Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Sausage, Baby Kale & White Cheddar Quiche

This evening I made a quiche using fresh chicken Italian sausage that I removed from the casing and browned and crumbled by breaking it up as it cooked. I cooked 1 pound of sausage but only used 1/2 of it and put the remaining half away to use in something else later this week. I used a 5-ounce container of baby kale and some "XXX" sharp white cheddar cheese made using raw milk that I found at Costco a couple of weeks ago and wanted to try. The quiche turned out absolutely delicious and the flavor combination of sausage, kale and sharp white cheddar worked really well together. This wheat free quiche would make a great breakfast, brunch or lunch meal, as well as dinner. It was made using a wheat free, almond flour crust. I snapped a few photos below as well as the recipe. Enjoy!

P.S. -- Don't forget to enter my Swerve Giveaway for your chance to win a Weber Grill & 3 packages of Swerve (courtesy of Swerve).  Details are below (contest ends this Friday at midnight EDT).


This was a great find at Costco (if you like sharp cheddar)
Sausage, onions and kale have been layered on top of the crust
First layer of XXX sharp white cheddar has been added
Egg mixture has been poured and final layer of cheese has been added
Fresh out of the oven... 
BOOM!

Sausage, Baby Kale & White Cheddar Quiche

Ingredients:Crust
2 cups almond flour
3 tablespoons cold butter, diced into small cubes
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional 

Filling

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
5 oz. fresh baby kale (up to 8 oz)
1/2 lb. cooked crumbled sausage (I used Italian chicken sausage)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1-1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Dash cayenne pepper
5 eggs (or 1-1/4 cups Egg Beaters)
1/2 cup half-and-half, cream or milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Place all crust ingredients in a medium bowl.  Cut butter and egg into flour with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles small pebbles and the flour is thoroughly moistened (the same way you prepare a pie crust).  Press crust mixture into a quiche dish or a 10" pie dish.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from oven and set aside.

Increase oven temp to 350 degrees F.  In a non-stick skillet, saute onions in olive oil until translucent; add baby kale and saute just until wilted. Add crumbled cooked sausage to onion and kale mixture, stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning and set aside.  Scatter the sausage, kale and onion mixture evenly over the bottom of crust; top with 1 cup of white cheddar cheese. In a medium bowl combine pepper, cayenne, eggs and half-n-half and beat well.  Pour egg mixture evenly over the sausage, kale, onions and cheese and top with remaining 1/2 cup white cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes; reduce heat to 325 F for an additional 10 minutes, or until filling and eggs are set and top is lightly browned. If the center still seems a little jiggly, cook for an additional few minutes until completely set.



3 days Left to Enter the Swerve Giveaway!
Contest ends Friday, September 6, 2013 at Midnight EDT (details below)

The kind folks at Swerve recently contacted me and have allowed me to offer Gourmet Girl Cooks' followers a chance to win an exciting "Celebration to Summer's End Giveaway"!  One lucky follower will win a:  Weber 22.5” Silver One-Touch, Kettle Grill AND a Three-Pack of Swerve (see below). As most of you that follow me already know, I have been using Swerve for almost a year now and it is my favorite "zero calorie" natural sweetener to bake with. It tastes great and measures cup-for-cup just like sugar, which makes it super easy to substitute in recipes...no calculations involved! It contains no artificial ingredients and comes in both granular and confectioners (powdered) versions. With the upcoming Labor Day weekend ahead, I will be posting some delicious "end of summer" recipes using Swerve...so stay tuned!  Ready, set....GO!  Begin entering now!

P.S.-- if you are already a Swerve lover like I am, and your supply is getting low...Swerve is currently running a special through Tuesday, September 3rd, for $9.99 each (for a 16-oz bag) or you can grab 6 packs of Swerve for $49.98 ($8.33/each + free shipping). You can click here to grab this special ---> Swerve


HOW TO ENTER:
The winning contestant will be chosen at random (must be a U.S. resident).  To enter a chance to win, all you need to do is: Leave a comment here on my blog and include the words "Swerve BBQ Contest" (1 entry per person per day).  Contest ends Friday, September 6, 2013 at Midnight EDT.  The winner will have 24 hours after being announced to contact Gourmet Girl Cooks (by email at GourmetGirlCooksBlog @ gmail.com) with their shipping address. If no response is received in 24 hours, a new winner will be selected.

*The product provided in this giveaway is contributed by and will be sent directly to the winner by Swerve.

39 comments:

Debbie Lou said...

Oh, that quiche looks soooo good. I really need to try that one. Thanks for sharing and for the Swerve BBQ Contest.

Katie D. said...

Yummmm! Swerve BBQ Contest

Anonymous said...

Your foods look wonderful! Do you have any recipes using coconut flour as I have a problem with almonds.

Miriam said...

Would love o try this recipe and win the Swerve BBQ concert.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks and Good Luck Debbie Lou, Katie D & Miriam!

Hi Anonymous -- I don't have many recipes using coconut flour -- but here is a link to a site (Tropical Traditions) that has lots of free coconut recipes -- check it out and see if that might help! :-) http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/

unter der laterne said...

GG, I do not know what you take but you are on a roll, you seem to be unstoppable!
So many new recipes in a short time. Not that I am complaining, lol, but heavens I just can't keep up with you!
This quiche looks very inviting! Im have frozen Kale, that could work too, I just have to squeeze out the juice,
Costco has a sale on organic items,
you might want to check it out.

I have a Question, you used half and half, but that has more carbs than cream- are you as I am still *a little worried* about the fat?
I noticed that Dr .Davis used Neuchatel cheese( 1/3 less fat) in his cake. I asked him why but he never answered my post @ wheat belly blog.
Oh yes, I would love to win the SWERVE BBQ CONTEST!
STay well! BarbarA,

unter der laterne said...

Sorry, here I am again.
Anonymous asked you about recipes with coconut flour. What is your reason for not using it more, it would be more affordable for many young families? Please I hope that you do not mind my question.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Barbara! I didn't know Costco had a sale on organic items -- I will definitely check that out this weekend. Regarding the half and half -- I alternate between using that and cream -- I always have both in my fridge. I figured with all the eggs and cheese in this quiche, that I didn't need the extra fat from the cream (although I'm sure it would be perfectly fine to use). I prefer cream in my coffee and if I happen to have yogurt that isn't full fat, I like to add a splash of cream to it to add richness. When you think about it though...I cut the quiche into 6 nice sized pieces/servings -- 1/2 cup is only 8 tablespoons, which means even with the cream, it is only a little over 1 tablespoon of cream per serving! Good Luck! Thanks for the Costco organic sale tip! :-)

unter der laterne said...

GG, I tied to send you the link to the Costco site with the special--it did not work! Could be in you Inbox. There was grass fed beef, coconut oil, string cheese( my snack) etc. all organic.

Jude said...

I've been meaning to try a quiche with an almond crust. Thanks for reminding me. Yours looks yum.
I love Swerve too, and would love to enter the Swerve BBQ contest. :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

I will look for it...thanks, Barbara! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Barbara -- just saw your question about coconut flour. I have done a bit of experimenting with coconut flour -- and it is so different to work with compared to almond flour -- it is a bit harder to convert recipes. You have to use so many eggs to compensate for the dryness of coconut flour AND...while I enjoy the flavor of coconut in sweet recipes, I am not overly fond of it in savory recipes. I really do want to experiment more with it...and as you said, it is way more affordable. I do plan to experiment more with it in the future...in all my spare time...hah! LOL Do you use it much? :-)

unter der laterne said...

GG, I must admit that I use it rarely but like you I will try and use it more! Thank you for the explanation, makes perfect sense.
I read that it has a lot of fiber and that is what we want, right?
Barbara.

Susan M. said...

Once again, looking good! And your crust recipe is so versatile. Love it. "Swerve BBQ Contest"

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Susan M -- Good luck! :-)

Janet said...

Love your recipes. I too would like to find more with Coconut flour as my son is allergic to nuts. "Swerve BBQ Contest"

Debbie said...

Another yummy looking recipe.
I want to try Swerve
Swerve BBQ Contest

thanks

Susan D said...

Swerve BBQ Contest That quiche looks delicious. Cant wait to try

Laura E. said...

Thank you for sharing this delicious looking recipe. "Swerve BBQ Contest"

Ditamac MI/FL said...

Do you think I could substitute spinach for the kale in this recipe??
I would love to win the "Swerve BBQ Contest".

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Ditamac -- yes, definitely spinach would work in place of the kale (just make sure to drain and squeeze all the water out of it so it won't make your quiche soggy). Good Luck! :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Janet, Debbie, Dilleshaw & Laura E.! Good luck to all of you!

Janet -- I plan to experiment more with coconut flour in the near future -- until then, you might want to check out this link for a bunch of free coconut recipes. http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/ and this guy (Bruce Fife) is supposedly a guru at coconut flour recipes...maybe this book would be helpful http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0941599884?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=0941599884&tag=gougircoo-20

VColeman said...

"Swerve BBQ Contest" That recipe looks delicious, I can't wait to try your crust recipe as well.

Ann said...

The recipe looks great -- as usual. I have not tried Swerve yet but plan to. I'd love to be entered in the Swerve BBQ contest.

Chris said...

Oh my.....we were out last night! So glad I checked to see what you cooked! That looks outstanding. Definitely going to try this one! Thank-you!
Hope you don't mind.....I keep recommending you to friends!
Chris
Swerve Barbecue Contest!

Becky @ Becky's Place said...

I've been forcing myself to eat my greens (not very successfully) and often am nearly tempted after looking at your quiches. I have a bunch of kale out in the garden that I just may be courageous enough to give a go this way. Looks very good.

Please enter me again in your Swerve BBQ Contest. Thanks.

Patricia said...

Very inventive quiche! Love it when you post products from Costco as i love finding products other people like and have used.
Swerve BBQ Contest
:)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, VColeman, Ann, Chris and Becky! Good luck to all of you!

Chris -- no, I don't mind -- sharing my blog with friends is great!

Becky -- if you are trying to introduce yourself to eating greens, just add a little bit the first time -- maybe half of what this recipe calls for. Also, if you are using regular kale (instead of baby kale)...make sure you cook it until tender before putting it into the quiche -- you don't want any tough greens to "chew on". :-)

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Patricia -- I know what you mean -- you always take a chance trying a LARGE amount of a new item. I wish they would offer more samples of "non-junk" type foods instead of the other stuff they usually let you sample. If you don't like what you buy at Costco...you have a LOT of it to finish up! Good luck! :-)

SierraDeb said...

Swerve BBQ Contest

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Good luck, SierraDeb! :-)

Carol and little Sophie said...

Made the hazelnut bars, they were awesome ! Swerve BBQ Contest

Anonymous said...

love your recipes
the bbq looks wonderful
thanks for sharing I can use all the help I can find new to gluten free
Mary Ann

Cindy said...

I would love to win the Swerve BBQ Contest! Thank you so much for the opportunity.

Cindy Aiton
clogzilla(at)yahoo(dot)com

Unknown said...

Not sure if my comment posted so here I go again.
I made the quiche today with a friend. She is heavy and wants to learn to eat healthy. She's a carb addict! After the first bite, she said this was yummy and went for seconds. I am this will encourage her to want to do better for herself. Thank you for sharing, my family and I enjoyed this, too!
Swerve BBQ contest!!!

Ann said...

We just tried this for dinner tonight. It is definitely a keeper. Great recipe.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Ann! So glad you liked it. It's one of the recipes that could be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner -- and it's nice reheated as leftovers, too! :-)

nadrina said...

I am allergic to almonds and all other nut products. What other gluten free flours can you recommend for this recipe.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Nadrina! Probably, the easiest thing to do would be to make the quiche without the crust. I have done that before with my spinach-feta pie and it is great without crust, too. Hope that helps! :-)