Did you know keeping a chicken in the kitchen is supposed to bring good luck? In some cultures a rooster in the kitchen window means “There’s health and prosperity here.” My grandmother kept a collection of ceramic chickens in her kitchen and  my mother has a small collection of them too. So when I saw these modernized versions  of traditional chickens, I had to pick them up. Who doesn’t want a little good luck?

These chickens in the kitchen gave us the idea for a new blog feature. Once a month we’re going to try to bring you a Kitchen Tips from Nerdy Chicks. You know, a favorite time-saving recipe or trick for the super-busy nerdy chick.  We’re not culinary experts, we’re just trying to make life easier for us… and you! So here is my Oh-My-Goodness-I-Have-No-Dinner-Plans fall-back recipe. This is very easy, I almost always have the ingredients on hand, and people think it is more complicated to concoct than it is. Also, I cannot tell you how many kids over the years have eaten this while at my house hanging out with my children, and not a single picky eater has ever turned it down. It takes almost no time to make, but you have to have about 45 minutes for it to bake, so plan a little ahead.

No-Fail Quiche

You only need:
6 Eggs
1 C milk
1 C grated cheese (just about any kind)
1 Pie Crust (You can make it without a crust if you grease the pan.)
1/2 tsp salt
1 C meat or vegetables (most anything works)
1 Dash pepper. Paprika works too.
3 T chopped onions (optional!)
Then you just:
1. Beat eggs together with a spoon or wire whisk.
2. Add milk and continue to beat.
3. Stir in salt, pepper, and onions.
After that you:
Cover bottom of pie plate with cheese and vegetables/meat, then pour egg mixture over that. Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes. Knife inserted should come out clean.

For my favorite kind of quiche, I deviate from this recipe a bit. I fill the pie crust with broccoli, so it is more like two cups than one, and I include the onions. This will make a larger (and to me) more delicious quiche. But those picky eaters I was talking about… some of them would turn it down! And here’s a tip if you are really low on supplies: sandwich ham works for this, though I wouldn’t use a whole cup!

Final plug for this recipe: it freezes beautifully and is easy to heat up in the microwave. What kitchen tips make your life easier?

Happy Cooking!