Lazy Lady Quiche with Swiss Chard and Feta
- 1 day old medium size loaf white country bread, sliced thin (about 1/4 inch)
- 3 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
- Olive oil, if needed
- 2 bunches rainbow swiss chard, rinsed, leaves stripped from stems and roughly chopped, stems chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 9 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups milk
- 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cups crumbled feta cheese
Arrange bread on a baking sheet and let stand until stale. You can speed the process by placing in a low oven and toasting until dry and crumbly.
Heat oven to 375. Set a large skillet over a low flame. Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp and nice. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon from skillet and set aside. You should have about 2 tablespoons of fat left in the pan. If skimpy add a little olive oil to make up the difference. Add chard leaves and stems, season well with salt and pepper and dry sauté a few minutes until just wilted and soft. Be careful not to scorch. Add garlic and cook a moment or two more. Return bacon to pan and toss to combine. Cook until all liquid has evaporated from pan and then emove from heat.
Crack eggs into a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in milk and cream. Season mixture with about 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.
Line the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish (more or less) with a layer of sliced stale bread. Cover bread with all but 1/4 cup swiss chard mixture and top with all but 3 tablespoons of the crumbled feta. Repeat process - creating two layers of bread, vegetables and cheese - one much thicker than the other. Pour egg mixture over the filling - you may not need quite all the custard. Let stand a few minutes so that custard can sink in and then top up dish if needed.
Transfer dish to oven and bake about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake until filling is golden, puffed and set - about 30 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.