Cut the yolks, use low-fat milk for a healthy quiche makeover

While a quiche can be a perfect dish for a holiday brunch or light supper before a party, all the cheese and eggs can pack a wallop of unwanted fat.

The problem is that if you reduce the cheese or use low-fat versions, you often lose a good deal of the flavor.

So where to cut? Each egg contains 5 grams of fat, and it’s all in the yolk. So this is an obvious place to start.

While many egg dishes can be made with only whites, the results tend to be rubbery and lack the beautiful yellow color, so you’ll want to leave in some yolk.

Here’s the trick for knowing how many yolks you can cut from a recipe. Most savory egg recipes work well when you use all of the egg whites called for, but only half the yolks.

With this 2-to-1 egg white to yolk ratio you’ll have little change in texture and richness. The volume change is minimal since the white accounts for the better part of the egg’s bulk.

This recipe for sweet onion, Gruyere and bacon quiche enhances the eggs with a generous amount of full-fat cheese to guarantee great flavor.

Using a blend of low-fat milk and evaporated skim milk instead of the heavy cream found in many traditional quiche recipes also helps to cut the fat but keep the rich taste.

Switching from regular bacon to turkey bacon reduces saturated fat even further.

The quiche is perfect for impromptu holiday entertaining. It reheats well and also is delicious cold.

Add a salad of mixed greens or a tropical fruit salad, some crusty French bread and you’ll have a delightful light meal.

6slices turkey bacon

1cup chopped sweet onion (about 1 medium)

2teaspoons olive oil

2large eggs

2large egg whites

3/4cup evaporated skim milk

3/4cup low-fat milk

2teaspoons cornstarch

1/2teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4teaspoon salt

1/4teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4grated Gruyere cheese

1frozen deep-dish 9-inch pie shell

Place oven rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In the microwave or on the stovetop, cook the turkey bacon until crisp, according to package instructions. Crumble and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in crumbled bacon and set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg whites. Add evaporated milk, low-fat milk, cornstarch, pepper, salt and nutmeg, then whisk to combine.

Mix cheese into cooled onion-bacon mixture, then spoon the mixture into the pie shell in an even layer. Pour the egg mixture evenly on top.

Bake the quiche for 30 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top and set in the center. Transfer to a rack to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 247 calories; 14 g fat (5 g saturated); 73 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 12 g protein; 1 g fiber; 438 mg sodium.