Italian Sausage Quiche

I found this recipe in a magazine and made it the other night to rave reviews. Garreth says it has a new place in his top five favorite dinners. Gotta love it when a new recipe is a hit!

Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inch)

1 lb bulk Italian sausage

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

4 tsp chopped seeded jalapeno pepper (wear disposable gloves!)

1 cup (4 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3 eggs

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp minced fresh parsley

1 tsp minced fresh basil

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp salt

dash garlic powder

dash cayenne pepper

1) Roll out pastry to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Transfer to pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate; flute edges. Line unpricked pastry with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Fill with pie weights. (Uncooked beans or rice works, too.)

2)Bake at 450 for 8 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake five minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

3) Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion, green pepper, and jalapeno over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Spoon into shell and sprinkle with cheese.

4) In a large bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients; pour over cheese. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.