Some of you may recall Bisquick’s ‘Impossible Pie’ recipes published back in 1978. They were called ‘impossible’ because it made its own crust as it baked. There was no need to make a separate bottom crust before adding the main ingredients, and the Bisquick mix. Baking in a hot oven, this concoction magically became a glorious, thick quiche-like pie with a golden surface. Once out of the oven and cooled a bit, it sliced cleanly and released from the pan flawlessly.
The headline on their newsletter at the time read: ‘Bisquick Makes the Impossible Possible’. It wasn’t long before the number of impossible pie recipes grew to more than 100, including everything from beef, chicken/turkey, ham, sausage & bacon, fish & seafood, meatless to fruit pies. In 1997, the name was changed to ‘Impossibly Easy Pie’ in an effort to reach a new generation of cooks.
At some point in time, the original recipe was evidently removed from the Bisquick box. By the 1980s the North American diet was undergoing dramatic changes. In keeping with the low-fat diet recommendations that became so popular in the early ’80s, recipes for the heavy, rich foods we had previously favored were forgotten.
Nevertheless, quiche is supreme. This self-crusting, asparagus quiche made with gouda cheese and topped with prosciutto does not use the Bisquick mix but follows the same theory. Quick, easy & delicious!
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- 350 gm young asparagus , peeled
- 180 gm gouda, cheddar or swiss cheese, shredded
- 1 Tbsp flour for dusting cheese
- 2 scallions, trimmed & thinly sliced crosswise
- 50 gm prosciutto, cut into bite size pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4-1/2 tsp veg salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- chili flakes, optional
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill, coarsely chopped
- 3-5 slices prosciutto
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9-10-inch pie plate or ceramic quiche dish. Set aside.
- Use a veggie peeler to trim away the outer skin of the asparagus spears. Trim away the bottom 2-inches of each spear. Slice on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces, leaving tips intact. Set the tips aside.
- Grate cheese & toss in a bowl with 1 Tbsp flour making sure to evenly coat as this will help suspend it in the custard as opposed to having it all settle to the bottom.
- Whisk eggs, milk & cream together until frothy in a medium bowl. Season with thyme, salt & pepper.
- Spoon 1/2 of the sliced asparagus spears all over the bottom of the dish. Scatter 1/2 of the scallion slices over asparagus. Scatter 1/3 of the cheese over all veggies. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp chili flakes over this (if using). Scatter 1/3 of prosciutto slices over the cheese.
- Repeat with remaining veggies & another 1/3 of the cheese & prosciutto.
- Pour the egg mixture gently over the veggies & cheese. Top with the remaining cheese & the dill.
- Add the remaining prosciutto pieces & the asparagus tips over the cheese at this point as well, so that they will be slightly elevated, for presentation. You can use the extra slices of prosciutto slices to make prosciutto 'roses' for extra eye appeal by folding them in half lengthwise & rolling the up in rolls. Gently fold the edges out & down, to create the look of a rose.
- Place on a baking sheet & bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown & set. The center can still be ever so slightly giggly, but it shouldn't be soggy soft.
- Remove & allow to sit for a good 20 minutes to let the residual heat continue cooking the eggs. We enjoyed this quiche with a warm piece of focaccia bread.
