Quiche is versatile. It’s what I love best about making it! You can conveniently use the ingredients you have on hand plus it’s great for breakfast, brunch or dinner.
I made two quiches. A broccoli and cheese (this time I used Sargento Shredded 6 Italian Style Cheese; I usually pair broccoli with cheddar, but this was just as good) and a second quiche with Organic Girl Baby Spinach…which I had left over from a salad I made earlier in the the week.
As far as the pie shell goes, you can make your own if you know how, and have the time. Or you can buy a ready made brand that you like. This time I used a pie shell I found at my local Whole Foods; Wholly Wholesome brand organic frozen pie shell. I usually buy organic, especially the things we have everyday or eat often. Pie, we don’t have very often, so I have used the Pillsbury brand and it’s good too. Conveniently, the frozen pie shells come with two in the package. If you’re planning on making two of the same or two different types of quiche, please double the ingredients below, as they are for one quiche.
I made these for a quick Sunday brunch. I also served fresh fruit with a yogurt dipping sauce on the side and of course…fresh brewed coffee.
Ingredients:
- One 9″ frozen pie shell
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- (For a broccoli quiche) 1 small head of broccoli, cut into bite size florets
- (For a spinach quiche) 2 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- Freshly grated nutmeg or a couple of pinches of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 to 3/4 cups shredded cheese
- Salt and fresh ground pepper
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 ºF.
- Allow the frozen pie shell to defrost a bit on your counter while you prepare the filling. Once the pie shell is lightly softened and before filling, prick the base of the shell with the tip of a fork about 6 times around.
- Crack the eggs into a medium bowl, add the whipping cream and mix using an electric mixer. If you do not have an electric mixer you can place the eggs and cream into the jar of a blender and mix until blended. Set the egg mixture aside.
- Heat olive oil in a saute pan on medium/high heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic. Saute for about 5-7, until the edges of the onions start browning. If the garlic starts to turn brown as well, lower the heat. Season with a generous pinch of salt and ground pepper.
- Add the broccoli and sprinkle another pinch of salt over the broccoli. Grate some fresh nutmeg or add a pinch of ground nutmeg. Stir until the broccoli is bright colored but still firm. If adding spinach to your quiche, when you add the spinach, turn the heat off and allow the heat of the pan to wilt the spinach slightly to where it’s just tender and not fully cooked (this takes just seconds). Also add salt, pepper and nutmeg to the spinach. If you are making a meat based quiche, I would not add nutmeg. Set the filling on a plate so it does not continue to cook and allow it cool a bit before adding to the pie shell.
- Add the cooled filling to the pie shell and spread it throughout so it covers the entire base of the shell. Pour the egg mixture over the filling. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top. Using a fork, gently blend the cheese to incorporate into the filling, add a small bit of cheese sprinkled on the surface. This allows it to brown nicely on top.
- Place the unbaked quiche on a rimmed baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean. Serve warm or room temperature.
On The Slab 