Courgette quiche recipe

Our courgette quiche is packed to the brim with a creamy garlic and crème fraîche filling.

This makes a delicious spring or summer lunch. There's enough for 8 people if you serve it up with a salad, and possibly even some sliced cold meats. Go for a salad that is chunky and crisp: fresh fennel, a slaw with a really light dressing or Greek salad, rather than a plain green salad. Instead of making a traditional shortcrust pastry for the case, we've used a version with crushed oatcakes. This makes a tasty, rustic-feeling pastry that really suits the garlic filling. It's really simple to make too, with only four ingredients.

Ingredients

For the case:

• 280g packet oatcakes, finely crushed
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 150g butter, melted

For the filling:

• 3 tbsp light olive oil
• 3 courgettes, sliced
• 150g packet cream cheese with garlic and herbs
• 2 medium eggs
• 200ml crème fraiche
• Salt and black pepper
• 20cm round, loose-bottom sandwich tin, buttered

Method

1. Set the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Heat a baking tray (rather than a baking sheet, in case the filling leaks out).
2. To make the case, tip the oatcake crumbs into a bowl and add the flour and salt, then stir in the butter. Press into the tin in an even layer so it's not too thick around the bottom edge. Chill in the fridge.
3. Put the tin on the heated baking tray and cook in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes.
4. For the filling, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and fry about a third of the courgettes until lightly golden. Drain on kitchen paper. Cook the rest of the courgettes in batches.
5. Beat the cream cheese to soften it and beat in the eggs, creme fraiche and seasoning.
6. Layer courgettes over oatcakes and pour in cream chees mix. Put on the baking tray and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until set.
7. Remove from the oven. Leave to cool in the tin. Chill overnight before removing from the tin. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Top tips for making courgette quiche

If you're pressed for time, you can substitute the pastry for a pack of ready-rolled shortcrust. Blind bake it with baking parchment and baking beans so it doesn't rise or burn when you pre-bake it.

A portion of this dish works out at just 99p per serving and is part of our cheap family meals under £1 a head collection.

You might also like…

600 calorie meals

Low calorie meals

Healthy pasta recipes