Egg contest at State Fair has international flair

NC eggs

RALEIGH – Amanda Boury of Raleigh won first place and $100 for her Greek Quiche at the Incredible Edible Egg International Main Dish Recipe Contest at the N.C. State Fair. The contest was sponsored by the North Carolina Egg Association.

Patricia Sasser of Youngsville won $75 for her second-place entry, French Country Quiche. Mary Boury of Knightdale received third place and $50 for French Breakfast Squares. Judges also gave an honorable mention nod to Toni Gaskill of Greenville for her Chili Relleno Bake.

Contest rules called for each recipe to use at least six eggs. Recipes were judged on taste, ease of preparation, originality and appearance.

The winning recipe follows:

Greek Quiche

¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
¾ cup roasted red peppers, diced
¾ cup artichoke hearts, sliced
¾ cup Feta cheese (any flavor, garlic and herb used in winning recipe)
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pre-bake the pie crust until partially cooked. Remove from oven and scatter vegetables and cheese in bottom of crust. Beat eggs, milk, cream, salt and pepper together. Pour over the vegetables. Bake for 1 hour or until set.

-jkn-2,3

French Country Quiche
Patricia Sasser, Second Place

1 deep dish frozen pie shell
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cooked, loose sausage (any flavor)
1 cup half and half
8 ounces white shoe peg corn, drained
5 ounces evaporated milk

Saute the following until limp in water to cover, about 8 minutes:

¼ cup chopped onions
¼ cup chopped green, red and yellow peppers
¼ cup sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic (add in for last two minutes only)

Thaw pie shell and crimp edges. Place cooked, well-drained sausage to bottom of crust. Sprinkle the Swiss cheese on top of the sausage. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until they are the color of lemons and foamy. Add half and half, evaporated milk and seasonings. Whisk until well-blended. Add drained vegetables and stir until mixed well. Pour slowly into crust over sausage and cheese. Put on a cookie sheet to catch any drips and bake at 375 degrees until golden brown and firm. A knife blade pushed in the center should come out clean when done. Cover the crust with strips of foil if it begins to get too brown. Check after 45 minutes and watch closely until done. Cool for five minutes before cutting into slices. The egg mixture can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator until ready to cook. Sausage and vegetables can be cooked ahead of time and stored until needed.

French Breakfast Squares
Mary Boury, third place

1 French baguette
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
6 eggs
3 cups milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon tarragon
½ pound Canadian bacon, chopped

Cube bread and place into a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Whisk eggs, milk and spices. Stir in cheese and bacon. Pour over bread cubes. Cover and chill for eight hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for one hour or until set.

Chili Relleno Bake
Toni Gaskill, Honorable Mention

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup salsa
5-4 ounce cans whole chilies drained
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (with peppers, preferably)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
6 eggs
1/3 cup flour
1 ¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon hot sauce
Optional garnish: sour cream, chives or cilantro

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch by 13-inch pan with cooking spray. In large skillet, combine ground beef, sausage, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat is browned. Drain well and stir into salsa.

Cut chilies in half lengthwise and discard seeds. Place half of chilies evenly over the bottom of pan. Spoon half of meat mixture over chilies. Sprinkle evenly with half of cheese. Top with remaining layer of chilies, then meat and then cheese. Sprinkle cornmeal evenly over cheese.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and flour until smooth. Whisk in milk, salt and hot sauce. Pour over cornmeal. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until set. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with sour cream, cilantro or parsley if desired.