added all your desired fillings, top it off with your last bit of cheese (in this case Gruyere), and then the fun part, dump the cream and egg filling over the top. See how thick and creamy it is? YUM.
And there she is all ready for the oven!
About 15 minutes into the bake time, you’re going to want to cover the edges of the crust with foil. You can see in that first photo that the crust is lightly browned (and bubbling away, from all the butter). We still have a good 40 minutes to bake, and we don’t want our crust to burn.
I’ve tried the fancy pie crust covers that you can buy, but I always go back to foil. It’s light enough that it won’t crush or push down on your crust, and it’s cheap and easy to make. Plus it makes your pie look like it’s going to outer space. I mean right??
How long to cook quiche
It’s important to bake at a higher temperature for the first few minutes to brown the crust and make it super flaky. But we don’t want to burn the crust and overcook the filling (say no to rubbery eggs), so after a 15 minute blast at high heat, lower the temperature and cook for another 35-45 minutes until it’s golden brown on top. The center should still be slightly wobbly. Not too sloshy, not too stiff. We’re looking for that perfect soft-set custard to get the best creamy texture.
Tips for this Easy Quiche
Just as with any classic recipe, there are lots of ways to make a good quiche. But here are some basics to keep in mind:
Use the proper ratio of eggs to cream (or milk. But really you should use cream, because you’re worth it. The ratio of your quiche should be about 1/2 cup of dairy for every large egg.)
Dry out your fillings (cook your veggies first)
Bake on the bottom rack to help brown the crust
Don’t over bake!!! We want dreamy, creamy quiche! Not dried out eggs!
What to serve with this Bacon Quiche Recipe
Quiche is a very hearty and rich meal (okay fine, you can slash what I said up there about it being healthy ;)
An assorted fruit tray or fruit salad would also make a nice, light side. For something a touch more fancy, you can never go wrong with Ambrosia Salad or Creamy Pear Jello!
If you’re looking for something more hearty, you could make some quick and easy Tomato Soup, or try out some easy Roasted Red Potatoes. Check out all my Side Dishes for more veggie ideas!
How to store Bacon Quiche
This quiche keeps very well in the fridge for 3-4 days; just make sure it’s covered tightly with plastic wrap. And don’t even think about leaving it out on the counter. It may look like a pie, but all those eggs and bacon aren’t going to stay fresh at room temperature.
Can you freeze quiche?
Absolutely! Wait until the quiche is completely cooled, then wrap well in a few layers of plastic wrap and then foil. Even better if you can fit the entire dish into a 2 gallon freezer bag, I love those things.
Quiche will last in the freezer for about 2-3 months. To reheat, take the dish out of the freezer, remove the foil, remove the plastic wrap, and then tightly put the foil back on to avoid moisture loss. Put in a 350 degree oven and bake for about 30-40 minutes until warmed through.
One thing to keep in mind with freezing quiche is the add-ins you used. The more vegetables you have, the more moisture content in your quiche, and it is possible that when you reheat the quiche it may get a bit watery. If you know ahead of time you plan to freeze, I suggest you avoid lots of vegetables and stick to the more basic cream, egg, and bacon quiche.
How to reheat this Bacon Quiche Recipe
The best way to reheat quiche is in the oven, especially if you’re warming the entire dish. Simply pop the pan (covered tightly with foil) in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. If you want to reheat just one slice, a toaster oven works great. It should be done in about 5 minutes, but keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
You can reheat quiche in the microwave, but be careful not to overcook the eggs and make them rubbery. We want to keep that smooth, creamy texture. The safest bet is to start with one minute at 50% power, then keep adding 30-60 seconds at 50% power until it is warmed through to the temperature you like it.
Best Quiche Recipe FAQs
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream for quiche?
Yes, though I don’t necessarily recommend it. Quiche is a rich, over-the-top breakfast pie. It’s not health food. While you can substitute whole milk for heavy cream, it won’t be quite the same. If you’re looking for a lighter (but still totally delicious) egg-based breakfast, I recommend trying this Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Frittata.
Should spinach be cooked before adding to quiche?
In this quiche recipe, I wilt the spinach over medium heat before adding it. Other quiche recipes put in chopped spinach but don’t wilt it first. It depends on your personal preference and how much spinach you’re adding. Generally, veggies that release a lot of liquid when they cook SHOULD be pre-cooked so that they won’t make your quiche watery (mushrooms, for example). Spinach doesn’t release much liquid, so the choice is yours.
What is a quiche without pastry called?
Many people refer to a quiche without the pastry as a “crustless quiche.” It shouldn’t be called a frittata, because a frittata doesn’t have nearly as much dairy as a quiche does.
What is the difference between egg casserole, frittata, and quiche?
In a traditional quiche, there is less egg and more cream than your average frittata or breakfast casserole. The result is a much smoother and more tender custard-like filling that will make you want to lie down and take a nap on it, it’s so pillowy and soft. The other trademark of a quiche is that it’s baked in a pie crust, a buttery flaky nest for your soft soft pillowy quiche. Ahh it’s so good you guys, I wish you could taste a slice right now!
How do you make a quiche not soggy?
Nobody likes a soggy quiche! Make sure that any vegetables you’re including are cooked BEFORE adding to your quiche, so they can release water as they cook and not in your nice flaky delicious breakfast. It’s also important to use heavy cream and whole milk. I know it’s tempting to try to go low-cal with some less fatty dairy, but less fat = more water. This isn’t the recipe to cut corners on. Go full fat and enjoy your slice to the fullest.
Does crust for quiche need to be pre-baked?
I don’t. Most of the recipes I researched required a blind bake before adding the egg filling (meaning you bake the crust by itself first.) They say the egg filling makes the crust soggy. I call BS. I tried it both ways and think it’s totally unnecessary. I don’t blind bake an Apple Pie, or even a Chicken Pot Pie, and those fillings are plenty liquidy.
And that’s a wrap!! Happy 2022 everyone, I hope you see a dreamy creamy quiche in your near future!!
Quiche is not a breakfast casserole baked in a pie shell, oh no. It is a creamy concoction that is more custard like, with plenty of cheese to boot. This is my favorite basic spinach quiche recipe because it is easy, incredibly flavorful, and hello, bacon. I will show you step-by-step how to make quiche for the perfect brunch!
This recipe requires a deep pie dish (1 and 1/2 to 2 inches deep). If you want to use a tart pan or a regular pie dish (1.25 inch), see notes for a scaled down recipe!
Make the pie crust: I highly recommend making a homemade pie crust for quiche! It seriously makes it next level. But a store bought crust is going to work just fine. You only need one sheet. If you are making my flaky pie crust recipe, see note about eggs. You will have one disc of pie dough leftover that you can tuck in your freezer for the next time you want to make this quiche. Or any pie!
Roll out the pie dough and transfer it to your pie pan. Fold the edges under and smooth out the crust with your fingers (just pretend you are working with play dough. You don't want jagged edges because that makes your crust crumbly. Try to get it smooth.) See photos. I have even more tips for rolling out pie dough on my pie crust recipe.
Crimp the edges of your pie crust. See photos. Try to make it so that the edge of your crust is sitting on top of the pie pan edge. (This well help keep your crust from falling while it's baking.)
Stick the whole pie pan in the freezer if you have room. Freeze for 30 minutes. If not, chill in the fridge for 60 minutes.
When you are ready to assemble your quiche, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on a rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven to preheat as well (or a pizza stone works great too.)Let it preheat for at least 20 minutes and make sure it's at temperature.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon. In a large skillet, add 8-10 ounces chopped bacon (8 ounces is half of a 1 pound package. Add in a couple extra slices of bacon if you're feeling extra. I know I'm always feeling extra when it comes to bacon.) I always use scissors to snip the bacon right into the pan.Cook the bacon over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is the way you like bacon. I like mine mostly crisp while still being a little flexible. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Drain most of the grease from the pan, leaving behind about a teaspoon.
Wilt your spinach. Pack spinach into a 2 cup measuring cup. Push it down with your fist. Chop the spinach into bite size pieces and set aside.
When you have drained most of the bacon grease from the pan, return it to the stove over medium heat and add in the chopped spinach. Cook the spinach for 1-2 minutes until it is wilted. Add in a sprinkle of salt if you know what's good for you. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Make the egg custard mixture. To a large bowl or stand mixer, add 4 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks. (See note if you made my homemade pie crust).
To the eggs, add 1 and 1/2 cups cream**, 1 cup whole milk, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. The nutmeg adds a nutty warmth. The cayenne adds great flavor but no heat.
Grate the cheese. You need a 1/2 cup each of Gruyere, Swiss, and Cheddar for this recipe, but 1 and 1/2 cups of literally any cheese that sounds good to you can be substituted.
Assemble the quiche. Get your pie crust out the the freezer or fridge. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Swiss cheese on the bottom of the pie. Sprinkle all the bacon on top. Cover the bacon with cheddar cheese. Spread the spinach evenly over the cheddar. Top the spinach with 1/2 cup Gruyere. Give the egg mixture one last stir to distribute the spices, then pour it all over the cheese.
Place the quiche on the hot pan or pizza stone that you have preheated to 425 F in the oven. The rack you bake the quiche on should be in the lower 1/3 of the oven, to help brown the crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make a pie crust shield. Get a square of aluminum foil a little bigger than the size of your pie. Fold it in half, then in half again so that it’s in quarters. Then use scissors to cut out the middle section. When you open it, you will have a square of foil with a circle cut out from the center.
After baking for 15 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 375. Take the quiche out of the oven and quickly shut the door. The crust should be lightly browned. Place your tin pie shield over the edges of your crust and mold it around the edges a bit so it doesn't burn.Don't forget to lower the temperature. Place the quiche back in the oven (still on the pan or pizza stone) and bake at 375 for another 35-45 minutes. You will know the quiche is done when the top is lightly browned. Don't over bake! The center of the quiche will still be a little jiggly!! (But not sloshy. Give it a shake.) A slightly loose center is how you get a creamy and silky quiche! You want the edges of the quiche to be fairly firm; the 2 inches of the quiche closest to the crust should be set and not jiggly. When you insert a sharp knife into the center edge of the quiche, it should come out dry.
Let the quiche cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes to continue setting.
Serve the quiche warm with chopped parsley and sliced green onions. Quiche is also delicious served room temperature, making it nice for potlucks!
Notes
*If you made my homemade pie crust you are going to have half a beaten egg leftover. You can use this half egg in place of one egg yolk in the quiche filling.** Cream is a dairy product sold near the milk. Sometimes it’s called whipping cream, ultra heavy cream, etc. (This differentiates fat content) Any type will work for this recipe!No deep dish? If all you have is a standard pie pan (1 and 1/4 inch deep), use the following measurements.
8 ounces bacon
1 and 1/2 cups spinach, packed
3 eggs + 2 yolks
1 and 1/2 cups cream
3/4 cup milk
1 and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
large pinch nutmeg
large pinch cayenne pepper
1/3 cup Gruyere
1/3 cup Swiss
1/3 cup Cheddar
Bake the pie for 15 minutes at 425 as directed, then lower the temp to 375 and bake for another 30-40 minutes until set on the edges.
If you’ve never roasted hazelnuts at home, you’re missing out on one of life’s simplest pleasures. Roasting hazelnuts brings out their rich, buttery flavor and makes them a perfect snack or a special ingredient for your favorite recipes. Whether …
If you’ve never roasted hazelnuts at home, you’re missing out on one of life’s simplest pleasures. Roasting hazelnuts brings out their rich, buttery flavor and makes them a perfect snack or a special ingredient for your favorite recipes. Whether you want to toss them into salads, blend them into a smooth nut butter, or just...
This article was written and published by Oh My Veggies. It may not be reproduce or republished without permission of the author. The original article can be found here: How to Roast Hazelnuts.
I used to be a total Apple Pie hater. It’s always too mushy and bland. But no longer! I’ve found the perfect method to make the Best Homemade Apple Pie of your life! This classic recipe has a double crust (you won’t miss that crumble), a cooked filling for the best texture and flavor, and…
I used to be a total Apple Pie hater. It’s always too mushy and bland. But no longer! I’ve found the perfect method to make the Best Homemade Apple Pie of your life! This classic recipe has a double crust (you won’t miss that crumble), a cooked filling for the best texture and flavor, and is super easy. I’ll show you how to make it from scratch!Originally published on November 16, 2011. UPDATE! Don’t miss the Dutch Apple Pie version of this recipe!
How’s everyone’s October coming along? It’s finally cooling down here. We finished summer off strong just last week with a steak of 97 degree days, of course. Totally normal here in Sacramento, but it seems to surprise us every year anyway. “The Target dollar section is telling me that it’s fall! What even is this 100 degree day??”
My brother sent me this tweet yesterday that said, “Why would I spend $5 on a bag of apples at the store when I can wear warm fall clothes in 88 degrees weather and pay $36 for our family to pick them ourselves.” Ha! That one got me. (Because it’s not as Instagrammable to take your family photos in the produce section at the grocery store??)
We did indeed head up to Apple Hill a couple weeks ago. It’s a bunch of apple farms all next to each other, where you can pick your own apples and eat doughnuts and pretend it’s not hot. We always buy a ridiculous amount of apple cider so that we can boil it down to make these Caramel Apple Cider-Reduction Milkshakes. (We added a slice of today’s Apple Pie to the shake this time, too. HEAVEN.)
Homemade Apple Pie with a Double Crust
We bought a ton of apples too, and I had so much fun testing pies to find my favorite one. To be perfectly honest, apple pie has never been a huge favorite of mine. There are just so many ways it can go wrong: mushy apples, undercooked apples (a worse problem, in my opinion), under spiced, over spiced. Most of the time I find that most apple pie recipes are just plain boring when it comes to flavor. I usually much prefer apple pie when it has a custard or a crumble of some kind, like in this classic Dutch Apple Pie or even this Apple Custard Pie with Cinnamon Streusel. But, I wanted to give double crust apple pie recipe a fair shot, so I got to testing.
Best Apple Pie ingredients
See recipe card below for all the details!
1 homemade double pie crust
Lemon zest
Juice from half a lemon
5 pounds apples (see above to pick a good variety)
Brown sugar
Granulated sugar
All purpose flour
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Cardamom (optional)
Vanilla
Milk (for brushing on pie)
Egg (optional, for brushing on pie)
Raw sugar
Kosher salt
Best Apples for Pie
Use a LOT of apples. Most apple pie recipes call for 3 pounds of apples. My recipe calls for 5 pounds. This is because when you cook the filling, the apples shrink. If you want a nice tall pie that doesn’t fall in the middle, use a lot of apples. Also, more apples=more flavor. APPLE is the star of this pie, not a sneaky streusel tricking you with butter and sugar. Let the apples shine.
And on that note: be sure to use a variety of apples. I used Granny Smith (very tart), Gala (very sweet), and Golden Delicious (middle of the road). Using only one type of apple gives you only one flavor profile. Using a blend means your pie will land somewhere perfectly in the middle of tart and sweet. Here is a list of common apple varieties, listed from most tart (Granny Smith) to sweetest (Fuji).
Try to get a few tart apples, a few sweet apples, and a few in between apples.
What apples should not be used for apple pie?
I can’t think of a single one. Use the kind that you like best, and as long as you use a variety of tartness levels, you are going to be fine.
That said, Red Delicious Apples and McIntosh apples tend to be rather mealy and mushy when cooked, and you definitely wouldn’t want to make a pie out of JUST Red Delicious, for example. But if you toss a couple Reds in with a majority Fuji and Granny Smith (for example), then your pie is going to turn out fine.
Worst apples for Apple Pie
Red delicious apples can turn mushy in your pie (and let’s face it, they’re objectively the worst apple for eating, period). Any other combo of apples you choose is going to be great!
How to make Apple Pie
Are you guys ready for this?? It’s PIE TIME. (Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for complete instructions.)
For the filling:
First gather up all your apples. You need 5 pounds before coring and peeling. That’s about 11 large apples to make 5 pounds.
Here’s how I slice my apples. You can use a mandolin if you want, but be sure to use a metal glove. Those suckers are sharp!
Keep slicing around the core until you have these segments. Then slice to about 1/8 inch. You can slice thicker than that if you like (you may have to cook longer), but I love thin apples in my pie.
As you are slicing up the apples, toss them in a 12-inch high sided skillet (heat should be off) with the lemon juice and zest. Give it a stir to coat the apples with lemon.
See, 5 pounds is a ton of apples! You could never fit this many raw apples into a pie crust. Time to cook it down. Add some sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, and spices. NO extra liquid, the apples will release plenty.
Place it over medium heat and let cook for about 20 minutes. Cover the pan, but stay nearby because you’re going to have to stir the mixture every couple minutes, replacing the lid each time. This keeps the steam in and helps cook the apples. You are going to get this glorious caramel-y sauce going.
Something magical happens when you gently cook the apple pie filling over a longer period of time like this. The pectin in the apples is converted to a heat-stable form. (Thanks Cooks Illustrated!) That means when you cook the apples again in your pie in the oven, the apples won’t become mushy. Whatever level of “al dente” they are at when you finish cooking them on the stove, that’s how it will taste in your pie. So you can adjust the cooking time a bit to reach your level of apple perfection. Cook longer if you like softer apples; shorter if you like them more firm. You don’t have to calculate for further cooking in the oven. Crazy, right? Science!
Once the apples have cooked for about 20 minutes, remove from heat and add the vanilla. Spread the mixture across a pan or two (two pans makes it cool faster, but it will fit on one pan just fine.) I stuck mine in the freezer to chill for about 20 minutes. You can put it in the fridge, or just leave it in the pan you cooked it in and wait for it to come to room temperature (a couple hours), if you are not in a hurry.
Apple Pie Crust
Once the filling is completely cool, pour it into your pie crust. I’ve got all the details for rolling out pie crust on this Homemade Flaky Pie Crust post.
I topped my pie with a lattice crust. See my How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust post for all the details! But you can just use a whole crust and put it on top, no problem. Don’t forget to vent the top.
Brush with egg/milk and sprinkle with sugar before popping it in the oven.
How long to bake Apple Pie
Baking an apple pie usually takes about an hour. First we’re baking it at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time, just to get the crust to start browning. Then we’re baking it at a lower temperature for a longer amount of time, to fully cook the crust throughout. You may end up baking it for slightly more or slightly less time, but about an hour is standard. Just remember you have to let it cool for SEVERAL hours afterward! I know, it’s such a pain to realize that at any given moment you’re a minimum of six hours away from apple pie (an hour to make, an hour to bake, four hours to cool), but I promise you, the real deal homemade goodness is worth it.
How to tell when your Homemade Apple Pie is done
The nice thing about this recipe is that your apples are already cooked exactly how you want them, so you only need to worry about getting the crust baked right. (If you used raw apples, you would have to be sticking a fork in your pie to make sure they were tender.)
The pie is done when the edges of the crust are a deep golden brown, and the top of the pie is just turning golden. Be sure to use a pie shield made of tin foil as discussed above to get even browning.
And voila! A beautiful apple pie for fall! Here is the hard part: don’t slice into your pie for 2-4 hours. I know, I know, it’s tough. But the liquid in your pie needs time to come to room temperature so it doesn’t completely fall apart when you cut into it. You can put it in the freezer to speed up the cooling process if you want.
Tips for making Homemade Apple Pie
Here are the tips I’ve compiled to make the BEST apple pie, that is the perfect balance between tart and sweet, with a wonderful texture, where the apples get a chance to shine:
Cook your apple pie filling. Many recipes call for adding RAW apples to a pie crust and popping the whole thing in the oven. I just don’t love it. For one, you risk under baking your apples. Secondly, apples have a lot of water, and all that water ends up in your pie if you don’t cook some of it off first. This means your apple pie is not as flavorful. I know it’s inconvenient (even more inconvenient when I tell you that you’re going to have to cool that filling before adding it to the pie) but hey, you didn’t sign up to make an apple pie because you needed a quick dessert, did you? Take the extra 20 minutes to cook the filling. You won’t regret it.
Use lemon, or even lime for a fun and subtle twist. This keeps your apples from browning while you are slicing, but it also brightens and enhances the flavor of the apples themselves.
Make your apple pie with a homemade flaky pie crust. There are two elements to this pie: the filling and the crust. If your crust sucks, it doesn’t matter how great your filling is. There is a time and place for store bought crusts, like when you’re making a chocolate pie that has tons of flavor. But for something more subtle like apples, you need the buttery support of a high quality crust.
Add a bit of cardamom to round out the cinnamon. This is my favorite flavor to add to cinnamon desserts. (I even add it to my cinnamon rolls.) Cardamom is so underrated in the US. I love the sophisticated flavor it adds, and it compliments the cinnamon and apples so well. It is optional, but I hope you’ll consider it if you are on the fence. My brother tasted one of my tests and immediately said, “Something is different about this pie and I like it. What is it?” It was the cardamom he was noticing.
Speaking of butter: don’t add any to your filling. Many recipes I researched saute their apples in butter, but I find that the butter flavor competes with the apple flavor rather than enhancing it, making your pie more muted. I love me some butter, but I just don’t like it in my apple pie filling. Save it for the crust.
How to keep pie crust from browning too fast?
The best way to get an evenly browned crust that doesn’t burn on the edges is to use a pie shield made out of tin foil. They sell pie shields made of metal or silicone, but I prefer foil because it is so lightweight, there is no chance of crushing your crust.
Get a square of tin foil that is the same size as your pie. Fold it in half, then in half again. Cut out the center. Open it up again. You should have a square of foil with a circle cut out of the center. See pie crust post for photos. It’s so easy and the perfect way to make sure your crust doesn’t get burned on the edges.
Storing leftover Apple Pie
Does Apple Pie need to be refrigerated?
Not for the first couple days! The sugar in the pie acts as a preservative. You can leave it on the counter in the pie plate you baked it in, covered with plastic wrap or one of these handy pie covers. After two days, transfer to the fridge, where it will last another 2 or 3 days.
How long does Apple Pie last?
Apple pie is good on the counter for about 2 days. After that, you’ll need to store it in the fridge, where it will last another 2-3. If you’re already at the fridge stage, you’ll definitely want to warm it up a little before eating it. Expect that the crust will be soggier by this point! Apple pie is best in the first couple days, so holler at your friends and neighbors to come and get it while it’s fresh.
How to freeze Apple Pie filling
If you want to save your apple pie filling for a rainy day, let it cool and then put it in a gallon size ziplock bag. Then place the bag in the pie plate you intend to bake the pie in. Freeze in the pie plate. Once it’s frozen, you can put the pie plate back in your cupboard. This will make the apples freeze in the shape of your pie plate. Later, roll out your pie crust and add the frozen apples on top. You can bake it straight from frozen. Add about 20 minutes to the total bake time, and remember to cover your pie toward the end so it doesn’t burn.
Can you freeze an Apple Pie?
You can freeze an entire unbaked apple pie for another day. Top with the second crust, but don’t brush with egg/milk or sprinkle with sugar. Put the pie in the freezer for an hour to flash freeze, then wrap with plastic wrap, and wrap it again. Then wrap in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
You can bake it straight from frozen. Brush with egg/milk, sprinkle with sugar, and pop it in the oven according to the recipe. Add about 20 minutes to the total bake time, and remember to cover your pie toward the end so it doesn’t burn.
FAQs
How many apples for apple pie?
It’s not how many – it’s how many pounds (in this pie, 5 pounds of apples is just right). That said, if you have no way to weigh your apples, you can assume that about 3 medium sized apples make a pound. You’ll need 15 for the recipe. (If they’re smaller you need more, if they’re larger you need fewer.)
How do you bake an apple pie so the bottom crust is not soggy?
No one wants a soggy bottom! Make sure the oven preheats fully before putting in your pie, and make sure the pie crust is nice and cold when you put it in. Bake it for the full amount of time, tenting the top with foil if needed (to prevent too much browning on top).
What’s the trick to a great apple pie?
No tricks, just a few simple steps to success! – Use a variety of apples for the best flavor. – Add a little lime or lemon to the filling for the perfect tang (but no butter – it mutes the flavor of the apples). – Consider adding a little cardamom to the filling for that something special. – Cook the filling before adding it to the crust. – Make a buttery, flaky, homemade crust.
Is it OK not to peel apples for apple pie?
I’m gonna go with a hard NO on this one guys. I mean, you CAN leave on the peels and tell yourself you’re getting more nutrients and cutting down on prep time, but will this be a decision you look back on and love? No. You will regret it. The texture of the peel is all wrong, and the apple slices may even heat unevenly. Don’t go there my friends!
Should you cook apples before making apple pie?
Yes, we’re cooking up these apples on the stovetop before we add them to the pie dish. This is the secret to the best apple pie! We need to cook out some of the water to let the apple flavor shine.
And that’s it! Now you know how to make an epic apple pie! Don’t forget to check out the sister recipe, Dutch Apple Pie! I use this same method to get the most epic Dutch version with amazing streusel on top.
I used to be a total Apple Pie hater. It’s always too mushy and bland. But no longer! I’ve found the perfect method to make the Best Homemade Apple Pie of your life! This classic recipe has a double crust (you won’t miss that crumble), a cooked filling for the best texture and flavor, and is super easy. I’ll show you how to make it from scratch!
Choose your apples. You need 5 pounds of apples for this recipe, which is about 11 large apples. I like to use a mix of apples for the best flavor. For this pie I used Granny Smith, Gala, and Golden Delicious.
Make the filling:Use a microplane grater to zest 1/4 teaspoon lemon peel into a 12 inch high sided skillet.
Add the juice from half the lemon to the skillet, about 2 tablespoons.
Use a potato peeler or this handy apple peeler to peel the apples. Slice the apples into 1/8 inch pieces. Check out the photos above to see my method for slicing apples. I like to peel and slice one apple at a time so that they don't get brown; I peel one apple, then stop and slice it, add it to the lemon juice, and then move on to peeling the next apple. Stir the apples in the pan occasionally to coat everything with lemon juice.
Once you have all the apples peeled and sliced in the pan, set it over medium heat on the stove.
Add 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 5 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom. Stir it together gently so you don’t break all the apples.
Once the mixture is all moistened and you don't see patches of flour or cinnamon, set a timer for 20 minutes. Cover the mixture with a lid but don't walk away. Stick around and stir the mixture every 3 minutes or so, Replacing the lid each time. Cook for 20 minutes, until the apples are fork tender but still hold their shape. The apples will not soften more while baking in the oven. So have a taste and see if you want to cook a longer or shorter time. Only you can know your apple al dente perfection level.If your apples start to stick to the pan, add 1 tablespoon water as needed; use sparingly.
Remove the pan from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.*
Transfer the apple pie filling (including the brown caramel gooeyness) to a half sheet pan, or any pan with a lip. Spread the apples all the way to the edges. Cool the apple pie filling completely by placing it in the fridge or the freezer, it only takes 30 minutes or so. (If you have plenty of time, you can just leave the apples in the pan to cool down; it will take a couple hours.)
Use a rubber spatula to scrape all the chilled apple pie filling into the pie dish. Don’t forget to scrape in every last bit of the gooey filling.
Top your pie with the other pie crust. Follow this recipe for How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust, if you like. It's so pretty and not as hard as you think. You can also just toss the crust on whole. It's going to taste delicious either way! See my pie crust recipe for details on topping with a whole crust.
Fold the edges in and crimp however you like. If you didn't do a lattice, make sure to vent your pie by poking the top a few times with a sharp knife.
Place the whole pie in the fridge or freezer for about 20-30 minutes, for a really flaky crust.
Place a baking sheet in the center rack of your oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Let it heat up for at least 20-25 minutes to make sure it’s really hot.
Right before putting it in the oven, brush the crust of your pie all over with milk or egg, or both. I like to use 1 tablespoon milk beat together with 1 tablespoon beaten egg that I have leftover from making my homemade pie crust. You can just use milk if you don't have beaten egg lying around. Milk will help your pie crust brown but will stay matte; egg will add gloss and shine to your pie crust.
Sprinkle the whole pie with raw sugar, or regular sugar is fine too.
Place the chilled pie onto the baking sheet in the oven and let bake for 15 minutes. The crust on the edge should be turning light brown.
Meanwhile, get a square of tin foil that is the same size as your pie. Fold it in half, then in half again. Cut out the center. Open it up again. You should have a square of foil with a circle cut out of the center. See pie crust post for photos.
Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Remove the pie from the oven and place the foil on top. Loosely crimp it around the crust on the edge. This will protect it from burning.
Don’t forget to lower the oven temperature to 350. Place the pie back on the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 350 for 40-45 more minutes.
You will know the pie is done when the edges are brown and the center is light golden brown. If you did a lattice crust, you should see the filling bubbling away nicely.
Let the pie cool on a wire rack for about 4 hours. I know, this is killer. But if you cut into it now, the juices will be lava hot and way too liquid-y. You have to wait for it to cool to room temperature to get the right texture for the filling. Pie! A lesson in patience indeed.
Once the pie is completely cool, slice and serve! My husband Eric considers it a crime to serve this without vanilla ice cream, and I tend to agree. Treat yoself right. Add in some caramel sauce for a really decadent treat!
Store the pie on the counter for up to 2 days, covered with plastic wrap. After that transfer it to the fridge.
Video
Notes
*At this point you can add the apple pie filling (once cooled) to a large ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months! Use in pies, cobblers, apple crisp, etc.
This apple pie post has been on my blog since 2011. Here is the original story I wrote to go along with it, for memory’s sake. Although maybe I shouldn’t be committing such a faux pas to memory, ha!
I have a terrible confession. Sometimes when I give people CD’s for birthdays or Christmas I open them up and listen to them before wrapping and tying the bow.
I know what you’re thinking. Who in the name of technology buys those archaic CD’s anymore?
I can usually play it off. When they open it and see that the plastic wrap is gone, I hastily put in a, “Yeah, part of the present is that I took care of taking off that pesky plastic that is so annoying. I know, wow, above and beyond right?” Lies.
I was found out this weekend. For my friend Lauren’s birthday I got her Michael Buble’s new Christmas album. (which is awesome! I would know.) Eric was kind enough to wrap it for me since I was still frosting cupcakes. Halfway to her house I asked, So you put the CD in the case right? The response: What?
Toasted. I had taken it out earlier that day to listen to it and never put it back in. Oh the shame! The anticlimax! Poor Lauren.
Maybe in recompense I should have sung the whole album to her on the spot. Actually, that would be more like a punishment. Maybe I should just make her this pie instead.
This egg casserole recipe is breakfast at its finest. I mean how do you beat bacon and eggs, really? You don’t. Oh wait, you add cheese and make it the night before. That’s how. BOOM. Originally posted January 5, 2016. Start your morning with this Egg and Cheese Casserole Have you seen my keys anywhere? They…
This egg casserole recipe is breakfast at its finest. I mean how do you beat bacon and eggs, really? You don’t. Oh wait, you add cheese and make it the night before. That’s how. BOOM. Originally posted January 5, 2016.
Start your morning with this Egg and Cheese Casserole
Have you seen my keys anywhere? They are silver. With some black rubbery parts. They are the ones that open my car, and my house. There are even some bonus keys on there that I have no clue what they open. No? You don’t see them anywhere? WELL ME NEITHER.
You guys. I have looked everywhere. Even in my front door. That’s where I usually find my keys when I lose them. Well, that is, after the neighbors pound on my door telling me my keys are in the lock. Or how ’bout the time I left my keys in the ignition. With the car running and the door unlocked. For 10 minutes while I went grocery shopping. If I didn’t get my car stolen for leaving it running unattended, I probably won’t this time right? Right??
Keys schmeys, who needs em. Now let’s talk breakfast. This recipe is a game-changer, guys. Just kidding Nathan! That one was for you. I got this email from my brother Nathan a few weeks ago after I posted this Honey Hot Chocolate for One, asking me what percentage of my posts involve the words “game-changer”? He even did a custom search for the term which came up with dozens of results. Apparently I need a thesaurus. What can I say? Some recipes are just totally CHANGING THE GAME.
The breakfast game, in this case. I meant to share this one with you guys before Christmas so you could make it on Christmas Eve. We were already at Eric’s parent’s house up in Montana when I sat down to write the post…when I realized that the recipe was pinned to the inside of my cupboard back home. Doh!
But really, you don’t have to wait for Christmas to make it. I don’t know why we’re always waiting for special occasions to make breakfast. I mean, you do have a freezer right? You could make this on a weekend and then portion it out and pop it in the microwave for a minute or two, and bam, breakfast done. Eggs are totally the best way to start in the morning. And bacon is the best way to start ANYthing.
Egg Casserole ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to buy. Quantities are listed in the recipe below.
Cheese (I used half cheddar and half pepper jack for a lil spicy kick. Pick the combo you like best!)
Paprika (you can substitute any of these spices that you like! Sky is the limit for eggs)
How to make Overnight Egg Casserole
Here’s a basic overview with things to watch out for. All instructions included in the recipe below!
Place the shredded cheese in a greased dish and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour. Toss together with your fingers to distribute evenly.
Sprinkle bacon evenly over the cheese.
Beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, dry mustard, onion, garlic, and paprika. Pour over the bacon and cheese.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. (Optional. Go ahead and make it right away if you’re feelin’ it.)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the center is set and the top has browned.
Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
How do I know if my egg casserole is done?
This egg casserole is ready to take out of the oven when it is bubbling on the sides and the edges are starting to brown. If you shake the pan a little bit, the center of the casserole should not be wobbly.
If you are still not sure, stick a toothpick in the center. If it comes out with no wet egg on it, it’s done!
Bacon Breakfast Casserole FAQs
Why is my egg bake watery?
This recipe produces a texture that will hold together nicely when spooned or spatula’ed from the dish. The flour you sprinkled on the cheese helps with that. In general, to avoid a watery casserole, let the casserole rest after baking with no lid to allow the steam to escape. Avoid adding frozen things like veggies that may be covered in ice crystals. Defrost frozen items first and dry with paper towels.
What is the difference between quiche and egg casserole?
Quiche and egg casserole are basically the same, but quiche is always made in a pie shell (so it’s round), and it usually has spinach in it (which is a great add-in to today’s casserole, too!) Egg casserole is usually made in a square pan or in a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Both of them are made with a mixture of eggs and cheese with some breakfast meat or veggie add-ins. Try this Cherry Tomato, Leek, and Spinach Quiche, or how about this Asparagus, Tomato, and Goat Cheese Quiche?
Reheating Breakfast Casserole
If you have an already-baked egg casserole and want to reheat it in the oven, it’s really easy to do. Cover the casserole tightly with foil and put it in the oven at 350 degrees F. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, then remove the foil and see how it looks. If the casserole is hot in the middle and bubbly on the edges, you can serve it immediately. Otherwise, continue baking uncovered for another 10-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t dry out.
How to store leftover Bacon and Egg Casserole
You can store this casserole in the fridge for 3-4 days. See freezing instructions below for longer than that!
Can you freeze a breakfast egg casserole?
If you know ahead of time that you are baking your egg casserole with the intent to freeze it, my advice would be to under bake it. (Make sure you use a disposable aluminum pan so that you are not holding one of your glass casserole dishes hostage in the freezer for months.) Take it out of the oven a few minutes early, when it is mostly set in the middle, but before it has had a chance to brown on top. Wrap well with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to make it, bake at 350 (straight from frozen) for about 40-45 minutes covered with foil, then remove the foil and bake for another 10-20 minutes, until the top is browned and the edges are bubbly. The times on this will vary, and could take a bit longer. It depends on how cold your freezer is!
If you’re simply freezing leftovers, seal them tightly with plastic wrap or a ziplock bag. Freeze in the portion size you’ll want to re-heat. It re-warms well in the microwave or oven.
Bacon Egg and Cheese Casserole Serving Suggestions
This is a complete breakfast! You can serve it with some fresh berries and call it good, or, if you’re looking to impress your guests, I love serving this casserole up with something sweet. Here are some of my favorite dessert-pretending-to-be-breakfast options!
This egg casserole recipe is breakfast at its finest. I mean how do you beat bacon and eggs, really? You add cheese and make it the night before. BOOM!
Place the shredded cheese in the dish and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour. Toss together with your fingers to distribute evenly.
Sprinkle bacon evenly over the cheese.
Beat the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, seasoned salt, dry mustard, onion, garlic, and paprika.
Pour over the bacon and cheese.
Cover and refrigerate overnight. OR, you can bake this right away! No need to cover.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until the center is set and the top has browned.
Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
*Most shredded cheese would be good here. Cheddar, Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, whatever you want. If you use Pepper Jack like I did it will make it spicier obviously. **You can use 1 pound of cooked ham, or cooked sausage. This time I used half bacon and half kielbasa. I baked the bacon in the oven, then baked the sliced kielbasa until it was browned. (Probably like 10 minutes)All of the spices in this recipe are according to taste. You can just add salt and pepper if you want.
I love Swedish cardamom cookies that are ultra buttery and crispy-crunchy, yet still light and airy. There is cinnamon in the recipe but cardamom is the star flavor. These cardamom cookies are a family classic that we make every year. Perfect with milk, hot chocolate, or coffee! Originally published May 9, 2014. I have a…
I love Swedish cardamom cookies that are ultra buttery and crispy-crunchy, yet still light and airy. There is cinnamon in the recipe but cardamom is the star flavor. These cardamom cookies are a family classic that we make every year. Perfect with milk, hot chocolate, or coffee! Originally published May 9, 2014.
I have a confession, guys. I’ve been listening to Christmas music since like August. I know, I’m a freak. It’s such a relief to finally come clean about my holly jolly addiction. But now that it’s December none of you can judge me.
Christmas music puts me in a good mood any time of year, but it’s even better with tree decorating, hot chocolate, and a cozy fire, which is what’s been going on around here nonstop lately. Oh and don’t even get me started on the cookies. SO MANY COOKIES.
But before we get to the cookies I have to tell you about this awesome advent calendar my sister made. Have you guys heard of #LightTheWorld yet? I’m LDS, and this Christmas our church is doing 25 ways over 25 days to follow the Savior. Every day until Christmas you’re supposed to do some of the things Christ did, like show compassion, help others see, show love for your mother, honor the sabbath, etc. There are ideas of things you can do that are on theme for each day.
It’s an awesome way to remember the Savior this season. Our kids are super excited about it. Stuff like this is what makes Christmas so awesome!
And also cookies make Christmas awesome. This is yet another recipe from Eric’s famous great-grandmother Prudy, who was Swedish. She is an absolute legend, especially in the kitchen. Her granddaughter (Eric’s mom) made a family cookbook with all of Prudy’s Christmas cookies. I’m slowly trying to document them all here on the blog; see below the recipe for links to other Swedishcookies from Prudy.
How to make cardamom cookies
Cardamom is definitely the star in these cookies. Cardamom is such a strong spice that most recipes call for just a little smidge, but not these cardamom cookies. Go big or go home. In fact, I would say that if you don’t like cardamom don’t bother making these cookies. In Eric’s family, they are simply called “Cardamoms.” They are not overly sweet; there’s only a half cup of sugar in the whole recipe. It’s almost like cinnamon-cardamom flavored pie crust. Which means I can throw down a dozen of these in one sitting, with no problem. I used to be a crispy-cookie-hater, but I think I’ve officially pulled a 180.
There is a special ingredient needed for these cookies: baking ammonia. Never heard of it? Neither had I before marrying into the family. And I don’t have any other recipes that call for it, but I still buy it just to make these cardamom cookies; it’s totally worth it. I asked Eric’s mom if there was any substitute and she said no, they won’t get as light and crispy without it. I looked it up and read on King Arthur Flour that sometimes people substitute an increased amount of baking powder; but the cookies won’t have that “ultra-tender, extra-crunchy” texture that is what cardamoms are all about.
Make sure you keep the lid on really tight; baking ammonia will evaporate if exposed to air.
I asked Eric’s mom if there was any substitute and she said no, they won’t get as light and crispy without it. I looked it up and read on King Arthur Flour that sometimes people substitute an increased amount of baking powder; but the cookies won’t have that “ultra-tender, extra-crunchy” texture that is what Cardamoms are all about.
The yellow stuff on top is an egg. It’s not a requirement, but it does make them a little more shiny and crispy. Plus, Eric´s mom does it, so who am I to question tradition? This is the perfect cookie to eat with hot chocolate or coffee, though I’ve never tried that (LDS, remember?). Kris told me that’s how her parents and her grandma always used to eat these cookies: after dinner with a mug of coffee. This makes a big batch of cookies (Prudy’s original recipe made 100! I halved it because I’m not crazy).
Ingredients for cardamom cookies
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
Grandma Prudy was born in Minnesota to Swedish immigrant parents and carried on their homeland food traditions her whole life. Read more about Prudy on my Rye Bread post.
Swedish Spritz Cookies << we just made a huge double batch of these today, like we do every December. The kids had so much fun using the cookie press!
Swedish cardamom cookies that are ultra buttery and crispy-crunchy, yet still light and airy. There is cinnamon in the recipe but cardamom is the star flavor. These are a family classic that we make every year. Perfect with milk, hot chocolate, or coffee!
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Make sure you scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
In a small bowl, beat 1 egg. Add the baking ammonia and stir to dissolve. Add the mixture to the butter and beat.
Add the flour to the bowl but don’t mix it in. Use a small spoon to stir the salt, cinnamon, and cardamom into the flour. Beat the flour into the dough. Don’t over mix.
Chill the dough for 2-3 hours (or you can leave it in the fridge for 2-3 days).
When you are ready to bake the cookies, let the dough sit on the counter for a few minutes until it is workable.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Split the dough in half. Sprinkle flour onto a work surface.
Use your hands to flatten the dough, then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out very thin, about 1/8 inch.
Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to shape the cookies. Use a spatula to transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheets. They do not rise much at all, so you can fit them pretty close together.
Keep re-rolling the scraps until it’s gone. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
In a small bowl, lightly beat 1 egg. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of each cookie. Don’t be shy; use a lot. See photos.
Bake the cookies at 350 for 8-10 minutes. They should be lightly browned on the edges.
Notes
You can see in the photo above that the original recipe was twice this amount, which would make about 100 cookies. Perfect for Christmas cookie plates!Recipe from Eric’s great-grandmother Prudy
This butternut squash lasagna recipe is an absolute showstopper of a fall dinner! Ricotta, Pecorino, and sage make a hearty…
This butternut squash lasagna recipe is an absolute showstopper of a fall dinner! Ricotta, Pecorino, and sage make a hearty meal that pleases everyone.
Why we love this recipe
Welcome to your new favorite fall dinner idea: butternut squash lasagna with sage! Just saying those words together makes us feel warmer. The flavors here are impeccable—creamy ricotta, punchy Pecorino, fresh sage and savory sweet squash.
While it’s a bit of prep work, we’ve simplified a few steps so you don’t need a nap once you throw it in the oven. Or, grab a partner and cook this one together (in fact, we wrote a whole cookbook about the joy of cooking with people you love!). Every mouthful is a bit of sweet, savory, creamy, herby, and altogether irresistible.
Ingredients in butternut squash lasagna
Butternut squash lasagna can take ages to make, especially if you roast the squash and make a béchamel sauce. This recipe is simpler: you’ll boil the squash and make a quick sauce using ricotta cheese that doesn’t require any heating on the stovetop.
The recipe comes out so cozy and vibey—it’s ideal for cozy fall and winter entertaining! It’s perfect for fall dinner parties, and would be a great Thanksgiving recipe or for Christmas dinner. Here’s what you’ll need:
Butternut squash (medium)
Ricotta, Mozzarella and Pecorino cheese
Milk
Lasagna noodles
Olive oil
Garlic powder, nutmeg salt and pepper
Fresh sage
Lemon
How to cut butternut squash: some tips!
The hardest part of making a butternut squash lasagna? Cutting the squash. Butternut squash is a notoriously difficult vegetable to tackle. We’ve got a few tips for cutting squash without breaking into a sweat:
Use a serrated peeler. A serrated blade makes it easier to peel the tough skin than a normal vegetable peeler, which can easily slip. Try this serrated vegetable peeler.
Cut off the neck and chop it separately from the base. First chop off the neck, then peel it and chop into squares. Do the same for the base.
A few time savers in this butternut squash lasagna
If you follow along with us, you might know we’re sticklers for simple recipes (we even wrote a cookbook about that, too!). While lasagna is almost never easy, the concept is pretty simple. But a typical butternut squash lasagna requires quite a bit of prep work. Here’s how we simplified this recipe to save time:
Boil the butternut squash instead of roasting it. Roasting is our favorite technique for cooking vegetables, but it’s got a longer lead time. Roasted butternut squash takes about 45 minutes with preheat time, whereas you can whip up boiled squash in about 10 minutes with boiling time.
Make a quick ricotta sauce. A bechamel sauce is more traditional in a butternut squash lasagna, but that also takes time and dirties a pot. This recipe uses ricotta, milk and some seasonings to make a quick and dirty sauce.
The sauce is not a traditional cream sauce, so the lasagna has a firmer texture. It’s not as gooey as you might expect, and it’s 100% delicious.
Make ahead and storage info
Butternut squash lasagna is a bit of a project for a weeknight—it takes about 1 ½ hours start to finish. We love making this for guests: but you can also make it on a weeknight with some additional prep steps! Here are some ideas:
Make ahead ideas: Boil the butternut squash in advance and refrigerate it until ready to bake (or use leftover roasted butternut squash). You can also boil the noodles in advance and refrigerate: just make sure they’re coated in a little olive oil before refrigerating.
Or make ahead the entire pan: Make the entire lasagna prior to baking, then refrigerate overnight. Increase the bake time as needed to cook until it’s warmed through and the cheese has browned.
Storage info: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. Or freeze them: it’s easiest to cut it into single servings and freeze each in separate containers. To reheat, defrost the lasagna in the refrigerator, then place in a baking dish, cover with foil and reheat at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until warmed through.
More butternut squash recipes
When squash season is upon us, it’s easy to get squash obsessed! Here are a few of our top butternut squash recipes:
This butternut squash lasagna recipe is vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free noodles.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different type of squash?
While butternut squash is ideal for its sweetness and creamy texture, you could experiment with other winter squashes like acorn or delicata. Just be aware that the cooking time may vary slightly.
What can I substitute for ricotta cheese?
If you’re looking for a dairy-free option, you could use a vegan ricotta alternative or even silken tofu blended until smooth.
What can I serve with butternut squash lasagna?
A simple green salad or some crusty bread are great accompaniments to this hearty lasagna.
This butternut squash lasagna recipe is an absolute showstopper of a fall dinner! Ricotta, Pecorino, and sage make a hearty meal that pleases everyone.
8 ounces (2 ½ cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
Preheat: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Boil the squash: Peel and cut the butternut squash into small cubes about 1/2-inch thick. (Go to How to Cut Butternut Squash for a video! A serrated vegetable peeler works best.) Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the squash and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes until fork tender (test a piece to see if it is done). Drain, then place in a medium bowl. Mix with the olive oil, kosher salt and garlic powder.
Meanwhile, boil the noodles*: Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Boil the noodles until just before al dente, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Drain the noodles, then drizzle a baking sheet with a bit of olive oil. Lay the noodles flat onto the sheet, then turn them over so they become coated with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Prepare the ricotta sauce: Add 1 tablespoon chopped sage to a medium bowl and reserve about ½ tablespoon for topping the lasagna. To the bowl, add the lemon zest, nutmeg, ricotta cheese, salt and pepper and milk. Stir.
Layer the lasagna: In a 9” x 13” baking dish, spread ½ cup ricotta sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then top with 1 layer of noodles, ½ of the cooked squash, scant 2/3 cup cheese sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and ⅓ cup Pecorino cheese. Repeat again: 1 layer of noodles (you may need to cut a noodle in half for the side, depending on your pan), the remaining squash, scant 2/3 cup cheese sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ⅓ cup Pecorino cheese. Finally, top with noodles (again, you may need to cut a noodle in half for the top layer), then the remaining ricotta sauce spread with a spatula. Sprinkle the entire top with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella cheese, ⅓ cup Pecorino cheese, and ½ tablespoon sage.
Bake the lasagna: Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes, until the top is browned. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days and reheated in a 400°F oven. (See make ahead and storage notes below.)
Notes
*If you use fresh lasagna noodles, they don’t need to be boiled.
Make ahead ideas: Boil the butternut squash in advance and refrigerate it until ready to bake. Boil the noodles in advance and refrigerate, making sure they’re coated in a little olive oil. Or make ahead the entire pan: Make the entire lasagna prior to baking, then refrigerate overnight. Increase the bake time as needed to cook until it’s warmed through and the cheese has browned. Storage info: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. Or freeze them: it’s easiest to cut it into single servings and freeze each in separate containers. To reheat, defrost the lasagna the refrigerator, then place in a baking dish, cover with foil and reheat at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until warmed through.
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