Jalapeno Popper Quiche

 Jalapenos, cheddar cheese and cream cheese baked into a delicious pie crust. Your favorite Jalapeno Popper flavors in a quiche that you can serve with bacon for a great brunch dish!

Jalapeno poppers are one of my favorite appetizers and have been since I was a kid. The combination of the jalapeno, cream cheese and crispy crust have always been my favorite. They are a crowd favorite at parties, sports bars and casual dining restaurants. The reasons are pretty easy to understand. The heat of the jalapeno and the cooling effect of the cream cheese work in perfect harmony.

This quiche comes together really easily and has a great flavor. Playing off the “pie” idea behind this quiche I actually made a jalapeno whipped cream as a topping. I know that sounds really weird but it is so easy to make! I let some heavy cream sit with some jalapenos in it while the rest of the recipe came together and it adds a delightfully spicy sweet topping to the dish. We make this quiche in our rotation along with a couple of Thomas Keller quiche recipes from his Bouchon Cookbook (those are legendary but take 2 days to make) along with some more basic and classic flavors.

Many people serve quiches with a nice light salad for a lunch. I tend to serve them at brunch so when I serve them to guests I usually add a protein to the side. Bacon or sausage would be a great addition but an even more special option would be a beautifully cooked steak sliced thinly across the grain along with a nice mix of fresh tomatoes on the side.

Other jalapeno popper ideas (which will definitely make appearances on here in the future) include Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese, Jalapeno Popper Dip, Jalapeno Popper Garlic Bread, Jalapeno Popper Chicken, Jalapeno Popper Cornbread and my personal favorite, Fried Jalapeno Popper Fritters that I serve over fresh corn soup. What can I say, when I like a flavor, I tend to explore it in many different forms.

Add the chopped jalapeno to 1/2 cup of heavy cream and let it sit and steep in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add the pie crust to a pie plate. Pinch pieces of cream cheese into the bottom of the pie plate. Add two jalapenos diced (de-veined and de-seeded). Add the heavy cream and milk to a small saucepan. Heat to below boiling and let simmer for 5 minutes (you don’t want it to boil, but small bubbles around the rim are fine) With a whisk combine the eggs, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cooled heavy cream, milk, paprika, cayenne and salt. 

Add to the crust and bake for 30 minutes. Slice the last jalapeno into rings and add to the top of the pie. Cover with last half cup of cheese. Bake for an additional ten minutes. While the pie is baking for the last ten minutes strain the heavy cream and add to a bowl. Using a hand mixer beat the heavy cream until it starts to turn into whipped cream. Add tablespoon of powdered sugar and keep beating until it forms peaks.