Muffin Tins Are Key To The Best Crowd-Pleasing Quiche

Quiche is a divine sight to behold on a table. With its hearty-yet-delicate crust and golden eggy filling dotted with whatever colorful veggies or meats the cook decided to include, quiche has the power to rev appetites from 20 feet away. It reigns supreme among egg or appetizer recipes, being equally at home on a breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack table. It's far from dull, too — there are variations galore for quiche, ranging from meat-filled to vegan with dozens of pit stops in between. There's a quiche out there for everyone, and that wonderful fact is also one of the hardest things to get right about this eggy delight when you're trying to make it for a crowd — which version do you go with?

Typically, quiche is prepared as one single pie. While we love the experience of cutting that perfect slice — the one that holds together beautifully on the trip to our plate — there's a lot to be said for using individual muffin tins for quiche when trying to please a group of guests. The potential for variety is endless when you've got a dozen or so little wells at your disposal instead of one single pan. There's also something to be said for the joy of seeing an array of cute mini quiches in front of you, just waiting for you to make your choice — or, more realistically, your choices.

Muffin tin quiches work equally well with or without crusts, so your first step is to choose whether you want to do a mixture of both or focus on one type. If going with the crust, either homemade or store-bought works fine. There's no need to blind-bake your crust with muffin quiche. Just roll it out after it's been chilled for at least two hours, and use a 2 ½ or 3-inch round cutter to cut out as many quiches as you're looking to make. Firmly press these into each muffin well after giving the tin a quick coating of nonstick spray.

The filling is where things get really fun. To make 24 muffin quiches, lightly beat 12 eggs, one cup of milk, and a ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Then add a tablespoon of your vegetable or meat filling to the crust in your muffin tins. So, if you're making mini versions of mushroom and leek quiche, for example, you'll add your mushrooms, leeks, and cheese here. Since you have two-dozen muffin wells to play with, feel free to use up any quick-cooking leftover veggies in your fridge. The more variety among your quiches, the better — plus, it's a great way to reduce food waste! Finally, pour in your egg mixture and bake at 375 F for about half an hour.