Sometimes you discover an idea that you wish you’d thought of first. Chocolate chip cookie shot glasses? Guacamole grilled cheese sandwiches? Cake pops? All brilliant, but they’re sadly the brainchild (brainchildren?) of other people.

And how about little single-serving quiche made in bread bowls? Not my idea, but I love them just the same! I saw them on some random blog back in the day. I adore the idea of miniature food and single serving snacks (for years, I’ve loved the Hors d’Oeuvres Handbook by Martha Stewart, mostly for the pictures inside!). Instead of serving a whole gigantic quiche to your breakfast or brunch guests, why not create individual versions stuffed with all their favorite quiche fillings, adorably crammed into little bread bowls? Tell ’em the idea was yours alone. I won’t be bummed if you take the credit — they’re just too cute!

For these little quiche, I made two separate versions. The filling amounts in the recipe will yield 6 little quiche a piece, though I split the fillings up and made three of each. Look for soft white dinner rolls, about 4 inches across, if you can find them. If you’re not into white bread, I imagine whole wheat or the like would work just as well! Having a larger breakfast/brunch party than just 6 people? This recipe is easily scaled up for a crowd!

mini bread bowl quiche,
two ways

ham, green pepper, onion + cheddar:
(yields enough for 6)

3/4 c (about 3 oz) thin sliced black forest ham, chopped small

3/4 c (about half of one large) green bell pepper, chopped small

3/4 c (about 1/4 of one large) yellow onion, chopped small

6 Tbs grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 Tbs vegetable oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

bacon, leeks + gruyere:
(yields enough for 6)

2 oz / 6 Tbs (3 – 4 slices) bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 leek, washed and chopped small (about 1 1/2 c), tough green parts removed

6 Tbs grated gruyere cheese

1 Tbs vegetable oil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

quiche egg mixture:
(yields enough for 6)

10 eggs

1 1/4 c half-and-half

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Six 4-inch bread rolls
(French, multigrain, whole wheat, etc)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. To whip up the quiche egg mixture, crack the eggs into a medium sized bowl and whisk in the half-and-half, salt and pepper until the eggs are all well beaten and there are no streaks of yolk or white visible. Set the bowl into the fridge (or make this filling a day or so in advance! It’ll keep in an airtight container) while all the filling ingredients are cookin’.

For each variation, the basic method is the same. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium-low heat and add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, throw in the veggies (either the green pepper and onion, or the leeks). Sautee the veggies and add the salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until the veg is fully cooked, soft, and just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and put the veggies into a bowl while the meat is prepped!

The great thing about the black forest ham is that it’s already fully cooked. Chop up the necessary amount and set it aside in a small bowl. For the bacon, place the required number of slices onto a paper towel-lined baking dish that’s microwave safe. Cover the slices loosely with another paper towel, and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Turn the slices over, heat 2 – 3 minutes more until they’re brown and fully cooked. The bacon will crisp up more when it’s cool, so don’t fret if it’s still bendy! When the cooked bacon is cool, crumble it up into a small dish and set it aside. Grate your cheeses and set them aside as well.

Now, it’s little bread roll time! Grab your rolls and slice off about the top 1/4 from each roll. Using a thin knife, cut vertically around the inside of the roll. Pull out the innards (save them for breadcrumbs!) and hollow out the rolls as best you can, leaving a thin layer of bread all around the inside. Make sure not to cut or tear any holes in the rolls, as the egg filling will come pouring out later.

Tear some sheets from a roll of aluminum foil, as many small sheets as you have rolls. Spray these sheets with cooking spray or brush with a little butter or oil, and wrap each hollowed out roll in a little nest of foil. It’ll prevent excessive browning of the outsides of the rolls, and it’ll hold in any of the egg filling if it happens to sneak out!

Set the foil-wrapped rolls onto a sheet pan, and portion 1 rounded tablespoon of veggie filling into each bread bowl. Top the veg with 1 tablespoon of the meat of your choice. Pour 2/3 cup of the quiche egg mixture into each bread bowl on top of the veg and meat. Sprinkle the egg mixture with 1 tablespoon of your cheese. Pop the pan of mini quiche into the preheated oven and bake  them for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. When the quiche are done, the egg should be puffed with no watery areas, and mostly set. If you wanna be sure they’re done, take the temp of the egg filling; it should be around 155-160 degrees when you take it from the oven (the heat will carry over and continue cooking the egg just slightly to a fully done temperature of 165).

Let the little quiche cool slightly, and gently peel the foil nests away from the rolls. Serve these little cuties warm, preferably with a side of fresh fruit (I like sliced strawberries), a cup of coffee or tea, a mimosa, a Bloody Mary, or whatever breakfast/brunch beverage floats your boat!