Spinach Quiche
Description
I don’t make a lot of quiche because frittatas are so easy to throw together, but this is easy (especially if you have your pastry ready), fancy, and very delicious. Sally’s recipe screams brunch to me, but I tried whipping this up on a day when everyone had to eat at different times – and everyone loved it! at all of the times! – enjoy!
Ingredients
1 unbaked pie crust – I used my Brown Sugar recipe this time but Anna’s is the house favorite
300 g frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
1 T. olive oil
227 g sliced mushrooms (I made a note that roasted butternut squash would also be very tasty in this)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
a pinch of salt and a good grinding of fresh pepper
4 eggs AND 1 c. (240 g) whole milk
1/3 c. (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan + an extra couple of tablespoons for the top before baking
1 c. (113 g) freshly grated old cheddar
Instructions
Roll out your prepared crust so that it’s a little larger than the usual ‘bottom pie crust’ – a good inch and a half overhang all the way around your pie plate. Tuck the bottom into your pie plate with your fingers but try to leave the top edges ‘loose’ – the crust will shrink unevenly when you par-bake it and if it’s not really tight, then usually the filling will sort it out. Crimp the top edges, slightly on the outside top edge, and then chill the crust for at least a half hour.
Preheat the oven to 375, lay a sheet of parchment over the chilled crust and fill the bottom with evenly distributed pie weights. Bake for about 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown, then remove from the oven, carefully lift out the parchment and hot pie weights, dock/prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, and then bake again for another 7 minutes or so until the bottom is just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside while you make the filling. You can do all of this ahead if you wish, but cover the cooled crust well before refrigerating (Sally says for up to 3 days).
When you’re ready to make the filling and bake your quiche, heat up the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper and then stir and cook for several minutes until no moisture remains in the pan. I changed up Sally’s instructions here and added the spinach, cooking for another few minutes to remove all moisture (instead of making the thawed spinach the first layer in the quiche). Set the skillet aside to cool for a bit. Preheat the oven to 350.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, then whisk in the Parmesan (and maybe another pinch of salt and pepper). Spread the cooked mushroom/spinach filling evenly across the bottom of your crust, evenly sprinkle on the cheddar, pour on the egg mixture and carefully use a corner of a spatula to help the liquid work it’s way evenly through the vegetable layer, then sprinkle the top with a titch more Parmesan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the center is just about set. I find giving the edge of the pie plate a little shake (using an oven mitt), is the best way to tell if the middle is done. Make your best guess, over-baking is a tragedy!, and then leave the quiche to rest for 15 minutes (or cool completely to room temperature) before serving. The center will continue to cook as it sits and it absolutely needs to rest if you’re going to get clean slices. This is wonderful straight up but also makes a great lunch/brunch with a salad.
