Apple Sausage Quiche

This is a recipe I've adapted to my own use. I use the basics from a recipe I found online from the 1801 First Inn in Napa, CA:

Apple Sausage Quiche

One package chicken & apple sausage

2 Granny Smith apples

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

4 Tbsps. brown sugar

4 Tbsps. butter

1/2 chopped onion

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup baking mix (Bisquick, Jiffy, or your own)

Cut up your sausage into bite-size pieces, and dice the two apples. You can leave the peel on if you like, or peel and core them and then dice them up.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the sausage and sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook it all together about 5 minutes. Add the apples and stir them around just to coat and pick up the flavours, about 2 minutes.

Spray the bottom of a quiche pan with nonstick spray. Place the cooked sausage, onions, and apples in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the cheese over the whole thing.

In a blender (or in a bowl with a wire whisk), mix the milk, eggs, and baking mix. Whizz it up until smooth. Pour over the ingredients in the quiche pan.

Bake at 400 degrees until a toothpick or knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Jen's notes:

1. Use buttermilk if you want this really rich. Or skim if you don't need the calories.

2. I always get the chicken-apple sausage at Sam's Club, usually Emeril's or some other brand. Any kind of sausage will do, though.

3. You can use another kind of apple, but the Granny Smith will hold up to the baking the best.

4. If your kids don't like onion, you can use the dried minced variety, and just sprinkle it over the sausage as you cook it. Or add the minced dried onion to your milk and baking mix. Either way works and you still get the flavour without the texture of the actual onion.

rating: 4 stars. Bug loves this and Hunk O Man chows it down.

Impossible Pie

Talk about quick and easy! I make this in a variety of ways depending on the veggies I have available. It's just a quiche -- found in virtually every Bisquick Recipe book.

IMPOSSIBLE PIE

1/2 package bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled

1 cup cheese, any type

About 1 cup frozen veggie, your choice -- broccoli is good

1 small chopped onion

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1 cup baking mix, any type -- even pancake mix will work.

1/2 tsp pepper

Grease a generously sized pie plate by spraying nonstick spray on it.

Sprinkle the bacon, cheese, and frozen veggies in the bottom of the pie plate.

Beat (in a bowl with a whisk) or blend (in a blender) the eggs, onion, milk, eggs, and pepper. Pour over top of the veggies and bacon in the pie plate.

Bake 35-40 minutes at 425 degrees until knife or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 6 servings.

Jen's notes:

1. I've stretched this easily to 8 servings.

2. Use whatever veggies you like -- stir fry, California or Italian blend, etc. Any frozen or fresh veggies will work. Also add in diced peppers or chilis if you like some spiciness.

3. Baking mix is extremely cheap to make yourself -- here's a link to a recipe for Baking Mix.

4. Try sprinkling a little cheese over the top if you like a browned, cheesy crust.

rating: 3 stars. Bug loves this.