Acorn Squash Mini Quiche Recipe

These mini quiches are nice for an appetizer but you could also do a full-sized pie shell to make a main dish.

Acorn Squash Mini Quiche Appetizers

1 acorn squash, cut in half with seeds and pulp removed

2 packages of prepared phylo mini shells (found in the frozen pie shell area of grocery)

2 Tbl. olive oil

4 oz. cream cheese (that's a half of a standard brick)

1/2 small onion diced

2 eggs

1/4 C milk

1/4 C  shredded Guyere or Swiss cheese

pinch black pepper

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

3 Tbl. sour cream and chopped parsley for garnish

Drizzle the cut squash with olive oil, lightly salt and pepper and roast, skin-side down in a 375 oven for 20 minutes, flip over and continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Scoup out flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash with a fork or potato masher and allow to cool to slightly warmer than room temperature. While the squash is still warm, mash in the cream cheese. It's a little easier if you cut the cream cheese into cubes before mashing into the squash. Saute' chopped onion until tender and add to the bowl with the squash mixture. Whisk together eggs, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Stir egg mixture and Guyere or Swiss cheese into the squash then spoon into pastry shells. Bake at 350 until eggs are set and top is a little brown.

Garnish with a little sour creme or creme' fresh and sprinkle chopped parsley on top to garnish.

Note: This could easily be made as just a straight cheese quiche or you could substitute other vegetables for the squash like canned pumpkin or sweet potato.

You'll notice there is little in the way of salt added to this other than the initial roasting process. That's because the cheese is pretty salty already.