Julia is the creator of the Roasted Root, a food blog with an emphasis on savory recipes where nutrition is cooked into every bite without sacrificing flavor. We love that she is a self-taught cooking enthusiast who prioritizes using whole foods and high quality grains in her cooking and baking.
Make Mother’s Day festivities into a Whole Grain Brunch! Check out Julia’s creative Cornbread Quiche recipe below as an idea for Mother’s Day. Looking for something sweet? Don’t forget about the Strawberry Frangipane Tart with Brown Butter Brown Rice Crust.
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Let’s talk quiche. Let’s talk quiche for a whole grain brunch! I was very excited when Bob’s Red Mill and Attune Foods asked me to be a part of the Whole Grain Brunch that they are hosting the merry month of May. For the brunch recipe, I combined Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal (medium grind) with Attune Foods Gluten-Free Corn Flakes cereal; out of this happy marriage came a cornmeal pie crust with a wonderful corn flake layer between the buttery flavorful crust and the sausage & veggie packed quiche filling. Between the whole grains, protein and veggie vitamins, this quiche not only makes for a well-balanced meal, it is also a definite palate pleaser!
If you like quiche, you’ll love this. If you like cornbread, you’ll love this. If you like food…..you’ll LOVE this! The cornmeal crust with the cornflake layer definitely gives a sort of cornbread feel while maintaining the flaky composure that any great crust should have. As far as I’m concerned, the word quiche translates to “brunch”…you just can’t have a brunch without quiche the way I see it. This one is packed with sausage, mushrooms, asparagus and sweet potato. Sound strange? I promise, it’s great! While I tend to make cheese-less quiches, Gruyere would work wonderfully in this recipe should you choose to add cheese.
With Mother’s Day around the corner, you can plan in advance for your mom’s brunch with this quiche. It is still a classic recipe, but with a whole grain kick and a unique flavor punch. A lot of this recipe can be prepared ahead of time – for me this is a plus. It still takes me a hot minute to compile a pie crust, as I’m no pie crust baking whizz, so I prepared the crust the night before I made the quiche. You can even prepare the meat and veggie filling ahead of time for extra planning brownie points.
Cornbread Quiche
Ingredients:
For the Cornmeal & Cornflake Pie Crust
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
¾ cup Bob’s Red Mill Cornmeal (medium grind)
¼ cup Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Starch
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and chopped
7 tablespoons ice water
1 cup Attune Foods Erewhon Gluten Free Corn Flakes
For the Quiche Filling
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ sweet potato, chopped into ¼” pieces
¼ cup liquid, such as water, chicken or vegetable broth
6 stalks asparagus, bottom 1” inch removed and discarded, remaining stalks chopped into ½” pieces
2 stalks green onion, coarsely chopped
5 portabella mushrooms, chopped into 1/8ths
4 small breakfast sausage links, chopped into ½” pieces (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon curry powder (optional)
7 eggs
¼ cup cream (optional)
½ cup shredded gruyere cheese (optional)
To make:
For the pie crust
In a mixing bowl, food processor or mixer (I used my KitchenAid with the rounded whisk attachment), combine the cornmeal, whole wheat pastry flour, tapioca starch, salt. Pulse/mix until these ingredients are combined.
Slowly cut in the chilled chunks of butter, about a tablespoon at a time all the while mixing. Mix until little beads the size of peas (or smaller) form.
Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing between tablespoons. The dough will begin to come together. Once all of the water has been added, take the dough in your hands and form a ball. Place dough on a floured surface, kneed a few times and then press it into a disc about 1.5” thick. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour (or overnight. If you refrigerate overnight just be aware it will take a little longer to roll the dough out because the butter will re-solidify and the dough will be hard).
After the dough has chilled, uncover it and place it on a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it about 1/8” thick. If the dough splits around the edges while you’re rolling it, simply press it back together. It’s okay if you don’t end up with a perfect circle because there is enough dough to cover a 9.5” x 2” pie dish with a little extra.
Lightly oil your pie dish with olive oil. Carefully transfer the rolled out pie crust to the pie dish and gently pressing it into the dish, ensure the whole surface area is covered.
PRICK PIE CRUST WITH A FORK multiple times. This is an important step because it allows air to ventilate through the quiche – without this step you run the risk of your eggs spilling over and creating a big ol mess in your oven.
Spread the corn flakes over the pie crust evenly and now your quiche is ready to be filled.
For the quiche
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium-sized skillet, add the olive oil and heat to medium. Add the sweet potato first and sauté covered, about 4 minutes. Add liquid about a tablespoon at a time, waiting for it to steam off before adding more, keeping the skillet covered, cooking the potatoes another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the cover from the skillet and check the potatoes for level of “done-ness” – they should be softening up but still be al dente. Add the sausage and brown 1 minute before adding the mushrooms and asparagus. Continue adding liquid whenever necessary to help cook the vegetables. Sauté about 5 to 8 minutes until the sweet potato is soft. Add the green onion, remove from heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, add the eggs and whisk. Add the salt, pepper and curry powder. Whisk until well combined. If you are adding cream and shredded cheese, do so now and stir until the shredded cheese is saturated with egg.
Pour the vegetable and sausage contents into the pie dish. You can fill it to the brim, but if there’s too much filling, simply save some of the sausage and veggies for later. Carefully pour the egg mixture over the filling evenly. Gently tap the pie dish on a level hard surface a few times.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until crust and top are golden brown and the egg is firm but has just the slightest jiggle. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.
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When Julia of the Roasted Root is not working or cooking, she spends her time playing outdoors in the mountains. Cycling, mountain biking, snowboarding, hiking, and travel are her main hobbies; balancing health, fitness and fun with work is her approach to life. Julia aspires to work with various companies as a recipe developer promoting nutrient-dense foods.
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