Cheese and Veggie Mini "Quiche"

I use the word quiche very loosely here because I feel deep down in my soul that 

quiche requires a crust.

I need a food dictionary.

I'm even willing to say that using bread on the bottom would suffice but without crust

isn't it just baked eggs in a tin.

I thought that Cheese and Veggie Mini Baked Eggs In a Tin was pushing it for a title.

Anyway, I'm really lazy in the mornings.

I'm a night owl.  

I'd say it's residual nighttime wakefulness from years of working until past most peoples bedtimes

but my mom will confirm that I have always been a nighttime person.

Growing up my mom and I could get up in the morning and get ready for school and work

without speaking a word to each other.

So mornings are not the time for me to cook.  Ever.

And we don't even get up until around 8 am.

B's earliest shift starts at 9 and Peanut and I have no reason to do an earlier bedtime/earlier wake time.

I still lag in the morning.

I want to make things ahead that I can heat for Peanut.

He's not big on carbs so anything like pancakes or heavy starches isn't a hit at this point.

Whose child is he anyway?

I called it a very generic Cheese and Veggie Mini Baked Eggs in a Muffin Tin,

instead of cheddar and failed ratatouille (which is what I used- the sauté was a flop 

and I detest wasting food) because you can use absolutely any veggie and cheese combination.

Well that and the fact that failed ratatouille doesn't make a great title either.

It wasn't that the ratatouille was bad, it just wasn't that great.

Uneventful and Peanut wasn't really buying it.

My ratatouille consisted of onion, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, a little bell pepper,

stewed tomato, thyme and basil.

I marked this recipe for toddlers+ because of the eggs.

It really depends on when you want to introduce eggs.  

Peanut started eating them (as scrambles) around 10 months.

I know people who started their little ones on it far earlier with no problems.

If your little one is not on whole milk yet, fear not, according to the APA

cooking with it is not a problem.

Oh and by the way, add a little salt and pepper and these are perfect for grown-ups,

as you can see by the missing spaces in the picture.

B really liked them.

Cheese and Veggie Mini Quiche

4 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta (you could also substitute with cottage cheese)

1/2 cup whole milk

3/4 cup shredded cheese (i.e. cheddar, swiss, gruyere, gouda, jack, mozzarella, etc.)

1 cup diced cooked veggies* 

(i.e. spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, onions, asparagus, etc.)

1 tablespoon minced herbs (i.e. basil, thyme, parsley, dill, chives, etc.)

Preheat your oven to 325° F.

*Sauté or steam your veggies.

I like them sautéed in a smudge of extra virgin olive oil until they are tender.

Some veggies like broccoli or asparagus are better steamed.

Put it all in a blender and pulse until everything is in small pieces.

Normally I wouldn't do this but I want all the tiny quiche to have a bit of everything in them.

Spray your mini muffin tin lightly with olive oil and fill each cup.

I used a measuring cup to better control the pouring and make sure I had an even amount of filling.

Bake for about 25 minutes until they are golden.

Allow to cool and dig in!

Judging by the way Peanut was trying to shove them in his mouth-

I'd say these are winners.

The size was perfect for a finger food.

*Variations

Didn't I give you enough already?!

Alright.

-Add meats like chicken, pork or turkey but balance it by adding more flavor in the form of 

onions, garlic or herbs.

-Try adding curry, cumin or white pepper

*Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Simply defrost and reheat.

You can put a few in the fridge before bed the night before and

 zap in the microwave for a few seconds at a time until warm.

Or you can throw them in the oven to warm through (you could do this frozen as well).

*Benefits

Eggs are a fantastic source of protein and contains all 9 essential amino acids as well as choline, 

lutein, riboflavin, vitamin B12, selenium and lots of other vitamins and minerals.

Milk is packed with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and protein.

Cheese is a great source of calcium, magnesium, zinc, folate, selenium and vitamins A, E, K and D.