Name: Ortega Quiche
Ingredients: 1/2 c melted butter; 1/2 c flour; 1 tsp salt; 10 eggs; 1 tsp baking powder; 8 oz chopped Ortega peppers; 1 pint cottage cheese (Farmers); 1 lb Jack cheese, grated

Why it works: Cottage cheese and cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 126 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Ortega Quiche

Oven400°F, then 350°F

Ingredients

Directions

Make the batter

Mix eggs in bowl (break yolks).
Add all ingredients in order given. Mix well.

Bake and serve

Pour into greased shallow pans.
Bake at 400° for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350° and bake for 30 minutes.
Cut into squares and serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

852Calories

38 gProtein

32 gFat

101 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 7 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Cheese	1 oz (28g) cheddar	113
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Cottage Cheese	1/2 cup (113g) 2%	98
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cottage cheese + cheesetop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together126 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together7,962 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Butter + cottage cheesetop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together376 recipes

Shared aroma: gamma-decalactone (peach, creamy).
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together124,287 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Egg + cottage cheesetop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together601 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).

Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs: Set into the custard structure that holds the quiche together when baked.
Jack cheese: Melts and adds richness and fat, giving the quiche a creamy, savory body.
Cottage cheese: Adds moisture and soft curds that keep the custard tender as it sets.
Flour: Gives the custard some body so it holds together when sliced into squares.
Baking powder: Releases gas in the heat, helping the quiche rise and stay light.
Butter: Adds fat and richness, contributing flavor and a tender texture.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.