I served these bite-sized goodies at Thanksgiving, and I might just make them again at Christmas time.
They’re a variation on the Kale Pie I’ve made numerous times now, but I’m calling them Kale Quiche Bites because that seems to describe them better.
But call them pie or call them quiche – they are scrumptious!
I made some changes to the original recipe – I’m always tinkering with recipes anyway – which consist mainly of using slices of salami, a couple cubes of roasted garlic puree, and I used crumbled blue cheese (or bleu cheese) instead of feta.
First, I made the crust. Enough for a double crust pie. You can use the recipe in the original post, or you can use your own favorite savory pie crust.
I used a 13 x 9 inch cake pan (straight sides) instead of a pie or tart pan. Oh, and first, I lined the pan with parchment. I wanted to be able to lift the finished quiche out whole.
After pre-baking the crust, I started layering.
First, a layer of thinly sliced salami.
Next, about 2 cups of chopped, steamed kale.
Then I carefully poured in a mixture of eggs, milk, and the garlic puree.
And, finally, 8 oz of crumbled blue/bleu cheese over the top. I had my lovely assistant pat the crumbled cheese down into the liquid so it wouldn’t dry out or overcook during baking.
I baked it at 375 for about 40 minutes. I could have cooked it a bit longer, maybe, to get the top more golden.
It smelled SO good while baking.
That’s just a warning. Have a snack, so you don’t just dig into this when it comes out.
I let the quiche cool for about fifteen minutes, then I - VERY CAREFULLY – lifted the quiche out of the pan and placed it on a rack to cool. And I also – VERY CAREFULLY – slid the parchment out from under the quiche so it wouldn’t get soggy.
Ta-da!
Once it had cooled completely, I put it back in the cake pan, covered it with plastic, and put it in the fridge overnight. This was just because I was doing as many oven-related things the day before Thanksgiving so I’d only have to worry about the turkey on Thanksgiving day.
So. The next day, about an hour before people were due to arrive, I took the quiche out of the fridge and out of the pan, and trimmed off the edges.
And I ate some of them. I had to make sure it tasted good, right?? Also, I hadn’t eaten breakfast and I was hungry and needed sustenance.
Next, I cut the quiche into little squares, probably about an inch and a quarter by an inch and a quarter. Whatever says “bite size” to you.
Right before putting them out, I warmed them in the oven a bit (on a rack above the turkey, in case you were wondering about the logistics) to bring them to just over room temperature.
I have to say, this was one of the yummiest flavor combinations I’ve come up with in ages. I like the bleu cheese better than feta, and the addition of salami adds another nice layer of flavor and texture.
Yum. Yum. Yum.
That’s all I can say.
And that’s what everyone else said, too.
Here’s the recipe:
Mini Kale Quiche Bites
Makes about 30 fabulous bites of scrumptiousness.
Ingredients:
For crust:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
8 tablespoons very cold butter, cut into small pieces
8 tablespoons very cold shortening, cut into small pieces
5-7 tablespoons ice water or more, depending on humidity in the air and who knows what else
For filling:
2 cups steamed, chopped kale
About 20 3” slices of salami
2 tablespoons pureed roasted garlic
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
8 oz crumbled bleu (or blue) cheese
What to do:
Whisk together flour and salt. Add butter and shortening and, either with a pastry cutter or in the bowl of a food processor, cut the fats into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse meal. A couple teaspoonfuls at a time and gently mix into the flour mixture with a fork (or pulse in the processor). When the mixture JUST comes together when you squeeze it in your hand, it’s ready.
Roll out into a rectangle approximately 14 x 10 and about 1/4” thick. You might have more dough than you need. If so, wrap that in plastic and either freeze or save in the fridge for another use.
Line a 13 x 9” cake pan with parchment. Use enough so some hangs over the sides. You’ll want to lift the finished quiche out of the pan after baking.
Gently place the rectangle of dough in the pan and press about an inch up the sides. Place in the freezer for about half an hour to chill it quickly.
Preheat oven to 425 F and place a rack in the center.
Poke holes in the crust with the tines of a fork so it doesn’t puff up while baking. Bake crust for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool about fifteen minutes. Reduce oven temp to 375F.
Once the crust has cooled a bit, start filling it.
Layer the salami across the bottom, overlapping slightly and cutting to fit as needed.
Next, distribute the kale evenly over the salami.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and garlic puree,then pour over the kale.
Finally, sprinkle the bleu cheese over the top and press gently into the liquid mixture.
Bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until golden on top.
Allow to sit for about fifteen minutes and then gently lift from pan and place on rack to cool. Slide the parchment out from under the crust.
If desired, you can refrigerate overnight, but allow quiche to return to room temperature before serving.
Slice edges off if desired, and cut into bite-sized squares. (Triangles would look cool, too.)
Enjoy!
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