12 Recipes of Christmas: Mini quiche 4 ways

Mini quiche are the perfect finger food for passing around at parties, especially in the least up to Christmas where celebrations are peak. They’re easy to make, good for making ahead and suitable for freezing. Plus they look as great as they taste!

I’ve pulled together four of my favourite mini quiche recipes for you to try: Cheese and spinach, Lorraine, Mediterranean, and Mushroom.

Makes 24 per type.

Ingredients

• 3 sheets shortcrust pastry, thawed

FOR THE QUICHE FILLING

• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup thickened cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pinch black pepper

FOR THE CHEESE AND SPINACH

• 1 tbsp butter
• 120g baby spinach , sliced 1-2cm
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 1/2 cup Swiss or Gruyere cheese , shredded

FOR THE LORRAINE

• 2 tsp butter
• 150g bacon, finely chopped
• 1/2 eschallot, finely diced
• 1/3 cup Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded

FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN

• 1/4 cup green olives, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 30g fetta , crumbled
• 1/4 cup Swiss or Gruyere cheese, shredded

FOR THE MUSHROOM

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 100g mushrooms , finely chopped
• 8 mushrooms, small, sliced (these are for decorating)
• 1/2 cup Swiss or Gruyere cheese , shredded
• 1 tbsp chopped chives

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced. Spray 2 standard muffin tins with oil.
2. Cut 24 rounds out of pastry using a 7.5-8cm cutter.
3. Press into muffin tin, making sure there’s no air underneath the pastry.
4. Prick the base 4 times with a fork, then bake for 5 minutes until a skin partially forms on surface of pastry. Check at 4 minutes — if pastry is bubbling, press back down.
5. Remove from oven and let cool — pastry should be partially cooked on surface only.

To make the cheese and spinach mini quiche:

1. Melt butter over medium high. Add garlic, sauté 20 seconds. Add spinach and cook for 1 minute until just wilted, then transfer to bowl.
2. Place pinch of cheese in quiche crust, top with 1 teaspoon of spinach then 1 tablespoon egg mixture — fill to top.

To make the Lorraine mini quiche:

1. Melt butter over medium high. Cook bacon for 2 minutes, then add eschallots and cook until bacon is light golden. Transfer to bowl.
2. Place pinch of cheese in quiche crust, top with 1 teaspoon bacon mixture then 1 tablespoon egg mixture — fill to top.

To make the Mediterranean mini quiche:

1. Toss the olives, sun dried tomatoes and feta together.
2. Place pinch of cheese in quiche crust, top with 1 heaped teaspoon of the mix, then 1 tablespoon egg mixture — fill to top.

To make the Mushroom mini quiche:

1. Melt butter over medium high. Add garlic, sauté 20 seconds. Add chopped mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes until mushroom is starting to go golden on edges, then transfer to bowl.
2. Place pinch of cheese in quiche crust, top with 1 teaspoon cooked mushrooms then 1 tablespoon egg mixture — fill to top. Top with 1 or 2 slices mushrooms.

THEN

1. Bake 20 minutes at 180C  until surface is light golden. They will puff, then sink.
2. Sprinkle Mushroom quiche with fresh chives.
3. Serve warm!