Morel Mushroom, Leek, and Italian Sausage Quiche

Kindi Lantz August 15, 2019

Savory Quiche with Wild Mushrooms, Sautéed Leeks, and Italian Sausage

Quiche is a simple, classic French dish that is as suitable for those on a budget as those wanting to entertain friends at a swanky brunch! 

In its simplest form, quiche is a custard made with egg and cream and baked open-faced in a pastry shell. These days, quiches are found with virtually any ingredient combination—from smoked salmon to roasted tomatoes and fermented vegetables to any selection of cheese. Truly, a quiche is a great way to ensure no ingredient in your refrigerator goes to waste! 

Another benefit of quiche is that it is delicious when served hot or cold and the leftovers are just as wonderful as they were the first time. My family loves eating quiche for dinner and then serving up the leftovers for an easy breakfast the next day. 

One of my absolute favorite combinations in quiche is mushrooms and Italian sausage. Today, I used morels because they are rich, earthy, and meaty, but by cooking the sausage first and then sautéing the mushrooms in the excess sausage grease, I’m able to add even more flavor to the dish. 

Morel, Leek, and Italian Sausage Quiche

Yields 2 10” quiches

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
• 1 ounce dried morel mushrooms (plus water for reconstituting)
• 1 large leek, chopped in ¼” pieces (white and green parts)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1 dozen eggs
• ¼ cup cream 
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 oz fontina, grated
• 2 10” pie shells 

Procedure

1. Reconstitute the mushrooms by soaking them in water for at least 30 minutes. Save the morel broth for another use. 
2. Par-bake your pie shells and set aside. 
3. Cook the Italian sausage on medium heat in a large skillet
4. Remove the Italian sausage from the pan and set aside. Do not clean the skillet.
5. Add the leeks, garlic, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1 teaspoon salt to the same skillet you cooked the sausage in.
6. Sauté over medium heat until leeks are bright green and tender.
7. Remove the leeks and add to the sausage.
8. Slice your mushrooms into rings and add to the pan along with the final tablespoon of butter and saute. 
9. Combine the mushrooms with the sausage and leeks.
10. Mix the eggs, cream, nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and fontina together. 
11. Place ¼ of the sausage, leek, and morel mixture at the bottom of each pie shell. 
12. Pour half of the egg mixture in each pie shell and place the remaining morel mixture on top, using a spatula to smooth it down into the egg mixture. 
13. Bake at 375℉ for 25 minutes, or until the egg is cooked through and the crust is golden brown. 

Serving suggestions: 

This dish is perfect for any meal—breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! Using a pie server, slice it and place it on a plate aside fresh greens. Serve hot or cold.

For a low-carb option, place all ingredients in a greased baking dish without the pie shell.

Unable to find fresh morel mushrooms? Don’t sweat it, morels hold both their flavor and texture when dried and reconstituted. You can find some of the highest-quality dehydrated morels right here!