Sausage & Cheese Quiche

I absolutely love quiche.  I think it is so versatile because you can change the fillings at any time.  Don't want sausage? Swap in some bacon.  Don't want any meat? Add some spinach, or asparagus, or mushrooms.  Switch up the cheese.  Switch up the seasonings.  It's basically an omelette in a pie shell.  For this recipe, I received inspiration from a magazine and then built my own from there.  For this quiche, I used Opa's Jalapeño Smoked Sausage and some shredded Gouda cheese that I had in the fridge.  I like looking at what I have leftover in the fridge and making something yummy out of it :) The leftover sausage will most likely be used in a delicious jambalaya in the next few days.  If you don't have access to Opa's sausage, any link-style sausage or even a bulk sausage will work.  If using a bulk sausage, I suggest using 1/2 pound.  You can substitute leeks, white onion, yellow onion, shallots, or even purple onion for the green onion.  Enjoy!

Sausage & Cheese Quiche

• 1 9-inch pie shell, unbaked (homemade, frozen, store-bought, whatever)
• 2 small links Opa's Jalapeño Smoked Sausage, sliced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2/3 cup shredded Gouda cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup half-and-half
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375F.  Slice sausage into rounds and lightly brown on both sides in a skillet over medium heat. You can cut the sausage into smaller pieces if you desire.  If using bulk sausage, crumble and brown the sausage thoroughly.  Remove sausage from the skillet, removing all the grease except for approximately 1 Tablespoon.  Add onions to the pan and sauté lightly.  Place sausage, onions, and cheese in the bottom of the pie crust.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, half-and-half, and salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.  Pour over the sausage-onion-cheese mixture.  Bake for 25-35 minutes or until the eggs are set and the top is lightly browned.