Spinach Bacon Quiche

What we love about this Bacon and Spinach Quiche

The filling is amazing. The custard is rich with 4 eggs, an egg yolk, and a combination of heavy cream and milk. I use half cream and half milk instead of half and half because it results in a slightly richer egg custard (see more in my notes at the end of the recipe about this). Each bite is so creamy and delicious! Then, when you add bacon, spinach, onion, and cheese, it really is an amazing combination of flavors. This is an absolutely favorite quiche of ours and is perfect for feeding guests or for special occasion breakfasts.

I love our pie crust recipe. Our recipe for a Pie Crust Using a Food Processor is easy and foolproof. I have tried many pie crust recipes that were so much more challenging and frustrating. I love that the dough comes together in the food processor. It rolls out and transfers easily to the pie pan and shrinkage is minimal when you bake it. I use half butter and half shortening in the dough. The shortening helps the dough maintain its shape and structure while adding additional tenderness and flakiness to the crust. It is perfect with the quiche, no soggy crust at all! A frozen prepared pie crust is an easy substitute here, but if you are up to trying a homemade pie crust, it tastes amazing with the quiche and is easy to do! You can make the dough or pie crust in advance to make preparation time easier on the day you cook and serve the quiche.

If you are looking for other breakfast and brunch favorites, try our delicious Orange French Toast!

What you need to make Spinach & Bacon Quiche

You will need the following ingredients:

• Par-baked pie crust or frozen pie crust
• Cooking oil or bacon fat
• Spinach
• Onion
• Milk
• Heavy cream
• Eggs
• Cornstarch
• Salt
• Coarsely ground black pepper
• Cayenne
• Nutmeg
• Bacon
• Swiss cheese

Bacon and Spinach Quiche Recipe Substitutions

I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:

1. I use half cream and half milk instead of half and half because it results in a slightly richer egg custard. Half and half is closer to 75 % milk and 25% cream, it is not half of one and the other, but rather a combination of the two to create between 10.5 & 18% milk fat. You could substitute half and half, use more milk than cream, or vice versa.
2. We use Swiss cheese in this recipe, but gruyere cheese or a combination of gruyere and Swiss cheese would be excellent. If you want to try cheddar or part cheddar, that is a possibility, too. We like cheddar cheese best in our Broccoli and Bacon Quiche.
3. While we love this quiche with our homemade pie crust, you could substitute a premade frozen pie crust for a homemade crust to save time. Just follow the directions on the package for a single-shell pie that needs to be filled and baked.
4. The fillings here are very flexible. You can omit the onion or spinach if you want more of a classic Quiche Lorraine. You can substitute a variety of vegetables, cheeses, or proteins like ham, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, and gruyere cheese.

Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1. Follow the directions for our parbaked pie crust or if using a frozen pie crust, follow the package directions for single-shell pies that need to be filled and baked.

Step 2. Using 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat if the bacon was recently cooked or other cooking oil, saute onion and spinach in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes until onion is translucent and the spinach is wilted. Set aside to cool.

Step 3. In a large bowl, or using a blender, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, eggs, egg yolk, cornstarch, salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg until the eggs are completely blended with all of the ingredients.

Step 4. Fill the bottom of the pie crust with ¾ cup of the shredded cheese. Sprinkle the cooked bacon over the cheese, then cover the bacon with the cooked onion and spinach.

Step 5. Pour the egg mixture over the spinach mixture and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese.

Step 6. Carefully place the quiche in the oven and bake for 35-45 minutes. Check at 35 minutes. If the center of the filling is still loose and jiggly like jello, loosely cover it with foil to prevent the crust from excessive browning and check every few minutes until the center is almost completely set. The center should have the slightest jiggle when you gently shake the dish. It will finish setting when removed from the oven.

Tips

For a perfectly baked quiche, you want to remove the quiche from the oven slightly before it is completely set. You don’t want the center loose and jiggly, but when you gently shake the pan, the center should have the slightest jiggle as it will continue to set once removed from the oven. An overbaked quiche can curdle. A thin-bladed knife inserted in the center should come out clean, however, cheese in the filling can make the filling appear to still be wet. I start checking my quiche at 35 minutes and loosely cover it with foil then to avoid any excessive browning of the pie crust. Keep your eye on it every few minutes as the center continues to firm. I rarely use a knife test, but keep my eye on the center of the quiche.

These 9-inch pie pans are the perfect depth for quiches and pies. This brand has pie pans with fluted edges or flat. I own both kinds and often use the flat pan for quiches.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store quiche?

Completely cool the cooked quiche to room temperature. Cover the quiche with plastic wrap or foil and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Quiche can be additionally stored in a large freezer bag (I like 2 gallon resealable bags) and frozen for up to 3 months. The texture of the quiche and crust may be altered after freezing. While you can make a quiche in advance before baking, I personally wouldn’t store the unbaked filling in the pie shell overnight or longer in case it resulted in a soggy crust. Making the crust in advance, however, can really ease preparation time when making a quiche.

How to prepare and store pie dough or a pie crust in advance?

a. Pie dough, well wrapped, can stay in the fridge for 2-3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use the pie dough, thaw overnight in the fridge before using it. You will need to let it come to room temperature for at least 10 minutes before rolling out.

b. To store the pie dough after it is shaped in a pan, place it in a freezer-safe bag to store, the 2-gallon-sized bags are a nice size, and make sure your pie pan is freezer-safe. You can bake it frozen, just make sure to bring it to room temperature while your oven preheats.

c. To store a baked pie crust, wrap it in foil and place it in a freezer-safe bag. Store it in the freezer for up to one month and thaw overnight in the fridge before using

How to reheat Spinach Bacon Quiche?

A quiche can start to lose a little of its texture once stored in the fridge and to keep the crust crisp, I recommend reheating a quiche in the oven. Cover quiche loosely with foil and place in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until warmed through. You can reheat slices in the microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through, but the texture may be affected. Quiche can also chill overnight or for a few hours and be served cold if desired.