spinach quiche, revisited
The strangest thing has happened to me this summer; my obsessive pining for the next new recipe has waned. Gone are the days when the thought of cooking something I have already made was enough to make me not cook at all. Instead, it seems that this site is finally working for me: I have an archive of recipes I adore, largely ones that work as they should, and the answer to “What should we have for dinner?” is now, quite frequently, “Ooh, those kefta meatballs were so good. Let’s have them again!”
Eager to break the routine of working and eating by myself nearly every single day since I began freelancing this summer, I had a friend over for lunch on Friday, but I also had a lot of work to get done that day. Was this the time to make that new savory tart I have been eying for the fall? No. Was this time to go to the store and buy more stuff, when our refrigerator was already brimming with the remnants of our North Fork farmers’ markets finds the weekend before? No.
It was time to make a simple tomato salad, zucchini carpaccio and, most importantly, to revisit my favorite quiche. This was one of the first quiches I ever made, it remains one of my go-tos and I suspect it always will. One of my favorite parts about it is the accessibility of the ingredients. In some lucky cases, I already have them on hand, but that may just be because many of the ingredients are the core ones in my everyday cooking.
It’s also one of these gorgeous recipes that’s impossible to break. I have made it with different cheeses and it still worked. For an Atkins-prone family member, I have baked it in a greased glass quiche pan without a crust. I have swapped the light cream with heavy, and gone in the opposite direction and used skim milk or even evaporated low fat milk. I have used red or white onions instead of scallions; I have added a smashed clove of garlic. I have par-baked the crust, but I generally don’t bother and don’t find it particularly soggy. I have used a homemade tart shell and I have used a store-bought one, but I will not admit which one I worked with yesterday.
And I know what you’re thinking: Haven’t you already told us about this? Yes, but if there is even one person out there that hasn’t made it yet that will so after today, this post will have fulfilled its quota.
P.S. It makes an excellent Sunday night dinner as well.
One year ago: Chocolate Babka–it has been specifically requested that I make this again this month. Time to start the stomach crunches!
Two years ago: Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies
Spinach Quiche
Adapted from Adapted from Bon Appetit, October 1991
I generally use one half-recipe of Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee, minus the sugar, rolled out and pressed into either a 9-inch round pie dish or removable-bottom 9-inch round tart pan as the base. You can par bake this if you wish, though I generally do not. The original recipe calls for a sheet of puff pastry as the shell. It is not my preference to do it this way, but I am sure others would like it.
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup half and half (or milk)
3 eggs
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup grated cheddar (gruyere works well, too)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
4 to 6 green onions, thinly sliced (1/2 cup finely diced red or white onion or shallots work as well)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Preheat oven to 425°. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in half and half and eggs. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.
Well, I for one hadn’t even discovered the world of food blogging when you first posted this recipe, so I’m glad to see it now! I am a pie crust away from having all the ingredients for the quiche in my kitchen (and I don’t think I have enough butter to make my own) but I will bookmark it and make it at some point, definitely. So this post fulfilled its purpose!
You’ve successfully fulfilled your quota of one! I’m definitely making this today. But first, how much cream cheese?
do not worry about repeating anything! there are a few of us out there
who are just finding these wonderful blogs about food…simple,
beautiful food. thank you for your time and effort to share them…
love quiche.
I appreciate it immensely when you revisit things as I’ve yet to have the chance to read every post you’ve done.
This sounds like one of the quiches my Mom used to make that she never left a recipe for. I look forward to giving it a try.
Aww, Martha’s Pate Brisee recipe has been moved. Have a new link/the recipe? Thanks in advance :)
how much cream cheese?
Tory, the original recipe calls for 1 3-ounce package, so I think that’s a pretty good bet.
The quiche link on Epicurious didn’t work for me, so here’s another link (hope these aren’t blocked):
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/SPINACH-PUFF-PASTRY-QUICHE-2551
And here’s the Martha Stewart one:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/pate-brisee-pie-dough
I will be making this as soon as I can share it with someone who doesn’t scorn vegetables.
Love this. I make a similar tart with ricotta and spinach.
Love the concept of this recipe and - as always - the photos.
Just one possibility to vary: i love spinach with feta cheese as a delicious alternative to Gruyere.
I have some mascarpone cheese that I need to use..that should work instead of cream cheese, right? Swiss is okay too? Maybe a glunk of sherry or marsala wine?
Whoops — links and cream cheese amounts are fixed now. I use the Martha Stewart crust without sugar for quiches.
I will be one of those people that is making this simply because you posted it again. Thanks for revisiting it. I have a recipe I use quite often very similar to this, but I’ll try any new spinach quiche recipe. I can eat an entire one myself they’re so good!
Mmm yum! Quiches are definitely one of my go-to recipes too. The first thing I ever cooked on my own was a quiche lorraine that turned into an ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ quiche. :-) I will have to add this recipe to my repertoire.
If I didn’t already have stuff thawed for dinner, I would be making this. Maybe tomorrow night.
Wow! I accidentally discovered your site today. You are my new favorite food site.
I agree. I love an “excuse” to revisit or first discover a previous post. Looks like I dropped in just in time. Spinach Quiche sounds good to me!
Can’t wait to see you on Martha’s show this week. You have an amazing blog and I love Martha!
Funny you posted this today since I’ve been wanting to make this again. We loved it the first time. But even better, I just bought a new tart pan with a removable bottom last week and have been dying to give it a try.
It was yummy, as always. We paired it with salad for a nice, light dinner tonight.
Thanks Deb, your first post on this quiche was before I became a SK reader and I for one and *very* happy you revisited it!
You said beautifully just how I feel about the spinach quiche I’ve been making for years. It is my go to recipe — as a large savory tart or individual 4-inch tarts; with cherry tomatoes on top, or roasted red peppers if I have them on hand. Sometimes bacon will be added. I will usually use a gruyére, but a plain old Swiss or even cheddar will sometimes be substituted. And it is heartily enjoyed any time of the day!
Yum! Thanks for sharing, I’ve never used cream cheese before.
A friend taught me a trick for spinach or broccoli quiche: put a very thin spreading of dijon mustard on the crust and let it soak in a bit before pouring the egg mixture in - a subtle shift in flavor that I enjoy…
I appreciate that you added the bit about using puff pastry sheets - on weeknights, as a full-time working parent, the puff pastry would be quicker (at least in my head). I can reserve the homemade crust for special Sunday evenings. (P.S. Your photos are beautiful!)
I love this quiche. Since you first posted it, I easily make it once a month. Glad to see you revisit it!
I am so, so grateful for your extensive notes on how you have fiddled with your recipes, and this one especially. I need to get back on an Atkinsish plan (fewer “white” carbs) and am thrilled to know this can work crustless.
As a cook with zero intuition (I can’t just grab things and say, hmm, I’ll bet this would be awesome! or even figure out what’s “missing” from a bland dish) I really appreciate the “other ways this works” stuff you include. Many thanks!
Deb, I am loving all the breakfast-y stuff. As Tori Amos noted “breakfast at every hour - it could save the world.” BREAKFAST! Sorry, I just love breakfast.
Two years ago today…mmmmm… nuff said ;-)
I agree! I am also one of the few who are just beginning to discover the beauty of the food blog and all its wonders. It’s absolutely delightful to see these recipes online and the personal stories that are tied into them =)
I’m making this tonight. After lusting after your blogs for 6 months I am finally going to get off my arse and make something. Look at all your beautiful tomatoes! I’m so jealous. What do you dress them with? Oh, joy.
I like to add a touch of nutmeg and cayenne to my spinach quiche. Seems to brighten the dish a bit.
Melody C.
This looks like a good recipe with only 3 eggs! the ones I’ve come across usually require a lot!!
Spinach and eggs are one of my favorite food pairings, add a whole lotta dairy and a nice pastry crust (I’m not a fan of the puff pastry-quiche either) and I’m in heaven! Thanks for sharing!
There is nothing like a good bevy of tried and true recipes.
I am RUme winner #1284,
Haven’t been contacted for my mailing address.
THe blog said you were contacting everyone on Friday…I don’t want to miss out :-(
Oh, how I want to make this right away. I even have all the ingredients (sans cheddar/gruyere) and have been looking for an excuse to use my pretty new tart pan again. But sigh, last night I made Michael Chiarello’s Polenta Lasagna after seeing that episode on Food Network 3 times in the past week. Needless to say, we’ll be eating that for the foreseeable future. This quiche is definitely happening this weekend though! (Is it sad I’m already planning my weekend meals on a Monday morning??)
When something calls for a package of frozen spinach, I never know how much fresh to use. We have tons of fresh spinach in our garden! And also lots of eggs from our chickens, so I am always looking for ways to use them too.
Kate — We had a busy weekend. I will contact you and the other winners today.
Amy — To use fresh, 10 ounces of trimmed, chopped and cooked fresh spinach will work the same. Since it loses liquid as it cooks, perhaps you should start with a pound (stemmed/trimmed) to get as close as possible without going over/under.
mmmmhhh,
jai faim!
Hey! Are you just being modest or did I miss the announcement you are going to be on Martha Wednesday??!!!!
Hello! That’s awesome, I’ll be setting the DVR tonight :)
have a great week,
April
Well, I haven’t seen it before and am quite excited to give this one a try. Your post can be considered a success! :)
Hey everyone– About the Martha thing, I promise I’m not just being modest. I am actually not supposed to be on the show that day. I know I had originally been in consideration to be a cooking guest–which would have been awesome, of course–which might be why my name ended up on the listings. Nevertheless, I will be there that day so you might get a glimpse of me in the audience, along with a lot of bloggers. Hope that clears it up. You now know as much as I do. ;)
Completely unrelated to the spinach quiche . . . but I understand the feeling of not wanting to make new recipes. This summer, I have found a core set of recipes that I love (the slow roasted tomatoes are in that stack), I just keep fiddling around with variations on the same bunch. One of my favorites this summer that you MUST try sometime is Michael Chiarello’s lemon-braised artichokes on his Season by Season website. I know that it’s not artichoke season in New York (I will make you a little jealous by letting you know that we are still getting lovely artichokes in Florida) but once artichoke season rolls around again, try his recipe out. I have tried it with regular globe artichokes and baby artichokes (the babies win), with all the oil the recipe recommends and with half the oil and white wine, and with fresh herbs and dried. The recipe never fails and the artichokes are always creamy, tender, and packed with melt-in-your-mouth lemony-herb goodness.
Deb, Is there something amiss with the web site? For the past two days I have no photos! I need to see your beautiful photography to entice me!
Akila — That sounds like my dream dish. Artichokes are, in fact, my favorite food on earth.
Hi Kathleen — There have actually been many, many changes to the Web site this weekend–including a server migration and we upgraded all of the backend technology–however, there should be no reason everything isn’t work now. Also, it shouldn’t have affected photos.
Is anyone else having trouble viewing the photos? Very concerned! Thanks.
You know, I haven’t made this before… well, not your recipe. I’ll try it next week! Sounds delish!
Nope, no problems viewing the pictures for me! I love your site, by the way. It always makes me want to cook and bake more!
The last pic on the Choc Babka isnt loading for me, but that’s ok… perhaps my keyboard will spared more drool.
Hey Deb, is the time etc accurate for a 9″ pie dish?
Ha ha. GMTA. My kid had a hankering for quiche, and that’s what we had Saturday night. I use a recipe from Epicurious, probably about the same time frame as the Bon Appetit one, but slightly different. Of course I have meat lovers in my family, and we had to have bacon. I didn’t have bacon on hand, but Canadian Ham. I use caramelized onions and spinach for the vegetable portion. I’m rather boring and always use swiss.
Hi Steph — Whoops, yes. 9-inch pie dish or 9-inch tart pan. I have updated the recipe to reflect this now!
Wow, I can’t believe it. I actually have every single ingredient for this recipe. I even have a disc of Martha’s pate brisee in the freezer. Thanks!
What beautiful photos, like always! This looks like a classic go to recipe!
awww, this was the first Smitten Kitchen recipe I ever made, and it was delicious.
Looks like it’s time for me to revisit it, too!
You had me at the cream cheese . . . . .
No problem with the fabulous photos here. And, as usual, you are a delite to read. My wife wants this quiche - NOW! Frankly, I don’t know how you find the time to keep this stuff up… but I, for one, hope you continue for, oh, a few more decades. This cold-cruel world needs you, Deb - as evidenced by today’s stock market. What the world needs now is your warm, cuddly, Spinach Quiche!
Oh, nom nom nom nom! I love how spinach-y that is. Like you, I’m making the same things again only in slightly different ways. Last year was shepard’s pie, this year it’ll be shepard’s pie with lamb instead of beef.
I’ve made this awesome recipe twice now and once made it with broccoli and cheddar instead of spinach. Delicious!
awesome recipe! I just have to say that those tomatoes look soooooooooo good. like gems for your kitchen :)
Another uninitiated soul here. Missionary work successful!
How do you think this would taste with beet greens instead of spinach?! I know, it sounds crazy, but I have a ton of beet greens that I can use or lose! I will definitely try this as you offer it. Sounds really good for a fall dish. Chocolate Babka!!!! Love this stuff.
Noticed you’ll be featured on the Martha Stewart Show this week, can’t wait to watch it! btw, this quiche looks awesome!
I have to keep myself from making that quiche weekly! I made it a few months ago upon buying my first tart pan and fell in love with the recipe.
Man, I miss quiche from when I was a kid. Spinach is one of the best kind too, but cream cheese? I think I’ve only had it with ricotta cheese, but I love the idea of using cream cheese.
So funny. I just made this for a friend for the first time on Friday after searching your recipe archives, and it got rave reviews. I did add sauteed crimini mushrooms to it, and it was SO yummy and the cream cheese made it creamy. Yum!
This looks fab, and so much to be done with it… feta, double smoked bacon, sundried tomatoes all come to mind… what doesn’t spinach and pastry get along with?
hi Deb!
Just wanted to say I love your blog…great posts and recipes. Can’t wait to see you and Matt on the Martha Stewart show this week, good luck!
p.s. I’ve added your blog to my blogroll…http://basilgazing.wordpress.com.
My blog is rather new, but you all are such great inspiration…thank you!
Ciao,
Jackie
i love quiche. i love spinach. this looks amazing. and i even have half a martha stewart pate brisee dough round in the freezer, OMG, you read my mind!! this is definitely getting made soon!
I haven’t had quiche in ages… And spinach is one of my favorite flavors, Deb. This looks really good.
Just a little note- this quiche freezes really well! I always double the recipe and pop one in the freezer for later. Just cover with foil and reheat low and slow. It will be just as good as the day you prepared it!
I tried the zucchini carpaccio and it was fantastic! I picked up a load of zucchini over the weekend, so have been looking for some different recipes. Love the texture.
WHOA! That’s a lot of spinach! My kinda of quiche as I am not an egg person, yet I eat them all the time. Go figure?
Love, love, love the photos!
I am how you were. I hardly will ever make something I already made. What’s the point? There are so many great recipes and I have to make them all! There’s no time for repeats. :)
Actually, you writting about it has relieved the pressure because I also like the familiarity and confidence I have with the old-great-tried and true recipes I have.
And trying to find the next craziest and newest recipe is hard sometimes.
This spinach quiche looks sooo great and easy to make. I would make this over spanakopita anytime. Thanks!
Just made it and hade a taste. Delish! I decided to fry the onions a little bit before adding it; all else I kept the same. Yumm….thanks!
This is the first recipe I’ve tried from your site. I made it last night & it was fantastic. I served it with sliced tomatoes & basil, and some steamed asparagus. My husband loved it too. What a lovely meal. Thanks so much.
I made this last night for my girlfriends. It was wonderful. More runny than I thought it would/should be, but the taste and color and presentation were totally worth it. Is my oven tempermental, or did anyone else find it more gooy than other quiches? I used pilsbury rolled pie crust instead of making my own. (PS, that’s my cooking phobia… never decide to learn to make pies and pie crust a week before 10 pies are needed on Thanksgiving.) That made it the easiest and fastest get-together dish I’ve made in a long time. I’m so tired of pasta for my vegetarian friends and this is my go-to website for anything meatless.
This really is impossible to break! I made an odd substitution, I fudged a little bit with some amounts, I cut the recipe in crazy ways and baked it in two mini dishes… and it’s still fantastic! Thanks for posting and fueling my somewhat new love for spinach dishes.
Mine didn’t turn out runny at all. I keep a little oven thermostat in my oven & cooked at the temp & time listed. My oven IS tempermental. I also used a Pillsbury pie crust. They’re such an easy way to get a quiche going quickly.
This is so on my list … I think the only thing I need is the shell, or I may make it crust-less - and serve it with a wonderful whole grain bagette I just picked up - YUM! I may try egg whites (maybe one yolk) and swiss, because they go so well together with spinach …
I love breakfast food for dinner as well.
I will make this sometime within the next few days and I’ll review it on my site.
My mom Tivo-ed Martha … but I haven’t watched it yet. Can’t wait.
I pulled this recipe out of your archives about a month ago–and it was wonderful & reliable. And guests wanted the recipe. I’ve been meaning to experiment more with subtracting some of the fats, so good to hear it stands up to substitutions pretty well too!
Definitely a favorite!
I just found your blog recently, so I’m so glad you repeated yourself. I made this quiche today with Butterkase and it was SOOOO good. It’s definitely a keeper. Thanks so much!
Delicious!
I, too, made mine without a crust. I replaced the Parmesan with Cotija and used low fat milk and cream cheese. It still turned out beautifully.
Thanks!
Okay, so maybe I am crazy here, but I have made this quiche recipe about 3 dozen times since you first posted it a year or two ago and my brain has frozen. I can’t remember whether I’m supposed to cook the pate brisee once it’s in the quiche pan and before I assemble the whole thing to bake or if it goes in the oven with all the quiche ingredients “raw.” Can you help me? I need to take better notes on my recipes!
You can parbake it, if you wish, but I generally don’t, in part out of laziness and in part because I don’t find it gets a particularly “soggy bottom” as Julia Child used to call it.
I love quiches, I really like the looks of this one. I too just discovered your site tonight as I am in search of green food for my son’s kindergarten class St Patrick’s Day Potluck. I think I will run to the store in the morning and grab some mini tart shells and do the minis. Hopefully the kids will just think it is suppose to be green and not catch on that it is spinach! Thanks for ending my quest. I love the look of your site and will be bookmarking it to use it often! Keep the vegetarian dishes coming!
I think is should be 8 oz. of cream cheese? Can you verify?
I just made this for Easter Brunch. Excellent flavor, great main dish with baked ham, wildly popular among guests. Using an 11-inch tart pan, I made 1.5 Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee recipe. Will definitely make again and incorporate a whole-wheat tart crust. Delicious!
Megan - I did 3 oz. reduced fat cream cheese. The quiche was perfect so I think this is the correct amount.
I used the red onions and it made for one of the prettiest quiches I’ve ever made! :) I love the photography on your blog. Keep the yummies coming!
I made these in mini-quiche form and brought them to my thesis defense today. I SWEAR they are why I passed– my 4 readers went through a DOZEN of them (and they weren’t all THAT mini– they were muffin sized)!
This quiche is so tasty!!! I finally made it for the first time today. I used Paranno cheese in place of the cheddar as I had a huge chunk on hand. My only regret was using a premade crust, this deserves better. I just may have to slide in a couple slices of Applegate Farm bacon next time just for contrast. Normally quiches are too eggy for me. This is just a perfect ratio of spinach and cheese to egg.
I’m eating this right now… and it is DELICIOUS! It’s the first quiche I’ve ever made. Love it.
nice post … i like it very much