This Mama Cooks! On a Diet: The universal quiche

Eggs on sale? Make a quiche. Got leftover meat, cheese or veggies you don't know what to do with? Make a quiche. Need to make a quick meal for someone who's gluten-free? Make a quiche.

Quiche is probably the most simple and frugal dish around. I like to use this all-purpose recipe adapted from The Tightwad Gazette III: Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle by Amy Dacyczyn.

Rice Crust
I started making this gluten-free crust for my mother-in-law. Now I make it all the time because it's so simple to do:

Take 1½ ounces of a grated hard cheese (like cheddar, Swiss or Monterey Jack), 1 egg, and 2 cups of just-cooked rice or reheated rice. (This works best if the rice is hot so the cheese melts somewhat.) Mix together, pat into a 9-inch pie plate with a spatula or back of a soup spoon, and prebake at 425 for 15 minutes. Don't use a non-stick spray on the pan since it makes it harder to form the crust.

Eggs
Use 3 whole eggs. If you want to lower the fat, try 1 egg and 4 egg whites.

Cheese
Use a 1 cup of a hard grated cheese like cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack or a combination. Low-fat cheeses are fine to use, but don't use no-fat or soy cheeses as they don't properly melt.

Time Saver! Buy your cheese already grated. Costco has large bags of grated cheddar that are cheaper per ounce than block cheese. And you don't have to deal with the fuss and mess of grating all of it.

No need to worry about using it up before it goes bad. Divide larger bag's contents into sandwich bags and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator when needed.

Milk
Use 1 cup of milk, whole, 2%, 1% or skim all work well. Evaporated milk, watered down yogurt, or powdered milk with half the water will do in a pinch. You can also use half-and-half and cream.

Fillings
Use 2 cups of a combination of meats and veggies. Meat should be precooked. Good combinations are ham and mushrooms, bacon with broccoli and mushrooms, turkey and tomatoes, imitation crab and onions, etc. Experiment!

Seasonings
I don't add salt to the quiche if I'm using a salty meat such as bacon or ham. If you want, add 1 teaspoon of salt (maximum - try less), ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and a dash of nutmeg. Dill is a great seasoning to use with seafood and poultry.

To make the quiche:
Prepare the crust in a 9-inch plate. Place on a cookie sheet as the quiche may leak during cooking.

Grate cheese (if necessary) and prepare the filling ingredients (cook, chop, measure, etc.). Beat eggs, milk and seasonings together until just combined. Spread filling ingredients in crust, top with grated cheese, and cover with egg/milk mixture. Slide cookie sheet into oven being careful not to spill.

Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven. Then turn down the oven to 350 and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Goes great with salad and/or soup! Reheats well, too.