A recipe to use up those dibs and dabs that fill the fridge.
- Carbohydrate 9.82112277873075 g
- Cholesterol 49.4266667056881 mg
- Fat 15.6819255681524 g
- Fiber 0.0895277791965674 g
- Protein 14.754108342973 g
- Saturated Fat 9.87212764684763 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (189g)
- Sodium 396.421055818069 mg
- Sugar 9.73159499953418 g
- Trans Fat 0.805533472854917 g
- Calories 239 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix eggs and milk well.
- Toss cheese with flour and add to egg and milk.
- Add meat and/or vegetables and seasonings.
- Pour into pie shell.
- Bake at 350 degrees F.
- Bake for one hour or until set.
- If using ready-made crusts, this recipe will fill two in some cases.
- Reduce cooking time accordingly.
- Cover crust with foil if starting to brown too much.
Tossing shredded cheese with two tablespoons of flour before adding it to the liquid base prevents clumping by creating a dry barrier that disperses individual strands evenly throughout the dairy. When heat is applied, those starches gelatinize and interact with the melting proteins, keeping the fats suspended rather than pooling on the surface. Whole milk provides the optimal balance of water and fat solids for a standard custard, yielding a tender set at three hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit without weeping water as skim milk often does. Eggs serve as the primary coagulant, where heat causes the protein molecules to unfold and cross-link into a solid network that traps the liquid phase securely. Finely chopping any added meat or vegetables to roughly three-quarters of a cup ensures the solid pieces distribute uniformly and do not sink to the bottom of the unbaked nine-inch pie shell. Raw vegetables must be pre-cooked and thoroughly drained to remove excess cellular water, because releasing moisture halfway through the baking time will break the delicate egg protein bond and result in a watery curd. Preserved meats like ham or bacon introduce high amounts of sodium and cured fats that render differently than fresh proteins, often requiring a reduction in added salt to maintain balance. Watch for a set center that jiggles slightly like gelatin rather than sloshing like liquid when checking doneness around the one-hour mark. Shielding the pastry rim with aluminum foil prevents over-browning while the interior custard finishes cooking.
