Sausage Cheddar Quiche

Do you have a favorite cookbook?  I don't mean the latest "cool" cookbook.  I mean the cookbook that you use over and over and over again,  whose pages are smeared with grease stains and spilled cake batter and who knows what that comes flying off the beaters of your mixer?  Please tell me I'm not the only one whose fave cookbook looks like I went dumpster diving for it.  Anyway, that messy favorite cookbook for me is The Southern Living Cookbook, printed in 1993 (not sure if they're all the same).  The messiest page in the whole book is page 218.  The recipe?  Sausage Cheddar Quiche - do you hear the angels singing at the mere mention of this awesome recipe?

Want some background?  When I was in 8th grade, one of my favorite cousins got married.  She invited me to her fancy schmancy wedding brunch hosted by the town doctor's wife.  They lived in a huge historic home on a brick street in southern Arkansas.  The house was restored and decorated beautifully.  The dining room was set up with beautiful tables and crystal and china.  I was only 14 at the time so I felt like a princess at a tea party.  The doctor's wife, Matilda, made her entrance down the grand staircase wearing white from head to toe and in her thick southern accent, she called her husband's name, "Dr. Wynne". 

I was really nervous about the food that would be served.  I was young and not much for frou frou food.  I could see the plates of the people across the room who were being served first.  What is that weird pie looking stuff?  Then the lady in the white apron put my pretty china plate on the table in front of me.  "Here goes nothing" I thought.  From the first bite, I was hooked.  Eggs, cheese and sausage and mushrooms and pie crust - yum!  Heaven on a plate. 

Fast forward to 1994, and the gift of my favorite cookbook.  I was flipping through it one day when I hit page 218 and saw the Sausage Cheddar Quiche recipe.  I've been making it ever since.  Wanna try it?  It's fabulous!!

SAUSAGE CHEDDAR QUICHE




1 pie shell (I use deep dish for no spill over)

1 lb. bulk pork sausage

1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. chopped green pepper

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 -1/2 c. (6 oz) grated cheddar cheese

1 c. milk

2 eggs

Paprika


Line a 9 inch quich dish with pastry.  trim excess pastry around edges (OR buy a frozen deep dish pie crust like me).  Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork.  Bake at 400 degrees for 3 minutes; remove from oven and gently prick with a fork.  Bake an additional 5 minutes. 
Cook sausage until browned. Combine with mushrooms, onion, green pepper, basil, garlic powder; mix well. Spoon into quiche shell or pie shell and top with cheese. Combine milk and eggs, beating just until foamy. Pour evenly over cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes or until set (you may have to cover the edges of the pie crust with one of those fancy pie crust metal things (or foil around the edges) to keep it from burning.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

MMMMM!  Sooo good!! 

I'm linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed With Grace and Tasty Tuesday @ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.