Spinach Quiche

I love spinach! Wow, that's not something I ever thought I would say, but as I try more new things and add healthy foods to my diet, I wonder at how unhealthy my attitudes used to be about food, health and life. Eating healthy and exercising was always something other people did, not me. And that is an attitude I am working on changing.

Anyway, spinach is so very healthy and considering I am so fond of it, I don't eat enough.  Quiche, despite sounding so very fancy (as it was considered around the house when I was growing up), is a hearty, delicious and relatively easy dish to make. It does take some forethought and prep time, but it's well worth all the effort you put into it.

Throw all the delicious stuff right into the pie crust! Here I've rinsed and torn up some spinach.

Added a package of bacon that I cooked up, along with some cheddar cheese. Swiss is a classic and great alternative!

Very proud of this finished quiche, and boy was it delicious!

Spinach, bacon and swiss is a pretty classic recipe for quiches, and I'm sure mushrooms are a common addition as well. Cheddar was my cheese of choice because that's what I had on hand and because it's a tasty alternative that stands up well to the spinach and egg. The trickiest part of learning to make a good quiche has been finding the correct type and ratio of milk/cream/liquid.  Half-and-Half is my usual go-to, but I used whole milk this time and it worked great.

Spinach, Bacon, Cheddar Quiche

Ingredients and tools:

• 1 Premade pie crust (or use your favorite recipe).
• Handful of spinach leaves, fresh (if possible) at room temperature.
• 12-16 oz. Bacon.
• 4-8 oz. Shredded cheese, cheddar or swiss
• 8 Large eggs.
• 1/2 cup (or so) Whole milk or Half-and-Half
• Medium bowl.
• Whisk.
• Frying Pan and tongs.
• Pie pan.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Press pie crust into pie pan, being sure to crimp the edges (if that's your thing) and put back into the fridge. This step can be done last, before assembly -- the key is to keep your pie crust cold.
3. Rinse and tear spinach to desired size, let dry before throwing into pie crust. Don't be afraid to leave the leaves a little on the big size, it'll add texture to the quiche.
4. Cook bacon to desired crispness and let drain a few minutes on paper towels. Tear or chop into large chunks.
5. In mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs as you would for scrambled eggs. Add milk or Half-and-Half, enough to give the mixture a much lighter yellow coloration.
6. Bring out or prepare pie crust. Place the cheese, spinach and bacon chunks in the pie crust, tossing them together with your hands or utensils. Pour in the egg mixture, leaving some space for the filling to expand.
7. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. When done, the egg should appear set (not runny) when jiggled. If you are unsure, slice into the middle with a knife, if you feel like you are cutting into something substantial and your knife comes out clean(ish), it's done. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

You don't need much more than quiche, maybe some orange juice and hash browns, and it's great for having brunch or dinner with friends and family.