I woke up this morning to a cool and rainy day. Perfect weather for a hot zucchini pie! Since I just thought of it, I didn’t have a zucchini on hand, unfortunately. Then I wondered what I could substitute. In the fridge I found leftover asparagus and kale and some grape tomatoes. Then I remembered this recipe by Betty Crocker for a crustless Zucchini Pie. I liked it the first time I made it because it didn’t deflate after cooling, like another crustless quiche recipe I’ve tried. I thought the Betty Crocker recipe would be robust enough to adapt. I decided to use my leftover vegetables and to spruce up the flavor with some added herbs, like thyme, rosemary, and dill weed. As the quiche baked, a thin crust formed on the bottom from the biscuit mix. You can use Bisquick biscuit mix or you can make your own (see recipe below). I like to make up a batch fresh then store the leftovers in the refrigerator for another day.
Zucchini Quiche
Ingredients
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (originally chopped tomato)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup home made biscuit mix (recipe below)
3/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
2 eggs or 1/2 cup fat-free cholesterol-free egg product
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
Preparation:
- Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease bottom and side of pie plate, 9×1 1/4 inches, with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Sprinkle zucchini, tomato, onion and cheese evenly in prepared pie plate.
- Stir together biscuit mix, milk, eggs or egg product, salt and pepper until blended. Pour evenly into pie plate.
- Sprinkle thyme, rosemary, and dill weed on top.
- Bake about 35 minutes or until a thin blade knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes.
Variations
- 1/2 cup zucchini and 1/2 cup chopped yellow squash instead of 1 cup zucchini.
- 1 cup fresh or frozen butternut or acorn squash. If you’re using fresh butternut or acorn squash it should be boiled until tender then drained.
- 1 cup leftover cooked vegetables, chopped and drained of any liquid. Use asparagus spears, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green beans, peas, carrots, mushrooms, butternut and/or acorn squash—be inventive! Cabbage quiche? Baby bok choy quiche?
Home-made Biscuit Mix
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening or Canola oil
Mix dry ingredients together, then using a pastry cutter cut the Crisco into the mix. Makes 1 cup Bisquick equivalent.
Unlike real Bisquick, this has to be stored in the fridge — which makes it less convenient, but it works if you have a recipe that calls for biscuit mix and you don’t usually keep it in your pantry cupboard. It is also good if you’re concerned about additives and preservatives in packaged food.
