Cheeseburger Quiche

I confess: I totally stole this idea from Cathy at Noble Pig.

Easter Sunday night, having had Easter dinner on Saturday to accomodate my college students' need to return to school, I wanted something easy to cook. I also wanted good, solid protein to counteract the Gertrude Hawk dark chocolate coconut cream eggs I'd stuffed my face with earlier. (OK, so I only ate 2. Let's not ruin a good story with details, OK?) If you don't live in eastern PA and have not luxuriated in Gertrude Hawk chocolate, you are really missing something wonderful.

Anyway, I've made this twice. The first time, I made a crust for it, like the one I made for my 6 starving people. On Easter, I skipped the crust. I just wanted protein. It worked out very well each way.
CHEESEBURGER QUICHE FOR A HORDE

1 crust (make an oil crust in the pan or buy one and fit it in the pan)
2 pounds ground beef
2 minced onions
3 minced tomatoes
1 cup sweet pickles, minced
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp mustard (I used dijon)
12 eggs
1-1/2 cups cream
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef with the onions in a pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain well. Stir in the tomatoes and pickles, and pour half into the 11"x17" baking pan. Top with half the cheddar cheese, and spread the rest of the beef mixture in the pan. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top, then top with the remaining cheddar cheese. In a bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then beat in the mustard and stir well. Add the cream and milk, mix well, and pour over the meat and cheese in the baking pan. Bake at 350F for about an hour, until the center is set and a knife inserted in it comes out clean. Let this sit for a few minutes before serving.

Patrick ate his with salsa on top; the rest of us ate it as is. Note that Cathy's was much more elegant and complex; she added bacon and hot sauce. She also used relish instead of chopped sweet pickles. So, Cathy, thank you for the idea, and I hope you don't mind that I butchered your recipe!