About This Recipe
I really love this recipe for Wild Rice Quiche. Wild rice is an excellent addition to a smooth, creamy, cheesy quiche. You could use other types of rice if you’d like, including basmati or brown rice, but I think this recipe is perfect just as it is.
You could also use other vegetables in this quiche. Mushrooms would be good in addition to or in place of the red bell pepper. Or add some chopped green beans or some baby peas. Or change the cheese to Colby, CoJack, or Pepper Jack for some heat.
This quiche is perfect for brunch or dinner, especially on a cold winter day. Serve it with a crisp green salad and some steamed or roasted asparagus.
I make a lot of things with wild rice. (Chicken Wild Rice Salad, Baked Wild Rice Burgers). It’s not only that I’m from Minnesota, where wild rice is grown and harvested by many tribes, as we say, “up north,” but its fabulous taste and texture adds so much to so many recipes.
It may surprise you to know that the typical black wild rice you see in the grocery store isn’t the real thing. Real wild rice, that grows in marshes, is harvested in canoes and roasted or parched over a fire, is gray and brown and cooks in much less time than the commercial variety. Commercial wild rice, called “paddy rice,” is cultivated, not wild, and it is harvested by machines and is cured and parboiled and dried. If you can find real wild rice, go for it. Otherwise, the commercial type is fine, but now you know it isn’t the real thing.
Now, about the crust. I always make any pie with my Hot Water Pastry recipe. It is literally foolproof. If you can measure ingredients and beat ingredients with a fork, you can make this crust.
But, of course, if you’re tired, or if you really want a quiche for dinner but just don’t want to do the work of making a crust from scratch, by all means use a purchased pie crust.
So once your crust is made and the wild rice is cooked, put the pie together, bake until beautifully golden brown and puffy, and dig in.
How to make the best Wild Rice Quiche
- Make sure that the wild rice still has some texture to it. You don’t want to cook it until it “pops,” which means the grains curl.
- Let the quiche stand for 10 minutes before you cut it. I know it’s hard to wait, but the slices will be much prettier if it stands for a bit out of the oven.
Steps
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1
Done
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Prepare the pie crust and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the wild rice with the chicken broth or water. Bring to a boil and cook according to package directions, until tender but still firm. Drain if necessary and set aside. |
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2
Done
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Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prebake the pie crust for 6 to 8 minutes or just until the crust begins to brown. You can line the crust with parchment paper and add pie weights so the crust doesn't puff up or slump down into the pan. If you do this, remove the parchment paper and weights very carefully. Put the crust on a wire rack. |
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3
Done
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In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels, crumble, and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from the pan. Add the butter to the pan and turn the heat to medium. |
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4
Done
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Sauté the bell pepper, onion, and garlic in the butter-bacon fat mixture until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the wild rice to the skillet, stir, and set aside off the heat. |
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5
Done
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In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, and mustard and beat until smooth. |
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6
Done
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Now spread the Havarti cheese over the pie crust, then add the wild rice mixture and the bacon. Sprinkle with the Monterey Jack cheese. Slowly pour the egg mixture over all, giving it time to settle to the bottom, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. |
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7
Done
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Bake the quiche for 30 to 40 minutes or until the filling is puffed, set, and golden brown around the edges. Let stand for 10 minutes on a wire rack before slicing into wedges to serve. |
