Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using pastry blender, cut in shortening and butter until pieces are pea size.

2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the flour mixture; toss with a fork. Push moistened pastry to side of bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until flour mixture is moistened. Gather flour mixture into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together.

3. On a lightly floured surface use your hands to slightly flatten pastry. Roll pastry from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter.

4. Wrap pastry circle around the rolling pin. Unroll into a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate without stretching it.

5. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry even with the plate's edge. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry.

6. Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of heavy foil. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes more or until pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. (Pastry shell should still be hot when filling is added; do not partially bake pastry shell ahead of time.)

   Test Kitchen Tip: Pre-baking your crust before adding the egg filling helps you create the right balance of textures.

7. Meanwhile, in a very large skillet cook bacon until crisp or cook turkey bacon according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Crumble bacon finely; set aside. Cook onion in the reserved drippings over medium heat until tender; drain.

8. In a large bowl stir together eggs, half-and-half, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in crumbled bacon and onion. In a small bowl combine shredded cheese and flour; add to egg mixture. Mix well.

9. Pour egg-cheese mixture into the hot, baked pastry shell. Bake in the 325°F oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover edge of crust with foil for the last 10 to 20 minutes of baking. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with tomato and parsley.

Quiche Lorraine Recipe Variations

Classic quiche is traditionally flavored with bacon, lardons or ham, onions, and Swiss cheese, but you can easily substitute ingredients to make it your own. The addition of cream or half and half will turn the eggs into a fluffy canvas, creating a firm, yet velvety bite, perfect for a crowd-pleaser meal. As far as spices, a pinch of nutmeg will truly bring out the flavor of your ingredients, as well as cutting out the heaviness of the cream and eggs. Keep your fillings on the dry side—avoid high-moisture veggies like cucumbers or zucchini, for example—and if you’re using tomatoes, dice it so you don’t end up with a soggy mixture. More importantly, don’t be afraid of this world-famous masterpiece—as well-known as it is, we assure you is a forgiven dish you can customize and get it right using the proper steps. Here are some easy swap-ins and shortcuts to consider:

Quiche Lorraine with Quick Pastry

1. Use half of a 15-ounce package rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust (1 crust). Let stand according to package directions. Unroll and ease pastry into a 9-inch pie plate being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick pastry. Bake as directed in Step 2. Continue as directed in Steps 3 through 5.

Per slice: 463 cal., 32 g total fat (15 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat), 235 mg chol., 563 mg sodium, 23 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 18 g pro. Exchanges: 1.5 Starch, 2 High Fat Meat, 3 Fat

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Prepare quiche Lorraine as directed, except omit bacon. Cook the onion and 1¹/₂ cups sliced fresh mushrooms in 1 tablespoon hot vegetable oil until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in 3 cups lightly packed coarsely chopped fresh spinach. Stir into egg mixture with cheese in Step 3.

Per slice: 526 cal., 36 g total fat (17 g sat. fat, 1 g trans fat), 241 mg chol., 493 mg sodium, 31 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 19 g pro. Exchanges: 2 Starch, .5 Vegetable, 2 High Fat Meat, 3 Fat