Corn, Roasted Red Pepper and Cheddar Quiche

“I’ve found that Fritos are an amazingly adaptable ingredient,” says Kaleta Doolin (daughter of Charles Doolin, inventor of Fritos). “Their crunchy texture and salty corn taste make a great counterpoint to sweet ingredients, and their familiar flavor adds a little taste of nostalgia to many contemporary gourmet recipes.”

This Recipe Makes 3-4 Servings

Whatcha Need:

For the Fritos Crust:

• 3/4 cup Fritos corn chips
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg

For the Filling:

• 1 ear of corn, kernels scraped
• 1 leek, white part only, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 roasted red bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Whatcha Do:

FOR THE CRUST:

Pulse dry ingredients in a food processor until they have the consistency of a fine meal. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add egg, and pulse 10 more times, or until the dough forms a ball. Press into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.

FOR THE FILLING:

Sauté corn kernels and leeks in butter until tender; set aside. In a bowl, whisk together eggs and half-and-half. Add sautéed corn and leeks, red bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350º. Press chilled dough into pie pan or tart pan to form a uniform ¼-inch crust. Bake covered with aluminum foil and pie weights for 15 minutes, or until firm and light-golden brown. Remove crust from oven. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Pour in filling mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until filling has set (about 30 minutes).

Source:

• Kaleta Doolin Family Archives
• Chef Jennifer McKinney