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Broccoli Rabe and Chicken Quiche
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Broccoli Rabe and Chicken Quiche

Broccoli rabe (rapini or spring broccoli) and lemon juice add a subtle spring brightness to this quiche.
Course Main Course
Cuisine French-inspired
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 store-bought pie crust, a deep 9-inch one, if frozen (see Kitchen Notes for other options, including a recipe for making your own)
  • 2 cups trimmed and chopped broccoli rabe
  • 1-1/2 cups chicken cut into bite-sized pieces (you can use boneless, skinless breasts or thighs, or store-bought rotisserie chicken)
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup half & half
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1-1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère
  • 1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan

Instructions

  • Par-bake the crust. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. While the oven is heating, put the pie crust in its tin on the counter and let it thaw slightly, so you can prick it all over with a fork. Line the pie shell with foil or parchment paper, then weight it with dried beans or pie weights. Bake the crust until slightly golden on the edges, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and remove weights, simply picking the foil or parchment at the corners.
  • Meanwhile, make the filling. Bring a pot of water to boil. Rinse the broccoli rabe and working one stem at a time, cut off much of the thick stem and chop the leaves, buds and a portion of the stem crosswise. You want a generous two cups of tightly packed pieces—it will cook down. Blanch the chopped broccoli rabe in the boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, gently squeezing out excess water.
  • Heat a large, deep sauté pan over medium flame. Add enough oil to coat the bottom, about 2 tablespoons. If you’re working with uncooked chicken, add it to the pan, season lightly with salt and cook, stirring frequently, until there’s no pink on the outside; you don’t need to brown it or even cook it completely through. If you’re using cooked rotisserie chicken, add it to the pan, but don’t salt it. Toss to coat with oil. Add the broccoli rabe and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently to combine everything, for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mixture to a paper towel-lined plate and let it cool slightly, then top with another paper towel and gently press down to squeeze moisture from it.
  • Beat eggs in a bowl, then add half & half and beat to combine.
  • Assemble and bake the quiche. Spread the Dijon mustard in the bottom of the crust (this is optional, but the mustard sharpens the cheese flavors without imparting its own taste). Put broccoli rabe/chicken mixture into the crust and gently spread with a fork to evenly distribute it. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the filling. Pour the egg mixture over the top, using your fork to gently help it settle in around the filling.
  • Transfer to the middle rack of the oven and bake the quiche until it has puffed up and is set and beautifully browned, about 25 to 35 minutes. You can test with a sharp knife to make sure the middle is set.
  • Cool on a rack at least 10 minutes, then serve. You can also serve it room temperature, but I think warm is best. See Kitchen Notes about reheating leftovers.

Kitchen Notes

Let’s talk crust. If you use a frozen crust, go for a deep 9-inch one to accommodate all the filling. We’ve also been using fresh rolled pie dough you find refrigerated in stores. When you’re ready to use one, just let it come to room temperature, then gently roll it out into your lightly oiled or buttered pie plate (they suggest glass), then press into place. And if you want to make your own crust, you’ll find our simple recipe here.
Reheating leftovers. We reheated ours in a toaster oven because we were just doing two slices; the same approach works for the oven. Here’s how:
  • Remove quiche from fridge and let it come to room temperature.
  • If you’re just reheating a slice or two, cut those and transfer to a sheet of foil that will fit in the toaster oven on its wire rack. You might also put strips of foil over the crust edges to keep it from browning too much.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Transfer quiche slices, still on the foil, into the oven. Heat until thoroughly warmed through, 10 to 20 minutes—you can remove the foil from the crust for the last few minutes to let it brown a little.
  • If you're reheating an entire quiche, definitely use your oven; you can leave it in the pie plate to do it.
  • Do NOT microwave your quiche. The crust will turn soggy.