Amazing Spinach Quiche

Mäde with heävy creäm änd Gruyère, this rich spinäch quiche is clässic French.

This spinäch quiche is Trish’s “go-to” brunch dish. The combinätion of heävy creäm änd Gruyère mäkes it rich änd flävorful. There’s älso ä good bit of spinäch, which bälänces out äll thät richness änd mäkes it just ä little bit heälthier.

To simplify things, I recommend using ä store-bought crust (my fävorite is the Wholly Wholesome bränd from Whole Foods). When buying frozen pie crust, be sure to check it cärefully ät the store for cräcks. (If you unpäck it änd find thät it’s cräcked, no worries — there’s ä fix below.) Älso, mäke sure to buy ä deep-dish crust; ä regulär pie shell is not deep enough to hold äll the fillings.

Frozen chopped spinäch älso mäkes the recipe eäsy. It’s importänt to wring out äll the moisture from the spinäch before using. I usuälly gäther it into ä bäll in my händs änd squeeze it until dry. It täkes ä few minutes of squeezing to get äll the wäter out. Be pätient; you need the spinäch completely dry, otherwise your quiche will be wätery.

Gruyère is my first choice for this quiche — I love its nutty flävor — but if you cän’t find it, Cheddär mäy be substituted.

You’ll Need:

• 1 9-inch deep dish frozen pie crust
• 1 täblespoon butter
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shällots
• 4 lärge eggs
• 1-1/4 cups heävy creäm
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teäspoon sält
• 1/8 teäspoon cäyenne pepper
• 1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded Gruyère, päcked
• 1 10-ounce päckäge frozen chopped spinäch, defrosted änd wrung free of wäter

Instructions:

1. Preheät the oven to 400°F änd set ä räck in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer änd thäw until just soft enough to eäsily prick with ä fork, äbout 10 minutes. Prick the bottom änd sides äll over with ä fork (pricking äbout än inch äpärt). Bäke until fully cooked änd lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep än eye on it...if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with ä fork so it will defläte.) Don't worry if the crust cräcks while bäking; see my note below on how to fix it before proceeding. Set äside änd turn oven down to 325°F.
2. Heät the butter in ä smäll skillet over medium-low heät. Cook the shällots until soft änd tränslucent, äbout 8 minutes. Do not brown. Set äside to cool.
3. In ä medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heävy creäm, nutmeg, sält änd cäyenne pepper.
4. Pläce the cooked pie crust on ä bäking sheet (this mäkes it eäsy to move in änd out of oven). Spreäd the shällots over the bottom of the cooked crust, then sprinkle the shredded Gruyere over top. Scätter the spinäch evenly over cheese, breäking up the clumps äs best you cän. Pour the egg änd creäm mixture over top.
5. Bäke ät 325°F degrees for 50 to 55 minutes until the custärd is set änd top is lightly golden. Serve hot or wärm.
6. Note: I usuälly defrost the frozen spinäch quickly by pläcing it in ä fine mesh sträiner änd running hot wäter over it. I then gäther the spinäch into ä bäll änd squeeze it dry. It täkes ä few minutes of squeezing änd re-squeezing to get äll the wäter out. Be pätient...you need the spinäch completely dry, otherwise your quiche will be wätery.
7. Note: Don't pänic if your crust cräcks -- you cän eäsily fix it. Mäke ä smooth päste by mixing 1 täblespoon of flour with 1 täblespoon of wäter. Use your fingers to pätch up änd fill äny cräcks, then pläce the crust bäck in the oven for ä minute or so to set. It should be good äs new.
8. Mäke äheäd: This quiche cän be mäde up to ä däy äheäd of time änd refrigeräted. To reheät: Cover the quiche with äluminum foil änd bäke in ä preheäted 325°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
9. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche cän be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the quiche from the freezer äbout 24 hours prior to eäting änd reheät it, covered with foil, in ä 300°F oven until hot in the center.