Quiche is an egg custard, baked in a pastry shell. The most commonly known is Quiche Lorraine, which adds Gruyere cheese and bacon to the basic egg custard. However, the varieties of quiche found in homes and restaurants today are nearly endless, with cooks adding ingredients like salmon and goat cheese or asparagus, onions and hot peppers. Quiche is versatile and can be served at breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Formal Luncheon
If you are hosting or catering a formal luncheon, you will want to present the quiche in a way that reflects the mood just as much as the table setting and centerpiece.
One way to achieve this is by serving individual quiches on china dishes, accompanied by an arugula salad. Give your guests a choice of quiches and include vegetarian and lower calorie options.
You also may arrange a variety of whole quiches on a serving cart to be cut and served to order, much like cake on a dessert cart.
Buffet Luncheon
If your luncheon is buffet style, there are a number of ways you can arrange the quiche.
Present the quiche on the buffet table as a whole pie. Be sure to label the different choices and when a guest makes her choice, cut a piece and place it on her plate. This is the best of both worlds because the guest is not juggling her plate while she helps herself to the quiche.
Another way to arrange quiche as part of a buffet is to cut it into pieces and place the pieces on small plates as appetizers. Arrange the plates in a pleasing fashion on the buffet table and keep the area supplied to avoid an empty-looking table. Label the different types to avoid any confusion.
Another option is to cut the quiche into slices and arrange them on a serving platter garnished with fruit or vegetables that complement them. For example, you may want to counter the cheese and bacon in a Quiche Lorraine with apple and orange slices.
Casual
Perhaps you have invited a few friends over in order to catch up, or you're hosting a laid-back book club meeting, and you've decided to serve quiche because it is relatively easy to make and can be served at room temperature. This scenario calls for a casual approach; family style fills the bill.
Place whole quiches on the table that have been cut into slices, and when everyone is seated, pass the quiches around. Be sure each guest has a knife and fork to make removing the quiche from the pie plate easy.
Tags: arrange quiche, buffet table, cheese bacon, into slices, Quiche Lorraine, whole quiches