California Avocado Bell Pepper Quiche Cups

Written by our friend Rachael of La Fuji Mama

One of my favorite breakfast foods is quiche. (But to be honest, I would eat quiche any time of day)! Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes for mini quiches baked in muffin tins, many of which are crust-less. I love that it’s a more casual version of quiche, and because of its size, can be eaten on the go. The one problem with this is that if it doesn’t have a crust, then your fingers can get a bit messy eating one with your hands. As I thought about this conundrum (yes, I stay awake at night thinking about these all-important matters), the thought occurred to me to bake the quiche inside something, but something that was a bit less fussy than the traditional crust.

I settled on bell peppers, because I love chopped bell peppers as an ingredient in a quiche, so I knew that the flavors would work well together. I carefully cut off the stems of the peppers then sliced them lengthwise, removing the seeds and membranes.

Then I whisked some eggs together with some salt, pepper, and crushed red chili pepper and stirred in some chopped cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped Fresh California Avocados. Then I spooned the mixture into the bell pepper halves and put them in the oven to bake. The one trick with doing this is that bell peppers don’t always have a good flat side to rest on so that they stay upright once filled. I solved this problem by setting them on top of small ramekins, which worked perfectly.

The finished quiches are exactly what I hoped they would be: single servings that can easily be finger food without making a mess. You could add whatever fillings or flavors you want, but I love the simple combination of the chopped avocados, cilantro, and crushed red chili pepper. The juicy, crunchy bell pepper cups make a perfect contrast to the creamy quiche. Plus, I think they are a really fun way to shake up the quiche scene.

California Avocado Bell Pepper Quiche Cups Recipe

Serves: 8

Prep time: 20-25 minutes
Cook time: 40-50 minutes
Total time:  60-75 minutes

Ingredients
4 red bell peppers (you can use orange or yellow as well, or a mix of colors)
8 large eggs
2 tsp. fine grain sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. crushed red chili pepper
1 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 ripe, Fresh California Avocados, seeded, peeled and diced
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Using kitchen shears, or a sharp knife, carefully cut off the stem of the bell peppers as close to the peppers as possible, without cutting into the peppers. Then slice the peppers in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds and membranes. Place the pepper halves on a rimmed baking sheet, cut side up. If they don’t sit well, place them in small ramekins to hold them upright
3. Whisk the eggs, sea salt, black pepper, and crushed red chili pepper together. Then stir in the chopped cilantro, avocados, and cheddar cheese
4. Spoon the mixture evenly into the prepared bell pepper halves. Don’t fill them all the way to the rim, as the egg mixture will expand slightly
5. Bake in the preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until the mixture is just set in the middle, between 40 to 50 minutes, depending on how deep your bell pepper halves are. Let the pepper cups cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving

‘
*Recipe Notes: These egg cups can be made ahead of time. Just reheat them briefly in the microwave before serving.