Mini Caramelised Onion and Tomato Quiche Recipe

Each of these mini cheese and caramelised onion quiches is topped with a slice of tomato, a dab of garlicky oil and a sprinkling of pepper.

Makes twenty-four 6.5cm diameter quiches.

500g red onions (about 2 very large onions)
40ml (2 tablespoons) oil
40ml (2 tablespoons) balsamic vinegar
36g (2 tablespoons, firmly packed) brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 teaspoons (10ml) oil
4 medium roma tomatoes (about 335g total)
3 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (we use sheets that measure about 25cm by 25cm)
4 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
125ml (1/2 cup) cream (35 to 40 percent fat)
125g (1 1/4 cups, firmly packed) grated tasty cheddar cheese

Peel onions. Cut onions in half, and then thinly slice.

Heat 40ml (2 tablespoons) oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until onion is limp and its colour less vibrant.

Add balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and salt to the saucepan, and stir until the ingredients are well combined. Reduce heat to low and cover saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, until onion is very soft and caramelised. Remove lid and continue cooking, stirring every couple of minutes, until the mixture is thick and just beginning to catch on the bottom of the saucepan. If your onion mixture hasn't reached this stage after about 10 minutes, increase the heat to medium to speed the process.

Remove saucepan from heat, set aside, and allow the onion mixture to cool to room temperature. The onion mixture can be cooled in the refrigerator if desired.

Preheat oven to 210 degrees Celsius (190 degrees Celsius fan-forced).

Combine crushed garlic and 10ml (2 teaspoons) oil in a small bowl and set aside.

Generously grease two 12 hole non-stick muffin pans (1/3 cup capacity holes).

Cut tomatoes into about 1/2cm thick rounds. You will need 24 slices of tomato.

Using a round cutter with a diameter of 8cm, cut 24 rounds from the pastry sheets. Press pastry rounds into the muffin holes to cover the base and a little of the side of each hole. If you are making the quiches in two batches, keep half the pastry in the refrigerator while the first batch is cooking.

Using a fork or small whisk, beat eggs, cream, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl until well combined.

If you have one muffin pan only, set aside half of the grated cheese, caramelised onion, and egg mixture before you start filling the pastry cases. This will ensure that you have the correct amounts of these ingredients for the second batch of 12 quiches, and make it easier to divide the ingredients evenly among the cases.

Divide grated cheese evenly among the pastry cases.

Spoon a scant tablespoon of egg mixture into each pastry case. Divide caramelised onion evenly among the quiches.


Top each with a tomato slice.

Spoon a small amount of garlic oil onto each tomato slice and season with pepper.

Bake quiches for about 22-24 minutes, until puffed and golden.

Remove quiches from pan while hot. If any have stuck to the pan, loosen with a fine-bladed knife. Serve quiches hot or at room temperature.

Store quiches in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Suitable to freeze. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au