Classic Quiche with Greens + Cheese

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Vegetarian

Why we love it:

A classic French quiche has fewer eggs and more cream - no doubt why they’re so silky - but I’ve added more eggs to the custard so you can feel good about the protein to decadence ratio when eating this for dinner. Quiche is great hot and also at room temperature; leftover slices warm up perfectly in a toaster oven and the filling options are practically endless. Don’t be intimidated, this is a very do-able weeknight dinner.

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Ingredients

1 Pie Crust, Prepared (I prefer the rolled kind, not the formed kind, but whatever you have!)
¹⁄₂ bunch Green Onion
1 cup Baby Spinach (or any dark leafy greens)
6 Eggs
1¹⁄₄ cups Half & Half (or heavy cream* see substitution list)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Kosher Salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon Black Pepper (freshly ground)
¹⁄₄ teaspoon Nutmeg (optional, freshly ground)
1 cup Cheddar Cheese (shredded, divided)

Cooking Instructions

1. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350 DEGREES
2. CRUST

If you like to make the crust, go for it, and remember to let it chill for 30 minutes before rolling. If store bought and flat, remove the crust from the fridge and roll it out a little bit more. Press into an 8” pie tin and fold over the edges and crimp. Poke the bottom with a fork about 3 - 5 times.
3. GREENS

Thinly slice the green onion.

Wash the greens you’re using and dry them. If there are thick center stalks, as on kale, remove those and set aside. Stack the leaves and chiffonade them. Place the greens in an oven safe sauté pan or a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 5 - 6 minutes. This will help dry them out and they’ll come out a little crisp but will soften up later. Remove and set aside.
4. EGGS

Crack eggs into a bowl. Add the half & half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk to fully combine but don’t add air to the eggs - so combine them well but then stop whisking.
5. ASSEMBLE

Grate cheese if needed. Spread ½ of the cheese over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle the cheese with the greens and chopped green onion. Pour the egg mixture slowly over the crust and shake the pan a little to help the egg settle around the greens and cheese. Top with remaining cheese.
6. BAKE

Place in the oven and bake for about 35 - 40 minutes or until the edges are deeply golden brown and the center is just set. It will look wobbly, but if you touch it with a pinky finger, there’s no puddle of raw egg. Let cool at least 5 minutes. Slice.
7. SERVING

Serve slices hot, cold, room temperature, or reheated. Serve with a crisp green salad and bright vinaigrette to cut the richness of the custard.

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Substitutions

GLUTEN FREE:

look for a GF pie crust. Or just pour the egg mixture into a sauté pan over medium heat and make a frittata instead. It will cook for about 10 minutes on the stove top, then transfer into the oven to finish the top and set (about 8 - 10 minutes). Slice and serve just the same
DAIRY FREE:

you can sub cashew or almond milk for the cow’s milk but also whisk in 3 Tablespoons of flour to help bind it together. Works great! Omit the cheddar
EGG FREE:

I can’t recommend this, I’d try a tofu scramble instead!
LEAFY GREENS:

spinach is easy to buy just 1 cup but if you have leftover greens, most any variety will taste great. Try kale, brussels, chard, frozen spinach, arugula
HALF & HALF:

heavy cream and whole milk both work as a substitute in the same ratio. You can also use any combination of these 3 dairy types - i.e. ½ cup cream and 1 cup whole milk. If you try to use 2% or lower fat, it will come out a little watery and isn’t quite as good - I wouldn’t recommend going lower than that
GREEN ONION:

if you dislike the onion taste, omit
FILLING IDEAS:

bacon and cheese, pepper and onion, mushroom, cooked leftover veggies, butternut squash, tomatoes, thinly sliced potatoes, shrimp. There’s hardly a limit just give everything a pre-cook so it’s not too watery

Kid Friendly Version

How to Tweak This Recipe for Kids:

My kids disliked the greens, but I was able to keep roughly ½ of the quiche without them! Just place the greens on one side and when you pour in the eggs go slowly so they don’t jostle everything. I helped my youngest separate the crust from the eggs, but they seemed just like a basic scramble to him plus crust. Serve with greens on the side or with cucumbers or avocado

Prep Ahead & Use It Up

Make sure your pie crust is defrosted – 24 hours in the fridge is the way to go
The egg mixture can be prepared and stored in an airtight container overnight before baking
The entire quiche can be baked and reheated by the slice or as a whole