Every year I tell myself, after I boil way too many eggs in preparation for Easter dyeing, that I’ll cut back next time. And then spring rolls back around and I think, “Maybe this is the year they’ll get really into it, so I’ll just cook up a cool dozen to be safe,” and by this I mean a dozen cartons. So after we dyed about twenty eggs and sent home three dozen with our pod family, we were left with a superfluous amount of cheap, white, hardboiled eggs. Part of me saw this coming, and that part thought: egg salad! Eggs in lunch boxes! Surely there are lots of things we can do with the leftovers!

As it turns out, there really aren’t that many ways to eat hardboiled eggs unless you have a household full of adventuresome palates. Since that isn’t the case in my home, I racked my brain to think of how to utilize them in such as way as to result in consumption prior to decomposition. I know, such a romantic culinary incentive! I also happened to have about half of a quart of liquid egg whites that was approaching its “best by” date, so I concocted a wild idea: what if I mashed up a bunch of the boiled eggs, added the liquid whites and some milk and cheese and salt and pepper, and baked it up into a quiche?

Well, it worked. Next time I’d add some bacon or ham to variegate the texture, and some caramelized onion and spinach would be welcome additions as well. Here I give you:

Double-Cookery Quiche

(serves 8-12)

Ingredients:
12 hardboiled eggs, mashed with fork
1 pint liquid egg whites (or ~six whole eggs, beaten)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded cheese (a mixture of cheddar and swiss would work well)
2 prepared pie shells (or make your own if that’s how you do things)
salt & pepper
Optional additions: small onion, slivered and caramelized in butter, sautéed or fresh spinach, crumbled cooked bacon, ham, or other cured meat cut into small pieces, or any number of other options!

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two pie plates with the crusts. Combine all ingredients and divide the mixture evenly between the two pie dishes. Bake for about twenty minutes or until top is dry and just beginning to think about browning. Allow to cool for a few minutes (it’s good cold, too, though I prefer it warm but not piping hot). Serve with sliced tomatoes, a bowl of soup (gazpacho, anyone?), or a salad. Perfect for a summer picnic!