I know we all associate December with cookies, cocktails, yule logs and latkes, but what about the smaller, enduring festivities that often go overlooked, namely workplace and other potluck luncheons? Because my “coworkers” are basically a laptop and occasionally these wild things, my current participation level is limited, but I know that usually what happens is that it’s rather easy to bring cookies and cakes but as nobody wants to drag a roast on the subway and then heat it up in the breakroom microwave, main dishes are harder to nail down.
I am here to help. I found myself wracking my brain a few weeks ago for something to make for my husband’s work potluck — and unfortunately, heh, as someone recognized him early in his tenure there as my husband, I cannot get away with sending him in with a box of Dunkin Donuts, drat — and ended up making two of these galettes. They fit the bill of being something that’s delicious cold or at room temperature, but they are a bit of work. Five minutes after sending him off, I realize the perfect solution was here the whole time.
This spinach quiche gives me the feels for a multitude of reasons. It’s one of the first recipes I ever found and quickly made part of my repertoire. I remember being a wee baby cook and not knowing filo from puffed pastry or how soft one needed to get cream cheese before it would blend smoothly — hint: basically mush, and softer than room temperature butter — and stressing over using 1/3 cup of half-and-half because I’d grown up in the fat-phobic 90s (Snackwell’s, holla).
But this quiche endures as a staple because it has such greatness going on: it’s so loaded with spinach, it’s a far from the quaveringly rich-with-eggs-and-cream standard while not depriving you of either. (Phew.) It uses really basic ingredients — frozen spinach! eggs! cream cheese! — and requires no sautéing of onions or any precooking of the filling; the hardest task is wringing the extra moisture from the spinach. It has an abundance of flavor and tastes way less austere than its forest green visage would suggest and it’s good cold, warm or at room temperature and keeps well in the fridge for days. I’ve made it with and without the crust and both ways are excellent, and finally, I’ve realized recently, it scales really well into a quarter-sheet (9×13-inch) pan so that it can easily feed 12 in medium-size portions or 16 as a side, ensuring that everyone there can check “Ate vegetables today” off their lists before tucking into all the cookies, cakes and fizzy.
Previously
One year ago: Parsley Pecorino Biscuits
Two years ago: Cranberry Pie with Thick Pecan Crumble
Three years ago: Sweet Potato Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
Four years ago: Cauliflower-Feta Fritters with Pomegranate
Five years ago: Dijon-Braised Brussels Sprouts
Six years ago: Apple Latkes
Seven years ago: Cappucino Fudge Cheesecake
Eight years ago: Chocolate Toffee Cookies, Winter Fruit Salad, Mustard-Roasted Potatoes and Walnut Tartlets
Nine years ago: Chile-Garlic Egg Noodles and Tiramisu Cake
Ten! years ago: Tomato and Sausage Risotto, Sundried Tomato-Stuffed Mushrooms
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Cucumber Yogurt Raita Salad
1.5 Years Ago: Pasta Salad with Roasted Tomatoes
2.5 Years Ago: Carrot Salad with Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas
3.5 Years Ago: Two Classic Sangrias and Lobster and Potato Salad
4.5 Years Ago: Tzatziki Potato Salad
Spinach Sheet Pan Quiche
I use the below recipe for quiche/tart doughs from time to time. It’s a bit less flaky and more sturdy (but still light and buttery) than my go-to pie dough, using a higher proportion of butter and much less water. With this extra butter, however, it becomes much more difficult to manage, even for someone who ostensibly has mastered doughs. It gets very hard in the fridge but you’ll not want to wait for it to soften to begin rolling it out because it becomes mushy much faster than flaky pie doughs. I usually regret — as you can see in the photos — the hassle of rolling it out (even more problematic in my insanely hot kitchen with the counter 12 inches from a searing steam heat pipe) and remind myself to just press the crust in next time, as I suggest below. On the plus side, because this dough is less about the big croissant-like flakes, the food processor works just fine here.
After that hard sell, yes, I fully understand if you’d prefer to use a storebought dough. You’re going to want to use 1.5 of those pre-rolled rounds and cut, paste and patch is as necessary.
No, parbaking the crust isn’t crucial, but it does make for a crisp and un-soggy base, and so if you’re going through the trouble of this buttery, delicious homemade dough, I vote for taking this extra step.
Forgive me, I didn’t note baking times last time I made this without the crust but it should be more or less the same. Be sure to oil or butter your baking pan.
I’ve talked about how this quiche works for parties. For home use, making a pan of this at the beginning of the week means we can have it for dinner for a few days with soup, salad, roasted vegetables or as a side to, say, grilled sausages.
- 1 2/3 cups (215 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (170 grams) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) very cold water
- Nonstick spray oil, for coating pan
- 3/4 cup (176 grams, 6 ounces, or 3/4 of an 8-ounce brick) cream cheese, soft at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (155 ml) half-and-half or 1/3 cup each whole milk and heavy cream
- 6 large eggs
- 2 10-ounce (283-gram) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 cup (115 grams or 4 ounces) grated cheddar or gruyere
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) finely grated Parmesan
- 1 small bundle (2 to 3 ounces or about 8 thin green onions) thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crust
Filling
Wrap dough in plastic or waxed paper and set in freezer to quick-chill until firm but not rock-hard, about 15 to 20 minutes. You can also chill it in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 1 week until needed.
Lightly coat a 9×13-inch (quarter-sheet) pan with oil. Line bottom with parchment paper.
To roll out crust (trickier, but go for it if you’re up for the challenge): Flour your counter well. Remove crust from freezer or fridge, unwrap and flour the top of it. Even if it’s very hard, begin rolling it very gently, in light motions, so it doesn’t crack too much as you stretch it out, to about a 12×16-inch rectangle. Keep flouring top and counter underneath dough as it is prone to sticking. Work as quickly as possible because this dough softens even more than regular pie dough as it warms.
Transfer dough to prepared pan. Lift overhang to let dough slack/droop into corners so you’re not stretching it a lot to shape it to the pan. Trim overhang to 1/2- to 1-inch, then fold overhang onto sides of dough, pressing all around and letting the dough extend slightly over the edge of the pan.
To press in crust (less tricky, and what I always wish I’d done): Press dough in an even layer across bottom of pan; leave it thicker as it goes up the sides; pressing all around and letting the dough extend slightly over the edge of the pan.
Both methods: Freeze shaped dough until solid, about 20 minutes. Save your scraps! You can use them to patch any holes or cracks formed when baking.
Meanwhile, heat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large sheet of foil lightly with spray oil. Once crust is solid, prick it all over with a fork and press foil, oiled side down, tightly against dough. Fill foiled crust to the top with pie weights, dried beans or rice (that you don’t plan to eat at any time) or even pennies. Bake for 20 minutes then gently, carefully remove foil and weights and bake for 5 more minutes, unfilled.
While crust par-bakes, make filling: Use an electric mixer or your best whisking skills to beat cream cheese in the bottom of a large bowl until smooth and fluffy. Gradually drizzle in half-and-half, whisking the whole time so that the mixture incorporates smoothly. Whisk in eggs, two at a time, until combined. Squeeze out spinach in handfuls, removing as much extra moisture as possible. Stir in spinach, cheddar, parmesan, scallions, salt and pepper.
When crust has finished parbaking, leave oven on. Inspect crust for cracks or holes and use reserved dough to patch them if necessary. Pour in filling just to the top of the crust. You will probably have about 3/4 cup more filling than you can fit in the crust (not an issue if going crust-less or if you didn’t parbake the crust); you can bake this off in a separate oiled dish for an excellent breakfast on toast tomorrow.
Bake quiche until crust is golden brown and filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving. Quiche keeps in fridge for 4 to 5 days.
Hi Deb,
Two questions. First, do you think this will freeze well? I am just over two weeks from my due date with baby #2 and I’m imagining that this will be lovely to eat post-partum. Also, can I chill the dough in the fridge once rolled into the sheet pan? I’m not sure the sheet pan will fit into my freezer.
Thanks!
Eee! Exciting times! Yes, it freezes really well. The dough can absolutely be chilled in the fridge, however, for parbaking purposes (i.e. once it is pressed into the pan) I find it better to have it frozen. My freezer is really small, btw, and I can usually just slide this in but you know yours better than me and it’s probably quite stocked right now. ;)
Ditto to Kate J…T-minus 8 days till my due date! I’ve been working my way through your “Freezer Friendly” tagged section. I imagine this is best cooked fully, cooled, cut into squares, and wrapped into individual portions?
Whee! That definitely sounds like the smart way to do it.
I use buttered bread upside down minus the crust for my base instead of pastry. I like it crustless too. Its always been a hit when i make it. People dont realise its even bread until i tell them
What’s the best way to freeze this? Can I precook it, allow it to cook and then freeze individual slices? Is there another better way?
Precooked is fine, sliced or unsliced.
Thanks!
Question
If using the store bought crusts (cutting & patching) is pre-baking also done?
This is a great recipe for Christmas morning!
ps I’ve used around the edges (in a traditional round quiche) bread, cut in strips and used as an “outline”.
It can be helpful for the same reason as with homemade — just to keep it from getting soggy.
So I read this wrong and froze it for a week instead of chilling it! Think it should be okay if I now let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours? I hope so!
This is a GREAT idea in lieu of the avalanche of sweet things at the office, thank you!
Any tips for wringing the extra moisture from the spinach? I see so many recipes using frozen spinach that look fantastic (like this one!), but I avoid because I hate this task. I find that half a roll of paper towels and twenty minutes later, I’m still squeezing water out! Am I doing something wrong? Taking out too much moisture?
If you have a potato ricer you can squeeze virtually all the liquid out in just a minute or two.
Yes! I do this, too. It is so quick and easy.
Yes, yes, yes! Love using my potato ricer! Quick and easy! You will never shy away from a frozen spinach recipe again.
Thank you for the tip! Best shortcut ever. It’s been sitting there taking up valuable space, it finally earned its place! ;)
Potato ricer…brilliant!I inherited my husband’s grandmother’s potato ricer. What a great idea. I hate staining a tea towel green with spinach juice.
I dislike this task too! I just grab fistfuls and squeeze, so, a handful at a time. Takes a few minutes, but it’s not the end of the world (or so I tell myself). It’s not supposed to be dry — it will still dampen a paper towel around it — but wrung of “extra” moisture, as best as you can. Remember, the worse thing that will happen is that it will be a little extra watery and the quiche will take a few minutes longer to bake.
Thanks Deb and readers! This is helpful! Maybe I will re-look at all those frozen spinach recipes I have been avoiding…
I line a mesh strainer with an old, thin (but clean) kitchen towel. Dump in the spinach, then gather the towel into a bundle and squeeze. The water is easily removed and your hands stay spinach-free. Then just rinse the towel and throw in the laundry.
Try cheesecloth. Plop the spinach into a square of it large enough to gather at the ends and squeeze out. Saves paper towel and hand-wringing.
Yes – this!! Also works great with parsley. Mince up several bunches, wrap in a clean towel, wet towel and squeeze out the water. The parsley will be dry, but still very green and keeps for ages in the fridge.
I bought one of those “nut milk” bags from Amazon (its a fine nylon mesh bag) and I looooove that thing for squeezing extra liquid out of veggies. Its easy to wash and works better than fabric.
This is a great suggestion. I got a nut milk bag and made the quiche today and it was very good. Put crust only on the bottom of the pan, and not on the sides, since I like some crust but not too much. Used a 12 oz bag of chopped spinach instead of 2 x 10 oz bags, and it was still plenty of spinach. Mixture of Swiss and Cheddar cheese.
I’ll use my new nut milk bag when I make zucchini fritters and other frozen spinach dishes. Thanks for the suggestion
I made this with 1 store bought crust in a springform pan, with the full amount of filling. Baked for about 30 minutes and came out fantastic.
I made it tonight–delicious! And I put the frozen spinach in a colander, ran water over it to thaw, and then squeezed one handful at a time with bare (clean) hands and put it directly into the mixer. Works fine without all the paper waste!
I grab a (clean!) lint-free kitchen towel (the kind of fabric that is smooth like linen, not “furry” like terrycloth, if that makes sense) and dump all my thawed spinach into the middle. Roll it up like a jelly roll, move over to the sink, and start twisting at both ends–kind of like what you’d do if you just had a wet towel and wanted to wring it out. It can help to fold the long rope in half to get a good twist. The more you twist, the more liquid will come out. Yes, your towel might be an alarming shade of green after you’re done, but just rinse it under the faucet and it will be good as new. I’m too lazy to buy real cheesecloth, so I’ve used this trick for years (and none of my towels have turned permanently green, I promise.)
The frozen spinach I buy usually has the spinach in a plastic bag inside the box…so I just snip a corner off the bag and squeeze.
The frozen spinach from Trader Joe’s rarely requires a lot of wringing out – always a great go-to!
To squeeze moisture out of the spinach. Dump the defrosted frozen spinach in a colander in the sink and place a large bowl that just fits inside the colander on top. Press down on the empty bowl and all the water is squeezed out of the spinach – easy, fast and neat.
I buy the frozen spinach that comes in a plastic bag. Thaw, then punch a couple holes in one end and begin wringing the top of the bag (over the sink). Works like a charm.
Anything I could sub for the cream cheese, one of the very few foods I really don’t like (I know, I know!)? Goat cheese, perhaps? Thanks, Deb.
Goat cheese will probably work. If it’s any consolation, you won’t taste cream cheese, or I don’t. It probably better adds a creaminess and faint, faint tang/richness.
Would ricotta or mascarpone work here?
I assume for the cream cheese? Yes, a little less flavor/tang. The ricotta might seem a little grainy; the mascarpone more smooth and rich.
I can’t stand the stuff myself(cream cheese) so I get it. I just use more cream, I think it would be what you call heavy cream and we call full cream or doublecream and couple of extra eggs. Also I never squeeze the water from the spinache (it’s bound have nutritional value, or so I tell myself to justify all that cream) and it all comes out yummy. And sadly I cheat on the pastry as well and use store bought puff pastry or fillo pastry) and since I like to make good use of my oven I generally cook two quiches at a time and share. Or maybe I am just a lazy cook but other people benefit so it’s all good.
There is an America’s Test Kitchen spinach lasagna recipe that calls for full-fat cottage cheese, blitzed in the food processor, as a sub for (often grainy when baked) ricotta. I love that recipe and I think it would work really well here in place of regular cream cheese. It’s a little thinner, so I’d maybe opt for 2/3 cup over 3/4 and add a little extra cheddar/gruyere.
I have a recipe for a cream cheese dough that is super easy to work with–I use it for savory (spinach) hand pies. Any reason to think it would not work on this level?
PS Your Pecan Pie and Chocolate Babka–year two–still the biggest hits of all
Would you mind sharing your recipe?
I love using the crust from this recipe, so flavorful and it holds up well to adding even the wettest ingredients like tomatoes!
https://www.tastingtable.com/cook/recipes/tomato-pie-recipe-summer-tomato-pie-recipe-cheddar-pie-crust
I have made this recipe 4 times. It has excellent flavor and texture, though I add a but if nutmeg. As others have noted, the crust is a bit finicky. The best crust result I have had is with cutting the butter using a pastry blender, pressing it in, and baking it, with absolutely no chilling at any step. So go forth and streamline!
Your alternative dough Recipe looks delicious but Looks like dough has cheddar cheese not cream cheese. Am I looking at wrong recipe?
It has all of the above. There are three kinds of cheese in here.
Oh, Yes! This fits beautifully into two other categories as well:
1. Something delicious/filling/fairly easy to feed the family in-between holiday craziness, and,
2. Not-too-complicated main for Christmas Day brunch at our house.
Thanks, Deb!
Would I ruin this by using low gat ingredients for the filling?
I haven’t done it but wouldn’t expect it to wreck it, it just might be less creamy and rich. And, given that this is a very spinach-heavy quiche and not particularly rich, it’s good to keep that in mind going in.
Thank you!
I’ve been making one of your other quiche recipes (which is similar to this one) all fall! I actually just took it to a pot luck the night before Halloween and it was a hit. I also use store bought crust (I know!! Sorry!) but it is still amazingly good! And easy!
Could you use a puff pastry crust?
You could. The original recipe was designed for one. It definitely works, however, you’re not going to get much of any puff out of it.
This sounds delicious.
Re using puff pastry, would you recommend blind baking it first? If so, how long?
Just don’t forget to dock it (poke lots of holes in it with a fork to prevent it from rising at all!)
If the plan is to press the dough into the pan, is the chilling stage strictly necessary? Would it be easier to press the room-temperature dough into the pan first, then chill, then par-bake?
Yes and no. I definitely considered this and it might not ruin everything but you’d already have a soft, warmish crust and it would get much warmer/more oily as you pressed it in, it’s definitely not ideal for the final texture. In a cool crust, the buttery bits stay intact and as the air expands in the oven, create flakiness. If the butter melts before it bakes, there will be little flakiness.
Looks delicious. Please can you add the weights in grams? Thank you!
This looks like the perfect thing to make for visiting family this weekend! If I don’t have a 9×13 lined cookie sheet, could I use a 9×13 deep-dish pan (like for lasagna) instead, knowing that the quiche will not be as deep as the pan? Or what do you suggest? Thank you!
Will totally work, the main thing is that the crust will be tricky. You’ll want to trim it down to 1-ish inch sides before filling.
I used a 9×13 Pyrex! Pressed the dough on to the bottom and up the sides a little and then used a fork to make a neater “crust” around the edge. Worked great. Also I subbed a container of whole milk cottage cheese for the cream cheese/milk combo. Was terrific!
Thoughts on putting another sheet pan on top to par-bake? I do it with pie crusts often.
I haven’t done it, you’d really need them to be perfectly fitted, however, something I used to do but haven’t checked up on as technique in a while is to basically do everything I describe here — freezing, docking, pressing tightly with foil — but skipping the weights. I found (and this was a Dorie Greenspan technique, if you’re looking for more confidence it will work) that the weights could be skipped entirely, that the molded foil did the job well enough, i.e. not dissimilar from what you’re suggesting.
Ha, sorry I blew your cover…but the galettes were delicious! And not the only SK recipe present at said potluck. Sheet pan quiche is genius and I’m looking forward to having an excuse to make it!
About straining the liquid from the spinach: The best 6.95 I ever spent was on the Pure Joy Living Planet Nut Bag. No I am not making this up. It’s for making almond milk and the like, I guess, but I use it for frozen spinach, and fresh zucchini, and potatoes for latkes. Also where I might use cheesecloth, such as when making paneer. Just rinse it when you’re finished. And it takes up almost no space. What’s not to like?
I made your crust on Thanksgiving! I made crust! And it was good! It was really good! And it wasn’t that hard to do! All this means I feel ready to make this quiche at the last minute because I can make a crust! Thank you for your great and doable recipes.
If you do shredded potatoes for the crust (or leftover mashed) you can make this NG.
My fav is to do a semi saute on the shredded potatoes and call it a hash brown crust.
You are right that this is a good office potluck dish. I have seen these rectangular quiches all the time at aperitifs for various local dinners; usually they’re bought from a caterer along with gigantic square pizzas. Spinach is pretty innocuous (is there anybody who doesn’t like spinach hidden amid eggs and cheese?) but you can also do diced peppers, cubed ham, tuna…..the French throw almost anything into a quiche.
Could I sub almond milk for the dairy ingredient? The richness of this quiche always kills me. Thoughts?
I think you could, but I’m surprised you find it so rich. We always find it rather green for all that cheese in there, but it tastes like cheese so that’s all we care about. ;)
I make a spinach cheese pie which has cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, raisins. It’s seasoned with cayenne pepper and in the spinach onion mixture, I add nutmeg, which gives it a nice life. I’ve made the pie with whole fat dairy and low fat dairy, and there was a difference: the low fat pie took much longer to bake and firm up (at least 20 minutes).
You mention that this can be made without the crust. How would you do this? I’m on a selective diet and am trying not to eat bread or bread-like items.
Butter a baking dish (lasagna pan is just fine) and bake as directed. I haven’t checked the baking time in a while and never for this size, but you can’t go wrong checking in 5 minutes sooner and then every 5 minutes after that if it needs more time.
I made this last night without the crust! I ended up adding some more milk+cream mixture and an extra egg because I was afraid that the filling was too dense to stand up without a crust, and it worked out like a dream.
I also prefer less wheat – I’ve used mandolin sliced potatoes as a crust for other quiches and its a great alternative. Just slice them, toss with a wee bit of olive oil and salt and then arrange in the pan – no need to pre-bake.
That original spinach quiche is one of my husband’s top 3 favorite dishes. I always use a full pound of spinach and more eggs, but it always tastes delicious. I am sure he will love this too–more crust and more servings to go in the fridge for when I am not around.
I don’t have a quarter sheet pan (though this sounds like a great practical size to have!)…could you make an even bigger batch in a full sized half sheet? Scale up by 1.5x? Thanks!
For a half-sheet, double everything.
Or, if you don’t read the directions as carefully as you should and make this in a half sheet instead of a quarter sheet, you get a really thin, incredibly delicious tart-like quiche. Just in case you were wondering :)
Whoops! Good to know… that’s what I did!
Yeah, that’s exactly what I just did.
Oh my. I’d forgotten about Snackwells. I have a feeling my insides will outlive me by several centuries because of the amount of fake foods I ingested in the 90’s. Snackwells, Crystal Light, Ramen noodle packets, Slice soda (I would drink Apple Slice in a heartbeat, I do confess)…
Great dish to add more veggies, and easy to add to lunches. My husband and I both thought it was too salty. I will cut salt in half next time- or less. *DO* follow Deb’s direction to reserve 3/4 cup of the filling that doesn’t quite fit in pan. I decided to just add it all (why not?). Well, because it simply won’t cook as well and doesn’t firm up quite right. Overall great recipe I will make again! Thank you!
I’ve made the original version (using store-bought frozen pie dough, admittedly) several times and it’s always a big hit in my home!
One tip: grate in half an onion or so! It’s fast (since I’m grating cheese anyway) and gives the quiche a mellow onion flavor without any large pieces.
Many of your posts mention you serve a side salad to fill out the meal. What’s your favorite, simple weeknight salad? And dressing?
Anything that’s in season, but for simple-simplest, we usually just use baby arugula + olive oil + white wine or champagne vinegar + coarse salt and ground pepper, all shaken right into bowl, leaves barely coated. I also like the same with some thinly-shaved fennel and lemon juice instead of vinegar, or the same with some sliced cherry tomatoes.
Can you give an example of what you might do to use seasonal vegetables? I know these are really basic questions, but we always struggle with salads!
Not Deb, but most of what I make is in the salad family. I went to respond, wrote a novel, so I suppose I will just ask what veggies you struggle with so I’m not giving you stuff that you don’t really eat/have access to.
Also, finely grated carrots in a simple, side salad really elevate it to something special, and it isn’t too much effort on your part if you have a decent microplane and aren’t cooking for too big of a crowd. I’d also suggest making sure to salt your sliced tomatoes ASAP, and let them rest a bit, and add them last. The juice that gets drawn out is great in a later salad dressing, but also a great cook’s treat, if you just want to take it like a shot. It supposedly makes the flavor better, but I’m only so-so on tomatoes.
I don’t do it when I’m in a rush, but should I have good cauliflower or zucchini or cucumbers or even asparagus, it’s really lovely to shave it thin (with an adjustable-blade slicer or a wide vegetable peeler) and toss it like lettuce or with lettuce in a salad. It’s also a great use of odds and ends.
Our go to is spinach/spring greens 50/50 mix, chopped cucumber and tomatoes, with thousand island dressing.
I’d like to make more use of vegetables that are in season, but literally don’t know how – most seem like they would need to be cooked? Defeats the simple part? Deb’s suggestion of shaving it in makes sense. We’re open to all vegetables, and live in Northeastern USA.
Snack wells HOLLA! Deb you kill me!
Will this recipe work if I replace cream cheese with ricotta cheese?
Where are the exact measurements in grams and ounces? I miss them badly :(
Just this morning, I was lamenting that I always need to bake two quiche for my family and then I thought, “Hmm, I bet you I could bake it in a pan and only make one.” I’m so glad that you proved it works. Also, in the last few months, I started adding cream cheese to all cheese recipes- quiche, mac & cheese, etc. It in no way contributed to my gaining of 30 lbs, because it adds just so much goodness. Looking forward to making this recipe.
Oh funny, I just made quiche for dinner tonight (2 pies), and wondered as I was making it if I could try doing it in a bigger pan. My kids don’t like the crust anyway, and I can only eat so much leftovers from their plates. Thank you for this.
hi, quiche looks delicious. are recipes no longer presented in grams? i know there is a conversion table, however i thought you usually do recipe testing by weight.
I test in both; weights now added.
Oooh, I can make a small one in my toaster oven! So excited to try it out.
Mr. Smitten Kitchen must put a lot of pressure on you Deb to come up with some extraordinary dish. After all, you cook, and many others don’t. The sheet pan quiche looks wonderful and I would indulge in several pieces if the other co-workers would let me. I do like using frozen spinach — so much easier to use in dishes such as this quiche. I’m making sure I save this recipe. Thank you!! Another great post.
LOL, he puts no pressure on me at all. It was like “… we’re having a potluck but I know you are so busy with your book edits and what do you think I can make over the weekend while the kids are out?” And of course I was like “I’LL DO IT.” But he helped. And shopped. And chopped. And washed dishes.
I’m completely challenged by the sheet pan crusts! I made the pumpkin slab pie and it was delicious but not really pretty. I will try again with this quiche. Any hints for handling this large size crust would be appreciated!
Press it in. :)
I always drain frozen spinach, press it in a fine mesh sieve, then wring it in an old kitchen towel. You will have to soak the towel in cold water later to remove the green!
Cheesecloth is a good one too for squeezing out the water. Or a flour sack towel!
I made your quiche for my mothers birthday dinner Sunday night. It was the first time I had made it and it will be my new go-to quiche recipe. Delicious!
Please oh please has the time not come to give measurements in metric as well? You are followed globally and it is such a nuisance to have to convert every measurement. I am reading your blog from way down south in Africa and have used your recipes on many occasions and would so love to have the measurements all ready!
Now added.
I’ve been making my version of this for years, it’s really good with Feta cheese too.
Hi,
Quiche looks delicious. Can I bake this as a crustless quiche in a 9×13 pyrex dish?
Thanks, Linda M
Yes, you can. Just butter it first.
Another thing you can do for a crust-less quiche is to grease the dish (whatever is your preferred method…) and then throw in some cornmeal and shake it around to cover wherever the crust would be. Gives it a crunchy mouthfeel and the illusion of ‘crust’ but simple, easy and GF if your cornmeal is… I’ve done the hash brown crust successfully, too.
Oh I love this idea of the original quiche, but larger. When I use store bought crust, I like to brush the crust with dijon mustard prior to filling. It adds a little background note without over powering. It’s a tried and true recipe that everyone loves:-).
Can puff pastry be used? prebake also?
The original recipe calls for a puffed pastry crust, see here. It does not call for prebaking and I don’t have experience prebaking puffed pastry, so I cannot say for sure.
Have you tried doing this with a sheet of puff pastry? Seems like it would be easier and just as tasty. Thoughts?
The original recipe calls for a puffed pastry crust, see here.
Have you ever used gluten free flour to make the pie crust? Or do you have any suggestions for a gluten free version?
I made it with a corn tortilla crust and it was very good. Just butter the pan and put down a layer of tortillas. Most quiche recipes also work well if you skip the crust and just bake them in a glass pan (You might want to drop the oven temp to 375 or so)
I LOVED that comment about your husband’s party having several other SK dishes present. What a testimony to your great recipes, and the way you make things so darn appealing, easy to make, and delicious. Rather than pressure on Alex to bring wonderful things, it seems that you have upped the bar for the co-workers. The pressure seems to be on THEM, and it has been a win-win for all. I want to work there at holiday time.
Does making the quiche without crust affect baking time or pan preparation?
I didn’t test the baking time this time without crust, but in the past, it’s been about the same, but you can start checking it 5 minutes sooner just to be safe.
Made this last night…fabulous and leftover for lunches…a win!…
Could this be scaled up to a half sheet pan?
Yes, double everything. Glad it was a hit.
Thanks for the recipe, Deb! I’m going to double this as well, for a Christmas potluck. Figuring out what I’m going to take is always my least favorite part, so thanks for doing all the heavy lifting for me!
Yum! This looks delish
This sounds so good. I have an egg allergy that has gotten bad enough that I have to abandon egg dishes, but back in the day, quiche was a definite family favorite. An alternative that is actually amazingly good and that I would encourage you to try is making it with goat’s milk and sheep’s milk feta instead of the cream cheese/cheddar/gruyere and half and half. I also really liked heating the milk and stirring in seasonings and the cheese, then adding the gently beaten eggs before pouring it all into the crust with the veggies — I don’t even know why, but it always came out so light and fluffy yet firm, and so good. I really miss it, and the wonder is that the goat’s milk/sheep’s milk doesn’t taste all “goaty” — just adds a little extra tangy sweetness that is very surprising. Anyway, thanks for the trip down memory lane while enjoying your gorgeous quiche!
oh my days! I made something similar last night and when I opened this today I almost jumped! how timely!!! It looked just like mine :) I will try this recipe..it surely is a lot cheesier and creamier than mine (I do a lighter version with 2 eggs + 1 espresso cup of milk) so I’m sure it will be gone in no time :) Thanks for sharing!
Can I make this crust less as I am watching my carbs
I’m not a green onion fan. I know you mentioned this doesn’t require sauteing an onion, but do you think that would be a decent substitute, albeit more work? Thanks!
Yes, shouldn’t be an issue. I also love sauteed leeks with quiche.
What if I want to do some thing other than spinach? Could I do roasted veggies instead? Would all the ratios change?
I haven’t tried it with roasted vegetables but it might be safer to start with a standard quiche ratio of one egg to 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk or cream and build it from there. This uses less milk and makes a firmer quiche; it also uses less to accommodate the extra moisture of the spinach.
Ugh, I loved those devil’s food cake Snackwells.
I love this quiche! I make your smaller version of it often! Wanted to share a suggestion for how I deal with tricky-to-transfer pastry crusts: roll it out on a length of partchment, carry it to the cooking vessel, then flip it right into the pan. Works like a charm!
I will try this with the veggie phobic teddy bear I live with, maybe it will tempt him. He will eat spinach, covered with bacon grease. Your kitchen is hot, mine is almost a deep freeze this time of year, I once left bread dough on the counter to rise, it didn’t even budge, I think it even deflated, all the yeast bunched together to stay warm. So, I use the oven now to get bread to rise.
So I’m thinking I’ll add crispy cooked bacon pieces, then the picky eaters in my life might be willing to try it…
Hi Deb!! What brand of sheet pans do you use? I’m in the market for some new ones, thanks! -Kris
Made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! I added artichokes (10 oz package of frozen ones, thawed and chopped) with the spinach and used a puff pastry crust because I had it on hand. (For those asking about puff pastry, I just rolled it out to the size specified in the recipe, transferred it to the sheet pan, and put it in the refrigerator while I prepped the filling. I didn’t prebake the puff pastry, and it turned out perfectly.) Definitely going in the regular rotation!
Thanks for the tip re: puff pastry!
I have doubled your original recipe and cooked it in the pan I usually make cheesecake in and it’s great.. It really is a wonderful recipe no matter how it is prepared. Love!
I’m often cooking just for myself. Because of limited freezer space, I sometimes make half of a “9×13” recipe and bake it in an 8×8 pan. The baking time may vary, but is usually about the same. Also, I like to add fresh herbs to anything veggie. I have a wonderful recipe for spinach dip that I often bring to pot lucks. Instead of the dried dill and garlic powder called for in the recipe, I substitute fresh dill and a clove of garlic. It makes all the difference. I love to bring the dip because it is easy to make and I get such rave reviews. I even got a marriage proposal. Of course not serious, but quite flattering – cute guy. Probably will add dill to this quiche when I make it next week.
Eeeee…my favorite SK recipe, in sheet pan format! My favorite, go-to, ‘don’t-have-to-read-the-recipe-anymore’ recipe! Thanks for scaling up.
For the last few years I have been using Martha Stewart’s pate brisee recipe (also from your site) w/ King Arthur white whole wheat flour as my crust for this quiche. I roll out a little, but then basically press into my Fluted Removable Bottom Tart Pan :) A little easier than regular pie dough rolling and crimping.
I made this two nights ago and used corn tortillas as a curst since I was feeling lazy. It came out really well and I’ll definitely make it again.
THIS IS BRILLIANCE! I always have tortillas around and would never have thought to put them in as crust substitutes. Thank you for posting!
Many years later….has anyone tried this? How did you layer the tortillas in the pan?
I love how spinachy this is!!! Its almost more like a spinach tart! And I love how much it makes!! This will feed a crowd and then some!!
You lost me at frozen spinach… But then you got me back by providing the note for using fresh. I think frozen spinach is one of the most disgusting items to ever come out of the frozen food movement. I’ll be making this for holiday potluck this weekend :)
What is disgusting about frozen spinach?
For some reason it has a completely different texture and flavor than just cooking fresh spinach. I realize that it *shouldn’t* but to me… it does. As a kid, I thought I hated spinach because I’d only ever had it reheated from frozen. Then as I grew up I realized I do like spinach… just not when it’s frozen. It’s possible in a recipe like this I wouldn’t notice too much. But, I’ve got a big pot of fresh spinach wilting down as we speak and I won’t have to deal with excess liquid from frozen spinach so it seems like 6 of one hassle half dozen of another ;)
It’s okay, you’re among friends. :)
Deb–I’ve never left a comment even though I’ve been reading your blog for years. But I wanted to let you know that I was feeling kinda down yesterday and at some point I decided to read your most recent post. After I read it, I felt much better and I wanted to thank you for that. I think you’re a fantastic writer and you make me laugh. Thanks for lifting my spirits. ….And I’ve made many of your recipes and those have never failed me. Thanks for that too.
you are so correct – this veggie-pleasing dish does indeed have greatness going on. I`m thinking this would make fab lunches for misses 9 and 11 at school.
How deep is your baking sheet? I’d like to make this for brunch this weekend, but my baking sheet is only 1 cm deep. Will that make the quiche too thin? Thank you.
No, it’s a thin, flat quiche. Mine is about the same.
I dry sautee thawed spinach in a cast iron pan to evaporate a good amount of the water – no oil or butter, just medium-low heat and the occasional stir. It gets out a lot more moisture than just squeezing, and I can do something else in the meantime.
This is such a brilliant idea! I hate squeezing out the water simply because I feel like I’m losing so many nutrients with the liquid. Definitely going to try a sautée next time.
Great suggestion – I hate squeezing things like this.
I just made it, my house smells wonderful and it tastes like heaven! Not too eggy. (wish I liked them, but no matter how much I try, it doesn’t work out) I used homemade pie crust and it held up well. Accidentally used 8 oz of cream cheese, no complaints though. Used a thinly shaved white onion, as I already had it, and added garlic. The crustless extra is delicious too. Thank you for this, it came at the perfect time. I’m hosting Jan. bookclub, and it’s a big group, but one vegetarian who seems to get forgotten about at some meetings. This, with soup and buttery, hot, crusty bread is going to be in high rotation at my house.
Your recipes never let me down. I love your posts, but your post from 11/10 was so well stated, thank you.
I can tell this is delicious, and plan to make it, but I must admit that the opening photo looks exactly like the quiche we were served in my college cafeteria . . . sheet pan and all.
Any other suggestions for making ahead? Can the filling be prepared the day before, or will that mess up the texture?
I don’t think that will be a problem at all. However, you may as well bake the whole thing. Quiches keep well and reheat well, so I always vote for just getting it done in full.
Can this be frozen after baking?
Hi Deb,
I just checked your original recipe and it uses a lot more cream cheese. Is this a mistake or have you intentionally cut down on the cream cheese for this sheet pan quiche
Not at all; the original uses 3 ounces and this uses 6.
Thanks I misread the original recipe as 13 ounces & I’m always adjusting to metric measurements & Australian packaging sizes so got confused
Oh your children are just adorable. I was so pleased to see a recipe with butternut, what most Australians think of as a pumpkin. I always see tinned pumpkin in American recipes, my friend who lived and taught in Portland Oregon had to fib to the farmer as he wouldn’t sell her pumpkins for human consumption. The quiche looks great all golden and risen up. Seasonal Greetings to you and yours.
Thanks so much, Deb, this was totally timely. I made it for an end-of-season potluck & it was perfect. Good at room temp, easy to eat and everyone liked it. Definitely a keeper.
Just made this for dinner! The whole of the filling actually fit great in the pre-baked crust. I ended up making it in my toaster oven (which can take a 1/4 sheet pan perfectly) so didn’t have to heat up the whole house.
I ended up using skim milk and a cheddar/mozz/jack cheese mix we keep on hand for quesadillas, so the only thing I had to get specifically was the spinach and cream cheese – and I suspect that cooked/chopped spinach is going to start living in my freezer! (Relatively) Quick, very simple, and delicious – and it’ll make a good week’s worth of breakfasts or lunches for me.
I rolled out the crust (as opposed to pressing it in) and didn’t have any trouble with it at all. Once the crust was to-size, I draped it over my pin and used that to lift it up so I could place it in the pan. Had no trouble at all with sticking or cracking.
This looks so yummy. I’m so excited about this spinach recipe ! I’m putting it on my calendar. I get all the instructions on how to make this healthy recipe, but what I don’t get is how you can take the photos without anyone throwing a “Stop it! You must be a pretty quick photographer !!
Looking forward to your next recipe………… :)
I take pictures very, very quickly. :)
Can I replace spinach with another veggie?
Made this in a slightly larger pan (so no outside edges), and my kids (5 and 3 yo) thought it was pizza. Pretty sure if it was a traditional quiche wedge they would’ve resisted. My oldest said he wanted to eat all the quiche! Happy to have something they’ll eat and makes good leftovers. Thanks!
Would a spreadable goat cheese work, rather than cream cheese?
Also: OMG. Snackwells. WTH were we thinking back then? I think about the ingredient list and it was always filled with chemically sounding things. *shudders*
I haven’t tried it but I suspect it might.
Hi Deb, this sounds right up my 16 month old’s alley, but she is semi-lactose intolerant. That is, she can have some dairy, but cannot overdo it. I already know I’d make it with lactose-free whole milk, but do you have any other suggestions for reducing (but not eliminating) the dairy content without messing with the consistency of the end product?
Deb, my Texas garden is bursting with spinach. Can I use fresh? if so, how best to incorporate into filling? sauté it first?
Remove the big stems, wilt it down and wring it out well. Then you’re good to go. I found the last time I made this with fresh spinach — a while ago — that each 10-ounce box/bag frozen is equivalent to about 1 pound fresh with stems.
I shall do it! And I have multiplying onions multiplying like crazy! not to mention tomatoes ripening! We may have a frost midweek, so it’s fried green tomatoes then. The cabbage and broccoli will survive the frost. I wish for everyone a garden.
I made this last week for a friend who just had surgery. He said it was delicious!! I used store bought pie crust – it needed 3 to fill my large sheet pan.
I just made this! I made it with gruyere cheese and store bought pie crust. I don’t have a quarter sheet pan (I’m not too kitchen savvy), so I used a 9×13 pyrex baking dish. I found I needed both of the round pie crusts to cover the bottom and go most of the way up the sides of the dish (I don’t own a rolling pin either! -_-;;;). I also didn’t have parchment paper. . .
But it turned out perfectly anyway! I really love the way this quiche tastes- lots of spinach and green onion make it so much more yummy. It’s just me, so I’m looking forward to eating this for lunch and/or breakfast this week.
I made this over the weekend but used whole wheat flour for the crust and pressed it in instead of rolling it out. It was so easy and delicious! This is my new go to for quiche.
I have always been keen about quiche but it seems to have gone out of favor in recent times. I love using quiche recipes when having friends over for brunch. I’m so glad to see your recipe here. The spinach looks great and the different cheeses really appeal, so tasty!
Also, thanks for including the picture of how high you fill the dish before baking. I usually tend to get the level wrong and overfill or underfill and your picture is really helpful.
My pan is 13 x 18. Double the pastry? And use the leftovers for something else?
Thanks much.
Mary
I’m making brunch for ~20 adults and 6 toddlers! I only have full sheet pans (26×16) – if I double this recipe, does it translate well to full sheet pans?
This is for a quarter-sheet pan so you’d want to quadruple it for a full sheet. Also, how big is your oven?! My oven just fits a half-sheet and my old one, only quarter sheets.
umm..yeah – I calculated the dimensions in my head incorrectly! I think it’s a 13×18. Haha… Yes..it fits only a half sheet. in which case…..if I’m making 2 sheet pans worth, that should be PLENTY for the party…so I think I’ll triple the recipe and split it between the 2 half sheet pans.
If you double recipe for half sheet do you need to adjust baking time?
I’m taking a frustration break – trying to press the dough into the pan is really difficult for me. My kitchen is cold so the dough doesn’t seem to be warming as it quickly did for you, but the big problem is the parchment paper sliding all over the pan from the light oil. Any suggestions for next time – other than using store bought dough?
I’m sorry it’s not working out well. You can roll it out but don’t fret if it tears or cracks. You can then patchwork it in, as I did. Since you’re already pressing, though, you can get it a little colder so it’s easier to manipulate without becoming mushy and just leave a handful aside. If there are cracks, you can fill them with the scraps. Nobody is going to see what condition the crust is in underneath.
I ended up just making a false edge instead of trying to get the whole pan covered. So the dough was a little thicker at the bottom than a typical crust but the finished product still tasted delicious, and we had a little more filling left over for the morning toast!
As a huge fan of Smitten Kitchen you can only imagine my despair at the situation that has unfolded today over this “easy” recipe intended for a holiday pot luck. The dough is difficult, the steps are too many, and the measurements truly seem to be off – I read and re-read the amount of spinach and it does not work with the wet ingredients listed. Something is very wrong here. And it’s an unpleasant surprise during these busy days of preparation.
Wait, what happened? Does yours not look like the pictures (i.e. it’s a very spinach-heavy quiche, as described)?
Can you remove my last name?! And as for the recipe, I read it thoroughly and so you would think I would have been forewarned, but…. it just did not agree with me. Not. Your. Fault!
No problem at all.
Hi
Just finished making and eating this–YUM! I doubled the recipe, for a full sheet pan. Based on your 1 # fresh spinach to a 10 oz box of frozen, I figured 4# fresh and bought 2 2.5 # bags of spinach–that’s a LOT of spinach. I used ONE of the 2.5 # bags, microwave steamed, squeezed, and chopped, and my result looks just like yours. I was surprised, with all the rich ingredients, how spinachy it was! I sneaked just a little smoked paprika in–next time, will do some of that, some mustard and perhaps some cayenne for a bit of zip-but this was great. Microwaving all that spinach was sort of a pain–had to do in batches-and the crust takes a lot of patience.
This was wonderful and our 2.5 year old twins inhaled it and demanded another slice. Does not always happen even with cake! I halved it and made it in a quarter sheet pan( I could have used a tart pan duh) and used mascaporne instead of cream cheese as I had some to use up. The dough was surprisingly easy to roll out. It warmed up quickly though but I am quick and I am no expert in pies and it was not scary. All in all a raging success and will enter the many smitten recipes that form my kids’ meal plan. They are SK kids for sure!
Made this tonight and it turned out astonishingly well! Doubled it and made it in a half sheet pan, which felt like a crazy amount of food as I was making it, but fit the pan perfectly and will be several good meals. I definitely recommend the blind bake. The timing listed above is perfect. The crust came out golden brown and shatteringly crisp, even in the middle of the quiche. I only had fat free milk on hand, and it still turned out well. The most annoying part was squeezing 40 oz of spinach, but definitely worth it to have a veggie filled dish. This one’s a winner, Deb!
Mine turned out very well too even though my pan was an awkward size for the recipe. I’m a confused Canadian – the term “quarter sheet” means northing to me.
Nevertheless I will make it again.
Hi Deb – when you say store-bought dough, do you mean puff pastry? That is the only thing that comes in rolls, right? Help! Thank you!!
No, I mean a pie dough, not puffed pastry. Pillsbury usually comes rolled; not sure about other brands.
Sorry one more – and do you still parbake it if you use store-bought dough? Thank you!
Yes, same treatment. You can skip if it a softer bottom crust wouldn’t bother you.
Deb I am excited to make this and just have a quick question – I would like to make it a day ahead for a gathering the following evening. How would you reheat? Covered? Uncovered? Temp?
Thank you!!!
I usually reheat between 300 and 350 covered until the last few minutes. For this and especially if you want a little color on top, uncovered is fine.
Thank you!!
Just made this for a quilt guild Christmas potluck – sooooo good from the corner that I snuck from the pan. I used a half sheet pan and could not make my crust come up the sides, but it still turned out well. My store carries a cream cheese brick that is part cream cheese and part Greek yogurt, which lightened things up a bit, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. I hope it goes over well at the party!
Glad it was a hit! Did you really use a half-sheet pan? That might have been why things were tight, since I use a quarter-sheet. I think I saw an IG of this? Looked perfect, though.
I have made this twice and its such a big hit!,
I have a spinach gruyere quiche that’s a hit during the holidays — and now I want to make a slab pie out of it. Beautiful as always!
I’m excited to try this as the original recipe has been my daughter’s favorite food for five years running!
Mine’s in the oven right now. Sadly, the 2 rounds of pre-made dough were still not enough dough – I didn’t have enough left to patch the many holes and rips from the shrinking. The filling smells so good, though, that I’m hoping no one at my work potluck tomorrow notices the ugly side crusts!
UPDATE – The filling covered the ugly sides, it tasted fantastic, and at the end of my potluck there was one lone square left which I ate while cleaning up! Thank you for the great recipe. I probably didn’t roll and press the crust correctly.
I just made this (and can’t stop nibbling on it..after eating a large portion!)…. I made it with no crust in a casserole dish. So so good ! I think I will make it as a side dish for a Christmas potluck…without the crust it is like a cheesy version of creamed spinach…yum! Thanks Deb!
I made this for a small brunch yesterday, and everyone loved it. Since it was just 5 of us, I halved the recipe and baked it in a regular 9-inch pie plate. Not as pretty as yours, but it got the job done. I made the dough the night before and ended up rolling it out between two pieces of plastic wrap. Very tasty and so very full of spinach without tasting too green, if that makes sense. Definitely a repeat.
Okay, so if you don’t read the directions as carefully as you should and roll the dough to fit a half sheet instead of a quarter sheet, you get a really thin, incredibly delicious tart-like quiche. Just in case you were wondering :)
I doubled this recipe and baked it in a large lasagna dish and served chilled for a holiday potluck. It came out great and was a hit. I had to extend the cooking time by about 5 minutes since it was extra thick. I added a red jalapeno for festive color contrast and a bit of spice. Great recipe, thanks for sharing at just the right time!
I made this tonight and yes, the crust was a lot of work and required time and patience! I pressed it, but next time I will try rolling it to see if it saves time? I struggled to get enough of an edge to keep the filling in. I found I had quite a bit of filling left over, which is no trouble for me as I baked it separately. I plan to freeze the quiche overnight and take it away with us tomorrow for our extended family Christmas. It smells divine, and I cannot wait to taste it.
I want to make this for a New Year’s Eve brunch. Would it work to parbake the crust the night before, leave out at room temp, and then fill and bake the next morning?
I made this and it was even more delicious the next day cold straight from the fridge! I love recipes like that 🙂. Sadly, my crust didn’t turn out. I oiled my aluminum foil and used rice as a weight but after cooking it stuck so bad to the foil it couldn’t be salvaged. I used (gasp) store bought instead and prebaked that crust without weights. I’ve not had any experience with prebaking crusts. I wonder if I pressed the foil into crust? Not sure where I went wrong. The crust on the sides of the pan did not stick at all and were super yummy. Thanks for the awesome recipe. I will be making this again!
Quiche, without the crust, was appreciated as between meal snack for our guests this holiday season.
Made this for Christmas brunch. I cooked it the day before, refrigerated it and oven warmed it in the morning. Rave reviews! Used Cabot aged white cheddar and premade refrigerated crusts, not a bit was left. Will definitely make again!
This was a BIG hit at our holiday get-together. It was perfect. Thank you!
I eyeballed the spinach from a 16 oz and a partially used bag I had in the freezer, and think I used way more than 20 oz. I forgot to prick the crust with a fork, not sure if that had to do with the fact that it shrank during parbaking and there wasn’t much in the way of “sides”. I had at best half the amount of cream cheese called for, and only had skim milk, and I accidentally halved that too. I was totally despairing when I kind of mounded my dense spinach-pile on the shrunken crust and put it in the oven, then read back over the recipe and took stock of all my mistakes. But you know what? It turned out pretty good anyway! I had some for dinner, and then more for lunch today. It feels so nutritious with all the spinach! It’s tasty! I might do it again the same way!
tl;dr: This is a very forgiving recipe so just make it with approximations of whatever you have on hand and it’ll be fine!
I made this last week for a Christmas Eve buffet I was attending. I made a 1/2 sheet instead of a quarter and simply doubled the recipe. I used a Martha Stewart pastry recipe for a large pan….pretty similar but a little easier to handle. Everyone loved the quiche and the leftovers were even better. The filling is perfection. Not too heavy and just the right amount of cheese. Thank you for always making my cooking more interesting, challenging, fun and delicious! Happy New Year.
I made this for a NYE party last night and it was fantastic. I doubled it and made in a half sheet with shallots instead of green onions. Since the crust was so large, I blind baked it with a small sheet pan in place of the pie weights/rice and it fit perfectly. It was super handy since I didn’t have enough rice to properly weigh it down.
Hey Everyone- I made a gluten free version. My husband is one of those guys….
The crust i used, did exactly what it needed to do to pull this recipe off perfectly!
I won’t lie, it was dryer than Deb’s version, I’m sure, but still tasty all the same.
I chose to press the crust instead of rolling out, (gluten free crusts can be difficult that way) which produced a thicker crust and thus had just as strong presence as the filling. Not as desirable to me, as i am more into the spinach part. But i was thrilled that it came out so well with perfect, accurate cuts.
So make the crust with the following recipe, and proceed with Deb’s directions, with the pre-bake/pie weights and all.
I baked it 5 minutes less than the recipe.
I used this website for the crust, thank you Erika, of “A Little Insanity”
http://alittleinsanity.com/gluten-free-pie-crust-recipe/
Also important to note: I used a half sheet pan because that’s what i have.
I did that pie dough recipe x2.
However, i did not multiply the spinach/cheese filling but somehow it filled the crust space all the way to the top!
Another Chanukkah miracle.
I’ve made this quite a bit in the pre/post Christmas whirl. It’s a fabulous picnic quiche. As it’s summer in Australia I’ve gone back to the original recipe and used commercial puff pastry which makes it super simple and easy. I’ve even posted it on my blog because it’s a real keeper.
https://thebackyardlemontree.com/2016/12/28/sheet-pan-spinach-quiche/
Disaster on the crust! Used store bought crusts – and did two, thinking it would be generous. Barely filled the 9 X 13 pan, leaving no scraps. After par baking, there were lost of splits and gaps and no way to fix. Plus the extra 5 minutes of baking without the pie weights made everything brown too much. Next time I will use three pre-made crusts to be sure to have enough.
The filling is baking, sans crust, as I write. Hoping to salvage dinner for guests.
I made this exactly as written, including the crust, and this is my first Smitten Kitchen recipe that was a kind of dud. There was nothing wrong with it, but there wasn’t really much going on either. I made it for my parents’ visit at Christmas and we were bored of it almost immediately, and we ended up throwing out most of it. It could be good for a big potluck party where people eat one sliver along with other things, but I found it too dull to be the main event.
More cheese and more green onions amp up the taste. Also, sometimes it tastes better when warm. And crustless.
Usually a good idea to try something new before a special occasion. Try stuff out on friends/neighbors or co-workers
Perhaps you need to season more or less to your taste. Or perhaps try a classic quiche like quiche Lorraine to start of with . Don’t give up, anybody that claims never to have a disaster is fibbing. Good luck with the next one
I made this for a large family group over Christmas and it was a hit. I did make the crust from scratch but did not freeze it between rolling out and parbaking because my sil was nervous about her glass pan going from the freezer to the oven. Totally understandable so I shorted the time for parbaking with excellent results. It was the first time I made it for extended family but my dear spouse who has had this quiche multiple times said it was one of the better crusts. Yay!
Oh my God, this is so delicious. I’ve been making pie crust all my life with a pastry blender and cutting in twice etc, but this recipe is outstanding. My friends are telling me I should get a job at a pastry shop!
I don’t have a 9 x 13 jelly roll pan so used a pyrex cake pan. It was a little tricky getting it into the pan and crimping but was so worth it. And the filling is scrumptious too. I happened to have a potato ricer since my mother used to make riced potatoes back in the day. She had a big aluminum cone shaped colander with legs and a wooden mallet that she also used for making applesauce. She probably purchased it in 1940 and I was sad that I couldn’t find one like it. But my little ricer that I found online worked just find for squeezing out the water from the spinach.
Thank you for your lovely blog!
I have made your stratta and now I have to make this one too. It looks very good and maybe….my granddaughter will try it with a sprinkle of bacon on hers when I serve it to her. certainly worth a shot…thanks so much for your recipes and your photos are so helpful too. Have fun! regards, SB
I want to make this for my birthday on sunday but nobody likes spinach in my family :(. If I take it the Quiche Lorraine way by replacing the spinach for ham and the onions for leeks, do you think it will work?
Perhaps just start with this one? It’s not completely authentic but we love it so much. I am not sure you could fit double of it in here — perhaps 1 1/2 to 1 2/3. If you double the filling, however, you can always pour off the extra into a small baking dish; nobody will be unhappy to eat it for breakfast or lunch!
Thanks!!
I made this and it was delicious! I was able to fit all of the filling in the quarter sheet pan, even with the crust. It was hard not eating the entire pan in one sitting =)
I am laughing really hard at myself. I made this for family this past weekend, very popular. I am pretty proud of my pastry skills here because I actually stretched this into a 12 X 18 sheet, successfully. I thought it was thin but the dough worked pretty well. All was thin and flakey. I certainly did not have any left over filling. Making in the smaller appropriate size should be an easy task!
I just did the same thing! I was like, “what extra??” Oops. Next time, in the right size pan! Even still, it was delicious!
I made this with the crust and it was a bit arduous for a weeknight supper. (But of course, delicious.)
Then I made it without the crust and it was SO EASY and maybe even MORE delicious!
Now I’m about to make it AGAIN, crust-less, and I am salivating just thinking about it. It’s the perfect breakfast/lunch/dinner.
Thanks, Deb!
Can’t remember where (that has become a big problem recently), but I heard, read, someone told me that a good way to get moisture out of spinach was to use a ricer. I don’t have one, but sounds to be a great idea. For some reason, Sara Moulton is coming to mind.
Thanks for this recipe! Yes, I’d use site bought dough, but thinking a crescent or dinner roll dough, rather than a pie (sweet) dough. Right?
I’ve always used normal pie dough. It shouldn’t, by itself, be sweet.
…. STORE bought dough.
I have now made this quiche three times. It’s delicious, thank you.
But also, I’ve never once had any filling left over.
What size of food processor do you have? I am planning on buying a Cuisinart food processor, but I am not sure how big to get it. Thanks in advance!
I tried this dough but it crumbled in the oven when I parbaked it :( I could use more instruction for the “pressing in” method. How does that work? Do I just use my fingers?
I’m making three of these for a party and freezing them in advance. Please tell me the best way to reheat them. Thanks!
I’d defrost it in the fridge for a day and then just gently rewarm it.
Can I make the filling ahead of time and put it in the fridge until ready to cook?
Has anyone tried making these crust less in mini muffin tins? If so, how long did it take to bake?
I haven’t done it in mini-muffin tins but in a baking dish and it definitely works. I’d just check in at 10 minutes to start for mini-muffins.
Made this for a brunch today. Did not bother with crust because there were muffins and croissants also on offer. It disappeared quickly – so delicious! This is a fabulous recipe and I can see myself making it regularly.
Wondering if this is sturdy enough to cut into much smaller squares? I am having a big party and it would be one of many dishes. I like the idea of cutting it into little cubes to serve as finger food.
Absolutely. It’s pretty firm for a quiche.
I baked the crustless version today. I think it needs more egg & dairy; there’s too much spinach for the amount of custard. Mine was more like a loaf of creamed spinach than a quiche.
Just to clarify my earlier comment: I didn’t mean to suggest that I don’t like it! It’s nice reheated and served on toast, or at room temp for an easy lunch at work.
Loaf of creamed custard! That’s a great way to describe my experience too.
I also thought it was delicious, but the ratio of filling to custard wasn’t what I expected when I set out to make “quiche.”
This is the absolute best quiche recipe EVER! I made it this morning using a pre-made frozen crust, did not parbake, and it turned out absolutely perfect! I did have some left over filling that I just baked in a small dish crustless. I always trust Deb when I need the best of the best but this seriously goes above and beyond any expectations I ever had of a quiche!!
Made this for a Mother’s Day brunch and it was *so* good (even my green food-suspicious toddler tried it and demanded more). I made the crust the day before (and really had no problem rolling it out, with a bit of care and a bench scraper to help lift it off the counter!), let it hang out in the freezer overnight, and parbaked and made the filling in the morning. Threw in a teensy bit of extra cheese leftover from making asparagus pizza the other night, which was probably unnecessary but still delicious. I’ll definitely make this again – it really is a great and easy way to feed a crowd!
I’m doing a party and have lots of different dietary needs (some vegetarians, some kosher, some dairy allergies etc), and will not be home in the immediate 3 hours before my own party so looking to do as much cooking/prep ahead of time as possible. This is also my first quiche so this may be a very dumb question: If I were to make this ahead of time and then freeze it, should I do the par bake prep ahead, freeze it once it’s in the pan, and then do the actual par bake and actual bake day of (and just have it finish cooking during the party)? Can I do the whole thing ahead of time, freeze it and reheat it? Should I just scrap planning for this recipe and do something else for the dairy option?
This totally can be frozen or reheated from the fridge; it’s very forgiving. Good luck!
Would only mozzarella work in this or is the cheddar needed to stand up to the cream cheese?
I think that there won’t be enough flavor with mozz, but it should otherwise work.
Made this last night. I was too impatient to chill the dough as instructed, so I just pressed it in right out of the food processor, at which point I discovered that I did not read closely enough, and was putting a quarter sheet pan’s worth of dough into a half sheet pan. Whoops!
I used aluminum foil to put up a divider in the middle of the pan and make it a quarter sheet. Success!
My experience with the filling was that there wasn’t a whole lot of egg/milk to bind things, so once I filled the shell, I added another 1/2 c whole milk and 2 more eggs to the leftover filling and baked it off in a pie plate, no crust.
I had a piece of the sheet pan for breakfast this morning, and, true to her ways, Deb has made something great. It’s delicious, flaky, hearty, and definitely going to be made (correctly) again in the future.
It occurred to me once to use a potato ricer to wring out some thawed frozen spinach. It worked really really well. Now i use my potato ricer more often for wringing out spinach than I do for mashing potatoes!
I found the trick of putting the spinach into a fine meshed vegetable bag (the same one s that you re-use again and again to put your vegetables in at the store ) and then squeeze the water out . It was like a gift from heaven when I learned this trick and now I am game for any spinach or probably even potatoes recipe where I have to squeeze the water out . It rinses out and dries easily also.
Yay! Subbed broccoli for the spinach since I had two other egg dishes, one with spinach and one with kale already. Used one store-bought pie crust, rolled out and just on the bottom of the pan. Worked out great with a little leakage around the edges. Will be making again soon!
This was freaking delicious. I had to make it earlier in the afternoon before the rush of swim practices for all of my kids, so this delicious-smelling and fantastic-looking quiche came out of the oven and had to sit there waiting for our return . I had fresh turnip and mustard greens from our CSA to use up, so it did take me significantly longer to make it. Blanched the greens first to avoid bitterness, before squeezing and chopping them. Still, it was super worth it in the end. Most of my kids liked it, despite some not liking eggs or “crust” (there’s always a contrarian in the bunch), and I can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
I also purchased nut milk bags recently, and they worked great for squeezing the greens. I was going to just press in the crust, given your tips Deb, but actually found it easier to simply roll out and place in the pan instead.
Can I use pre made crust? I am intimidated by making crusts.. if so, do you have any recommendations for pre made ones?
hi, is it possible to have a printer friendly version? Thx!:)
Heather – there is! Look for “Do More” just below the end of the recipe and click on the little printer icon (between PInterest and Email icons).
Hi Deb,
Do you think I could make this with a store bought pizza dough?
I just made this today, had high hopes of making the crust but got lazy and decided to slice one large bake potato on the mandolin, about 1/8″ thick, (not super thin) greased my quarter sheet, added parchment, then laid the potato slices to cover the bottom, overlapping some, salt/pepper-placed under broiler while i was preheating my oven just to soften and brown a bit. once they cooled i was able to shape them up the sides of the pan so i even had side crust. Topped with filling and baked as written, 25 minutes….worked great! Anyways, thought i’d share another “crust” idea”. Filling was delicious!
I’m a bit worried about lining the pan with parchment. Do you cut the quiche and put out the pieces after cooking? Would hate someone to serve themselves from the pan and get a piece with their food.
It’s not a problem. I cut my quiche w/ a stiff spatula b/c I didn’t want to damage my pan w/ a knife, & the quiche, with all its butter in the crust, slid right off the parchment, which will have absorbed some oil from the pan plus butter from the crust. No worries. I do think a knife might cause problems, but you don’t need a knife to get through the crumbly (excellent!) crust.
I would like to serve this for Christmas brunch, but would need to make it two days in advance (yay, Christmas Even falling on a Sunday with two choir services to sing and a trip to the in-laws in between!!) What is the best way to prepare this in advance? Or, should I bake it and freeze it in the sheet pan to be reheated in the oven in the sheet pan before brunch? I don’t want to lose the crisp flakiness of the crust…
Hi,
I’m going to use a frozen pie dough for the crust to save time – do I still parbake store bought frozen pie dough as I would if I had made the pie crust from scratch? I have the rolled up Pillsbury pie dough.
Thanks!
Looking forward to making this as a veggie main dish for Christmas dinner! I love love love the original spinach quiche on your site, so I’m delighted that I can now make it as a larger dish that will feed a crowd!
Made this as a veg option for Christmas day and again two days later due to popular demand! I used frozen storebought filo dough and subbed feta for the cheddar/gruyere and white onion for the green onion. I was worried that the substitutions would ruin it but it was SO GOOD!!!!
How can I make this for Passover? Does it stand up without the crust?
I’ve made it without the crust before. Buttered pan. Glass or casserole dish is fine here.
We have a recipe very similar to this that has been in my family for ages. The main differences are that we use wholemeal crust; and the spinach is mixed with egg yolks and salt and pepper then folded with beaten egg whites to make filling. The whole thing is sprinkled with grated cheese then baked.
Can this be modified for a regular pie pan?
You can halve it.
Thank you! I was just hunting for this very answer!
My favourite tip for any pie crust is to replace some of the water with vodka. This allows you to increase the liquid (and therefore ease of rolling/working) without compromising texture since the vodka doesn’t react with the flour the way water does. That said this looks like a dish to try.
Hi from Australia! I found this recipe quite fiddly, but the end product was fantastic. I skipped the cold butter and just dumped very soft butter and flour into the food processor, whizzed it, added water til it came together into a paste, and then smoothed that into a round quiche dish with my fingers and pre-baked it right off without weights — combining tricks from David Lebovitz and Delia. That worked fine — biscuity crust, structurally sound. For Aussie readers, 1.5x the recipe to use a whole block of Philly and three 250g boxes of frozen spinach, and you’ll fill two standard quiche molds. I’m also going to see if I can use sour cream to replace the cream cheese and cream (since we don’t have half-and-half here).
Wonderful! My husband wasn’t thrilled with the idea of quiche for dinner until he tasted yours and loved every bite! I had trouble with the crust as it was in hard-to-smoosh lumps that refused to go up the sides, so I worked it evenly across only the bottom, which worked well–but the funny part is that when making it, I foolishly thought “oh, maybe next time I’ll use a prepared crust”; then I tasted it and OH MY GOSH the crust MAKES it. Amazing. And as a test, I microwaved leftovers for breakfast; another win! Although I expected that this would only reheat well in the oven, nope: you have somehow invented a crust that doesn’t turn into glop when it’s microwaved, making this the perfect do-ahead or packable meal. The 9×13 version would indeed serve 12 people (not 6 people going back for more), as it’s quite filling & satisfying with just one square. I used Gruyere but that’s a little pricey; instead of cheddar, do you think Swiss would work? Thanks!
YUM. I made this for a board game night – cooked it the night before and reheated it (325F, 25min with foil on), and thought it was EXCELLENT. This is despite the fact that I used a pyrex baking pan, forgot to grease it, and just blind baked the crust with foil pressed in and no weights. :)
It’d feed 4 adults pretty well, and 5 adults with a side (I just did frozen breakfast potatoes). Also, I am slow AND stupidly forgot to have the spinach thawing before I started AND got a workout whisking the cream cheese by hand, so I’d say it took me about an hour to get it into the oven.
I have been reading your recipes (and cooking many of them!) for years now. I love most everything I’ve attempted. This quiche, though, has to be my favorite recipe on the blog. The texture is perfection. The seasoning is perfection. The ease of making and baking is perfection. I want to have this in my fridge everyday.
Delicious!
Re crust rolling: I left the dough overnight in the fridge. Next morning it needed 1/2 hour at room temp before I could attempt to roll it. I did not use flour. Instead I rolled it between 2 layers of plastic wrap to prevent sticking. This worked well, including transfering to the baking pan: remove top layer of plastic wrap, slide the dough and bottom plastic wrap on a board or Silpat, place baking pan upside down over it, center it carefully, turn the whole thing upside down, remove board and plastic wrap. I had cut down the salt by 50% (all that cheese!) but next time I will use the whole amount.
This dish is so lovely! I cheated and used two ready made pie crusts from the frozen section. I parables them as per Deb’s instructions and then filled them with the rich quiche filling. They were delicious and no tears were shed over a making a pastry. Delicious Deb!!
Did you make the quiche in the 2 pie crusts, then, instead of one sheet pan?
I have a huge bunch of Swiss chard., would it work well as a substitute? Wilt and drain? Sauté with garlic and add? How much?
I have been making this quiche for a couple years now and have always been frustrated by the crust (even though the end result is worth it). Today I used Deb’s technique from her easier way to make cookie article and it was soooo much easier! https://smittenkitchen.com/2017/01/an-easier-way-to-make-cookies/
Do you use the whisk attachment for the electric mixer or the paddle?
I use the regular food processor blade for the dough; an electic handmixer for the filling. Either whisk or paddle should work.
Grease the pan AND line it with parchment?? I am missing something..
And if I’m using store bought dough, do I par-bake it?
Thanks!
Yes parbake if you want to ensure it’s crisp. Parchment makes it easier to remove. Greasing it ensures the sides don’t stick and that any egg that spills out doesn’t glue the quiche to the pan.
I made this for a party and got rave reviews! I loved it too, and will surely be making it again.
Be sure to add fresh dill, it makes it extra amazing!
Can you assemble this and bake it the next day?
I might keep the filling and crust separate until right before baking so it doesn’t sog the crust.
This sounds perfect! Just wondering about the crustless option – is it as simple as making the filling and baking it in a 9×13 tray? Is the baking time about the same? Thank you!
I don’t know the baking time offhand but it will be roughly the same. Check sooner to be safe. Oil or grease the baking dish. Quiche will be very thin.
Made this tonight except I did use a store bought crust so won’t comment on that but the filling is DELICIOUS!! Used gruyere and my husband and i agreed this is a keeper!! My 11 y/o wasn’t crazy about it but it’s not Wendy’s baconator so I expected that :)
I made this for Christmas brunch this morning, subbing Double Gloucester for the cheddar, and Romano for the Parmesan, and it was delicious! I was pressed for time and so skipped par-baking the crust, but the bottom of the crust was crisp and flaky. I used all the filling and didn’t have problems with it overflowing. So, so good!
Any issue making the filling ahead? Planning to use store bought pie crusts in a half sheet, and was hoping to make the filling the night before. Thanks!
None at all.
I hate when people do all their things to recipes and then critique the original. Totally did it anyway : )
Doubled all to a half-sheet-pan (easier for commercial foodservice… could it work?!) and used the pressing in method; just dumped pastry from food processor into pan, spread out and up. Which I did not parchment, as I’ve never lined for quiche before. Being nervous, I did add a schmear of coconut oil.
RE: filling, just dumped in colander, squeezed, chopped a bit then fluffed into other ingredients.
Also added chopped artichoke hearts and a melange of on-hand cheeses. Plus a bit of cayenne and nutmeg (old habits die hard).
Best quiche recipe (non-Lorraine category) e.v.e.r. Great hot, held well, froze well.
You’re a genius, this is an awesome recipe, and I appreciate you : )
Hi Deb,
Would this crust work with another, more dry filling? I’m working on a finger-food menu for a July 4 party (trying to make clean-up easier without forks and plates) and wondered if I could use your leek, chard & corn flatbread toppings on this crust. I’m feeding a crowd and this crust seemed more stable. Or maybe it was just the fact your photo shows nice square pieces : )
Thoughts?
Thank you for all the deliciousness!
It’s hard to say — do you want to use it flat or in a pan with sides, like here?
I didn’t have a side vs. no-side preference. But I ended up making it and it was delicious! I started with the squish-into-place method for the dough, then used a rolling pin to stretch to cover the pan. (A layer of parchment between the dough and rolling pin was key.) I baked the crust, then spread it with a a feta-yogurt spread to create a cement for the ingredients, then the chard/leek/corn mixture from your pizza and topped with bits of goat cheese and served chilled. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you for two great recipes that married each other perfectly! I will definitely make again!
My quiche is in the oven right now–somewhat combined your French onion tart recipe with this one by subbing out one of the frozen bags of spinach for a batch of your carmelized onions. Also didn’t have any cheddar or gruyere but found some cotija in the back of my fridge that needed to be used up! Will report back with how it turns out, but it already smells amazing!
Fantastic quiche! I turned out great and I will definitely make it again. Thank you.
Can broccoli be used in place of the spinach? If so, how much would you recommend?
Will this scale up to fit a 13”x18” sheet pan? If so, any change in temperature, cook time, or anything else? We’re hosting a party next weekend and I plan to make this.
I did the same thing a few years ago. I think it’s about the same with a little more baking time so the center sets. Just check it at normal time and on 5-10 minute increments. I always do 8 minutes. It’s delicious!! Enjoy.
You’ll want to double it.
I’ve been making a version of this for years now. I use a few handfuls of fresh, pre-washed baby spinach and just toss it in the oiled pan, then layer on the rest (usually including cooked, crumbled sausage). When cooked, the spinach becomes delicate, airy, green ribbony layers, so evenly distributed! I’ve never had an issue with extra moisture, either. And I’ve been eliminating the crust for our low-carb lifestyle and calling it a “pan frittata”! It re-heats fabulously in the microwave for breakfasts all week long!
You mention making this w/o a crust. I want to make it sans crust in a 13 x 9 pan for g-f friends. Do I need to modify the cooking temperature, pan preparation, or anything else? Thanks.
I have one of those super narrow side-by-side fridge-freezers that are super narrow – I won’t fit a sheet pan in the freezer for the dough.
Any adjustments you could recommend?
Not even a 9×13? (My mom has a narrow one but it still holds a 9×13.) Just double checking. :)
Our refrigerator is big enough but we run out of space. Fortunately, the porch outside helps! We put food out there when the temperature is low enough but not too low.
I’ve made this many times, often in a 9×13 baking dish with no crust, sometimes topped with fried onions. I usually add a little cooked bacon and cut back the spinach to 16 ounces (that’s all I can find in my grocery store freezers), use a full block of cream cheese and regular milk.
I made it this weekend with crust (the press-in way) in an aluminum deep steamer dish so I could pack it up as a postpartum freezer meal.
Thanks a million, Deb!
Thanks for the comment re no crust. I will have some gf guests.
Making this for Holiday party with my Aqua Zumba class. I added some strips of sun dried tomatoes for some festive color.
It should be the perfect contribution to our lunch and easy to transport.
Amazing! Easy and oh so good. My husband said it was the best quiche he’s ever had.
Thanks for all your yummy recipes!
GILLIAN
I made a double batch of this today to give to a family in town (along with your breakfast burritos).
I was worried about the dough with all the forewarnings, so I rolled it between parchment paper. I didn’t have nearly the overhang as you have pictured, and I smooshed dough in the corners, but it tasted lovely. It was a little tacky when I pulled the paper back, so I dusted it with flour before chilling. (I had to add more
Water to make it come together, so I was worried I’d made it too wet.)
It tasted marvelous. Perfectly seasoned and balanced with the bunches of scallions. Thank you!
Curiously, the recipe asked me to oil my sheet pan before I laid down parchment paper. I was obedient, and I’m THRILLED with the crisp crust and lack of soggy-bottom, feeling confident that it will rewarm beautifully. However, I’m curious about the procedure as I’ve never oiled beneath a parchment liner. Did it serve to crisp/fry the base?
I use a potato ricer to squeeze out the liquid of chopped spinach. Works great and so much easier on my hands. I got this idea from somewhere, so I can’t take the credit for it.
Hi Deb! Quick question – if I wanted to use this press-in crust recipe, but for a regular 9 inch pie plate / removable bottom tart pan, how would I adjust the quantity for this crust recipe to fit that size?
You’ll need less for that shape, however, you might need the larger amount anyway because it can be tricky to press it as thin as this is rolled.
I’ve scrolled through ( till my eyes gave up) and didn’t find this question: can i substitute Crème fraiche for the cream cheese? Or will it be too runny? I use It for potato salad n the summer.
Yes, you can
Easy as pie to wring out spinach using a potato ricer! (Use a sturdy one since cheap ones may bend.)
Had a partial bag of frozen spinach. Made up the remainder subbing chopped leftover steamed broccoli (equal parts by weight before squeezing out water). Mixed the thawed spinach and chopped broccoli together before squeezing. Came out delicious! This is my favorite quiche ever.
If we are doubling this recipe to make in an 18×13″ sheet pan, that obviously won’t fit in the freezer between rolling/pressing and parbaking. Is it okay to completely skip the freezer and just parbake it for a shorter amount of time?
For those of you still struggling to roll out pie dough, get yourself a pastry canvas pronto. It’s a square of canvas that you can keep in the freezer. Give it a light dusting of flour the first time you use it and be amazed how easily you can roll out your dough without it sticking. They usually come with a rolling pin sock as well.
This was delicious! I made it with a combo off egg whites/whole eggs (didn’t have enough) and it came out perfectly. Will make again to have for easy lunches. Thank you!
So tasty!! I skipped all the parbaking because I was hungry (but I still did the two freezing steps while prepping the filling). The crust was maybe a little less browned but still plenty firm and oh-so-buttery! I also just blended the flour/salt/butter/water with a pastry blender in a bowl because I didn’t want to clean a blender. Definitely just press the dough into the baking sheet, works fine. I put the extra filling in a couple of little ramekins and I can’t wait to have the fanciest breakfast tomorrow. I can’t stop eating it, ugh!!
I’m wondering if this is a result of my pie weights not being heavy enough or not getting enough crust over the edge (was very difficult with the press method when the dough was cold to get it big enough for the sheet pan at all), but: my crust seemed to shrink a LOT when parbaking. Currently about to pour in the filling but concerned there’s now a large gap all the way around the crust between it and the pan. Any tips?
I made this in a regular 9 inch pie pan and it fit perfectly. Baking time was about 55 minutes; I turned the heat down to 350 after the first fifteen minutes so it wouldn’t get too brown. It was delicious!
Can I make this crustless?
Deb, would I need to adjust the amount of cheese/salt in the filling if I wanted to add some cooked bacon?
Nah, I think it will be just fine.
Oh good golly, this is amazing. I used lacinato kale from our garden, which made the whole wringing-out process easier, as I blanched the leaves about 5 minutes before shocking and squeezing before I chopped it all up. I did press in the crust, and it developed a few thin-to-bald spots on par baking, but the filling is so thick it didn’t matter. I didn’t have any filling left over, in fact I thought it looked mighty thick when I took it out of the fridge this morning, so I whisked another egg and a slosh of half-and-half and added it. I’m going to a potluck today and cut it into 24 squares. Maybe next time I’ll add some prosciutto? We have a lot of kale.
I halved this and made it in my fluted 9” quiche/tart dish – used Pillsbury crust out of necessity and wow, what a hit!! Served alongside a French toast bake and fruit platter for a fun brunch (4 people). Can’t wait to make the big version for the holidays this year!
My family makes a similar quiche, however, in our version you omit the cream cheese and instead separate six eggs, mixing the yolks with the spinach before folding into the whipped egg whites. We also add a little dried thyme. Delicious and a family staple.
I made this yesterday and it tastes even better today! Things I did differently include using a 8″x10″x2.5″ porcelain baking dish vs. a sheet pan since I was having trouble rolling or pressing out my dough to the larger size (didn’t use oil or parchment paper lining); and used fresh spinach vs. frozen and wilted it in a very small amount of neutral oil (a generous 1 tsp) then used a sieve to push extra liquid from the cooked greens. Pre-baked the crust for about 22 min (it browned considerably) then immediately poured the filling (love that I didn’t need to cool the crust!). Baked to perfection in 24 min – also added some fresh thyme leaves to the top prior to the bake b/c I had them on hand for the Honey Thyme Baked Feta recipe in the new SK Keepers: New Classics book!! This quiche is so pretty but moreover super delicious – especially love how much spinach there is plus the crust is wonderful!!
So delicious! Like all of your other recipes……can’t wait to get your new cookbook. BTW, I made this without the crust, lazy girl style.
Made this for guests so many times and it’s always a hit. However, I think this is a recipe that Deb could make simpler, like when she’s reworked other recipes taking out steps or making it so there’s less dishes to clean. I never chill the crust and I don’t have pie weights so I stab it all over with a fork when I par bake and it still works. Today I even made it without a food processor, just crumbling the butter in with my fingers, and it still worked! I’ve also made it with fresh spinach or kale that I sautéed because that’s what I had, as well as with a normal onion and it’s always delicious. I’ve also made it with sh*tty pre-shredded cheese (whatever’s in the fridge) and it was just as good. Additionally, I always dump in all of the filling. I don’t bother with baking that small amount separately. You really can’t go wrong with the recipe. I LOVE IT. It could be in the keepers book. Well, really, all of Deb’s recipes could. I always serve it with her blueberry muffins, also a keeper.
So I read the instructions wrong and froze the dough for a week instead of chilling. Think it will be okay if I now let it thaw in the fridge for a day? I hope so!
Made this today and had it ready for lunch when my husband returned home after fasting for a 4-hour test at the hospital. It was great and he gobbled it right down! Super easy and would be perfect for a brunch. I even simplified it further by rolling out the dough right away (skipped the initial chill) and it did not stick or break at all. It reminds me of an Italian pasta frolla crust and I make those pretty often. I did freeze it solid once I fitted it into the pan and then proceeded with your recipe. A keeper for sure!
I’ve made this twice since Christmas.
enjoyed both times!
the first time I used parchment instead of a bottom crust.
The edges were (I’m better with using what I have on hand) thinly sliced potatoes with an olive oil/salt drizzle.
I had 3 medium yellow flesh potatoes on hand, I peeled them, boiled until there was still a bit of a “bite” when pieced with a fork, then thin sliced them and placed overlapping the perimeter.
this was by far the most enjoyed recipe!
Just a suggestion for the spinach-I found that by putting the defrosted spinach in a non-stick pan on med to low heat, and stirring frequently, you can get ALL the water to evaporate thereby eliminating any soggy bottoms from too wet spinach! Works for any recipe calling for frozen spinach. You’re welcome!
Deb:
This recipe is in today’s newsletter for “Pi(e) Day”, so it’s fitting that each serving would be a square (as in the formula “Pi R squared”, for the area of a circle).
I’ve made this twice now and it was a hit! I had zero issues with rolling out the crust. I haven’t really mastered crust and I found this one to be easier than most. The food processor is quick and easy. I roll the crust on a mat with some flour. It doesn’t stick or crack and it’s sturdy enough to easily transfer to the pan. I made 1 1/2 x the recipe and used a jelly roll pan. I baked it 23 minutes and it was perfect.
If using Morton kosher salt will the salt measurement listed in recipe be correct? (I’m weary of over or under salting my recipes!)
For Morton, often half can be safest. More here.
I just made the crust less version using lebneh instead of cream cheese (life in the middle East). It is delicious!! So tender, so spinachy. And it was so stinking easy to make. Winning!
Thoughts on using puff pastry here instead of pie crust?
Made this x2 for a holiday brunch. Everyone loved it. Simple to make w store bought crust. Will definitely make again
Made this for a brunch i hosted today and it was a huge hit! I made the crust yesterday which helped with timing and that it got an overnight rest. I have to say I don’t really understand the direction of “pressing in” the crust. Maybe my dough was too cold, but trying to pat into the prepared pan was a disaster for me- rolling it out on a floured silpat mat proved far easier. I didn’t roll it thinly enough I guess, because it shrank significantly in the oven. If this happens to you- don’t worry! The filling stayed put perfectly on the uneven crust and even though it wasn’t as pretty as your Deb, it was delicious and people had seconds and asked to bring some home. Thanks for another winning (and flexible) recipe!
I make this all the time, every couple of months, but now do it as a doubled recipe and crustless in a fairly large, deep Corningware casserole dish, and I give it to my friend to help out after her husband’s stroke…it’s a staple at their house! Thanks, Deb – it’s one of my favorite recipes from Smitten Kitchen – everybody loves it. I have adapted it to add in more veggies: a chopped red pepper with some saved for garnish on top just before it goes in the oven, a pound of sliced mushrooms that I saute with a little butter, garlic and a bit of herbes de Provence, and often, several slices of chopped, precooked bacon, and I usually sprinkle crumbled feta or some goat cheese on top with the red pepper for garnish. It bakes in 25 – 30 minutes, until it’s golden and set. Once cool, it cuts and freezes in individual portions really well…great to take to work for lunch!
I’ve had good luck rolling out pastry on a baking/pizza stone chilled in the freezer, then covered with a parchment sheet or pastry cloth. It works great for cut-out cookies too!
This dish is as verdant as a farm field, an absolute necessity on this cold early Easter weekend! I read and reread the recipe at least a dozen times. And I did keep my scraps to patch in. What I didn’t notice was the need to potentially patch in AFTER the par-bake. How did I miss that detail? (shakes fist at sky!) Still, I made adorable little flower-shaped cinnamon sugar piecrust bites with the extra dough. Surely that counts for something doesn’t it?!? I plan to eat the leftovers for lunch this afternoon and I’m thrilled to serve this to my guests tomorrow. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!