What makes an egg bake of the quiche persuasion so satisfying? For us, it’s the strata of meats, cheeses, veggies, and herbs, and how they layer up to create a savory indulgence that is at once fluffy and custardy and toothsome and flavorsome.

The egg custard in this quiche is particularly rich and creamy thanks to the perfectly unequal ratio of egg to half-and-half, of which there is noticeably more. For add-ins, we use bacon, green onions, Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses — and (drumroll please!) our beloved Hatch chiles, which we roast in-house by the barrelful every year. They add incredible grassy heat and smoky depth, plus pretty pops of green, to the filling. We layer all those goodies with intention, so the crust is full before we even pour in the egg mixture. It guarantees a consistently hearty forkful with a little bit of everything: the chile’s mild spice, the green onion’s wonderful oniony lilt, and the bacon’s smoky goodness. (But our favorite part might be the sharp tang of the cheddar; it shines against the quiche’s general creaminess.)

All that to say, this is not a one-note quiche. And the fact that all those savory, grassy, cheesy, and spicy flavors are tucked in a flaky, buttery crust? Well, that’s just more reason to do a happy dance. Bonus: we use a frozen pie crust, so there’s no need to wake up at the crack of dawn to mix and chill pastry on Saturday morning.

And we do recommend making it on a sunny weekend morning! It’s the sort of dish that will make everyone squeal (between their yawns) “Oh, yay!” when you set it down on the breakfast table — even more so than an egg bake in a 9x13” pan. Eggs baked in a crust are special that way.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 refrigerated pie crust

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup shredded Gelson’s sharp cheddar cheese

8 strips Gelson’s bacon, cooked crispy

4 oz Gelson’s roasted Hatch chiles, diced medium

4 green onions, chopped

1 ¼ cups half-and-half

4 large Gelson’s eggs

½ tsp kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°.

2. Unroll the pie crust and gently smooth it out with a rolling pin, if needed. Press the pie crust into a 9” deep-dish pie plate and flute the edges. Press aluminum foil over the crust to hold its shape. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and take off the foil. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the Monterey Jack cheese and sharp cheddar cheese.

4. Crumble the bacon. Sprinkle the bacon, Hatch chiles, green onions, and cheeses over the crust, alternating between them to create layers.

5. In a large liquid measuring cup, beat the half-and-half, eggs, and kosher salt until combined. Pour the mixture into the crust.

6. Bake the quiche until the top begins to brown and the custard is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.

Recipe adapted from: Epicurious