Monday, February 23, 2009

Cheddar Veggie Torte

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. One of my best friends Tara came to visit me for a brief but wonderful overnight stay. We have been friends since 7th grade when we both lived in NY. She moved to Florida shortly after we became close but time nor distance has ever stood between us. I came to Florida years after & we now just live 2 1/2 hours away. 

We had a great time, laughing & catching up. We enjoyed ~ an afternoon in my quaint little downtown, sipping on Blue Moon at a sidewalk cafe ~ Mojitos by the pool as the sun was setting ~ a brisk afternoon walk by the lake ~ a tearjerker chick flick ~ and sharing some time in the kitchen. I knew I wanted to make this recipe for Tara's visit as soon as I saw it. 

Perfect for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Or if you prefer, this makes for a nice breakfast or brunch. Oh heck, dinner too! It's good anytime. I will definitely be making it again!!!!! 

It's loaded with lots of veggies. With only 4 eggs, it's more like a torte than a quiche. And with a multi grain cracker crust, it's simply delicious!


1-1/3 cups finely crushed multigrain crackers
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
5 small fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz spreadable garlic & herb cream cheese
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tblsp crumbled cooked bacon (I used turkey bacon)
2 tblsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (I used dried basil)

In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs & butter. Press onto the bottom of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, mushrooms, onion & red pepper in oil until tender. Spoon over cheese.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in bacon. Pour over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; remove sides of pan. Garnish with basil. Serve warm or chilled. Refrigerate leftovers.


{My Thoughts}

You can substitute whatever veggies you prefer. This is best at room temp so let sit for a bit when out of oven. To re-heat leftovers from the fridge, just place a slice in the microwave for no more than 30 seconds to get the chill out.



For more Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays Please Visit Lisa at Blessed with Grace!

34 comments:

Kristina P. said...

I love quiche, so this would be right up my alley!!

Scary Mommy said...

YUM!!! Love the crust- I always use pie crusts, but this is so much better!

~Marie~ said...

This looks delish.. thanks for sharing!!

Jen said...

now that is really different. Another good one to try.

Michelle said...

That looks so good. You do a good job taking pictures of the food you create. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness, that looks delish!

Sara said...

This looks great, I love the idea of a cracker crust!

Deanna said...

This sounds wonderful! The cracker crust is a wonderful change.

Christy said...

I can't wait to make this.. thanks so much!!!

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet said...

Yum! This sounds delish! I love the uniqueness of the cracker crust, too. Thanks for sharing!

Have a great Tuesday!
Sherry

Anonymous said...

Sooooo how many people have you done? And I say people because you may bat for both teams, I dunno.

Oh yeah, torte/quiche thing looks good!

Love ya babe!

Tam said...

I love things like this..this is my go to comfort foods. A Torte A quiche or a Frittata....OOOO plus YES these things go well at room temp. and are easy to travel with if need be.

Hope all is going great!

jo@blog-diggidy said...

yummy!! thanks for a great recipe!!

Brenda said...

I love this kind of a dish but I have never tried one with a cracker crust, I bet it would be good. I'll have to try this!

Pam said...

What a fun day with a good friend. Your torte looks simply amazing.

starnes family said...

This looks heavenly.

The book is much better, fyi. Love most of his stuff.

Lump said...

oh my goodness this looks AWESOME.

Rachael Schirano \\ Rachael Schirano Photography said...

this looks yum, yet again!

glad you had such a wonderful visit with your friend :)

i wanted to stop by to thank you for the comment on my guest post on tiffany's log last week...thank you!

JMBMOMMY said...

Yum! Looks so good!!!

Claremont First Ward said...

This looks really good. I like that the veggies can be substituted around. Yumm.........I love that you have such a close network of friends!

Lisa@BlessedwithGrace said...

Hey Steph. I am so glad that you had a great visit with your friend, Tara. Keep your special friendships is so important. I think that many people, myself included, let some friendships die away and then regret those loses! So, I am glad you have been able to keep that bond. Good for you!!
Thanks for another yummy recipe, this week. It does sound wonderful!

Rachel said...

Sounds like a great time with your girlfriend!!! And Bluemoon; a girl after my own heart!!!

This dish looks great...now I am hungry again LOL

Coco said...

Yummy! I make crustless quiches for dinner a lot. This whole wheat crust will be perfect.

Smores for Breakfast said...

that looks delish! Breakfast is my favorite food so this is perfect for me!

Lula! said...

Of course I printed this on out. It is so right up my alley.

So glad you got to spend time with your friend. And so glad you and I will one day do the same...we WILL, girl. Bet on it.

tiarastantrums said...

looks delicious and so happy you had a wonderful girly day with you bud!

Cupcake Dessert said...

that looks so yummy!!!

Sweet Pea Chef said...

this looks delish and such a nice change of pace from my typical egg dishes. thanks!

Unknown said...

Holy Cow this looks good! I am going to print this out and make it on Sunday morning. I think the boys will love it.

Anonymous said...

I honestly need to stop meeting you like this....I've gained 8 pounds and I am not sleeping at night {that's because of the coffee press}...the madness must stop.

I'll be back...after I buy bigger jeans. Thanks again for another wonderful recipe.

michelle matthews said...

Yummy!!!
What a super fun weekend! How cool that y'all have been close friends for so long. That is awesome!

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home said...

This looks great. So many colors and flavors. Wow!

Angela said...

Oh this will be perfect for breakfasts (now that I'm trying to do healthy breakfast again!) Yum! I love all the veggies in it. And it's beautiful to look at too! Great job Steph!

Marcie said...

I am jealous...I haven't been cooking much lately...I hate when that happens! Work takes over. Love the latest posts! Gonna try this for sure! :)