Description
Classic spinach quiche emerges as a delightful French-inspired dish perfect for brunch or light dinner. Creamy eggs, tender spinach, and buttery crust combine effortlessly for a memorable meal you’ll want to savor again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cups (296 ml / 10 fl oz) heavy cream
- 1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) finely shredded Gruyère cheese
- 1 (10 oz / 283 g) package of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and thoroughly squeezed dry
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallots
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 (9-inch) deep dish frozen pie crust (preferably butter-based for better flavor and texture)
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Crust Preparation: Position oven rack in middle and preheat to 400°F. Soften pie crust at room temperature, then perforate bottom and sides with fork at 1-inch intervals to prevent bubbling.
- Initial Baking: Bake crust until light golden, approximately 10-15 minutes. Puncture any emerging bubbles to maintain smooth surface.
- Shallot Sautéing: Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat, gently sauté shallots until translucent and tender, avoiding browning.
- Custard Crafting: Whisk eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper in mixing bowl until smooth and thoroughly combined.
- Layering Foundation: Transfer pre-baked crust to rimmed baking sheet. Distribute cooled shallots evenly, then sprinkle Gruyère cheese and arrange fresh spinach leaves for balanced flavor profile.
- Custard Incorporation: Pour egg mixture over layered ingredients, allowing natural settlement and complete coverage.
- Final Baking: Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Bake quiche 50-55 minutes until custard sets completely and top achieves light golden appearance.
- Serving Preparation: Rest quiche 5-10 minutes after removing from oven, enabling custard stabilization and facilitating clean slicing. Serve warm for optimal taste and texture.
Notes
- Crust Preparation Tip: Forking the pie crust creates steam escape routes, preventing unwanted bubbling and ensuring a crisp, even bake.
- Shallot Sautéing Technique: Cook shallots slowly and gently to develop sweet, subtle flavors without introducing bitter burnt notes.
- Custard Consistency Check: Whisk eggs and cream thoroughly to create a smooth, homogeneous base that guarantees a silky quiche texture.
- Baking Temperature Precision: Lowering the oven temperature after pre-baking helps achieve a perfectly set custard without overcooking or cracking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 160 mg