Sunday Brunch Quiche
This recipe is courtesy of the Food Charlatan. Check it out here for more tips and ideas.
Ingredients:
1 single pie crust
10 ounces bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 cups fresh spinach, packed and then chopped
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, this doesn't make it spicy, just adds flavor *hot sauce
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
fresh parsley, to garnish
green onions, chopped, to garnish
Cooking Instructions:
Roll out the store bought pie dough and transfer it to your pie dish (this recipe requires a deep pie dish, 1 and 1/2 to 2 inches deep). Fold the edges under and smooth out the crust with your fingers. Crimp the edges of your pie crust.
Place the whole pie pan in the freezer if you have room. Freeze for 30 minutes, or chill in the refrigerator for 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a baking sheet on a rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven to preheat as well for atleast 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon. In a large skillet, add 8-10 ounces chopped bacon (8 ounces is half of a 1 pound package. Cook the bacon over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy. Remove cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Drain most of the grease from the pan, leaving behind about a teaspoon.
Wilt your spinach. Pack spinach into a 2 cup measuring cup. Push it down with your fist. Chop the spinach into bite size pieces and set aside.
When you have drained most of the bacon grease from the pan, return it to the stove over medium heat and add in the chopped spinach. Cook the spinach for 1-2 minutes until it is wilted. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Make the egg custard mixture. To a large bowl or stand mixer, add 4 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks.
To the eggs, add 1 and 1/2 cups cream, 1 cup whole milk, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Grate the cheese. You need a 1/2 cup each of Gruyere, Swiss, and Cheddar for this recipe, but 1 and 1/2 cups of literally any cheese that sounds good to you can be substituted.
Assemble the quiche. Get your pie crust out of the freezer or refridgerator. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Swiss cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. Sprinkle all the bacon on top. Cover the bacon with cheddar cheese. Spread the spinach evenly over the cheddar. Top the spinach with 1/2 cup Gruyere. Give the egg mixture one last stir to distribute the spices, then pour it all over the cheese.
Place the quiche on the hot pan that you have preheated to 425 F in the oven. The rack you bake the quiche on should be in the lower 1/3 of the oven, to help brown the crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make a pie crust shield. Get a square of aluminum foil a little bigger than the size of your pie. Fold it in half, then in half again so that it’s in quarters. Then use scissors to cut out the middle section. When you open it, you will have a square of foil with a circle cut out from the center.
After baking for 15 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 375. Take the quiche out of the oven and quickly shut the door. The crust should be lightly browned. Place your tin pie shield over the edges of your crust and mold it around the edges a bit so it doesn't burn.
Don't forget to lower the temperature. Place the quiche back in the oven (still on the pan) and bake at 375 for another 35-45 minutes.
You will know the quiche is done when the top is lightly browned. Don't over bake! The center of the quiche will still be a little jiggly.
Let the quiche cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes to continue setting. Garnish with parsley and green onions, slice and enjoy!
