Spinach and mushroom quiche is a delicious savory pie filled with eggs, cream, and cheese. It’s a popular brunch, lunch, or a light dinner dish. The combination of mushrooms and seasoned spinach makes for a light summer dinner that is even better for lunch the next day. This spinach and mushroom quiche recipe is a family favorite. Friends who do not like spinach fall in love with this dish. Be creative with this recipe. Add any vegetable or protein you have from leftovers. Season this recipe any way you like.
History Of Quiche
“According to Larousse Gastronomique, quiches (sometimes spelled kiches) originated in the eastern French region Lorraine. The name may derive from the German Kuchen, a term used for similar dishes. There are many varieties of quiche, and Larousse comments that every region of Alsace and Lorraine has its own and maintains it is the only authentic version of the dish. Originally a quiche Lorraine was baked with a bread-dough case similar to that now used for pissaladières and pizzas, but in modern versions of shortcrust or puff pastry is generally used.The dish dates back to the 16th century, but until well into the 20th century it was little known outside its region of origin, and was as seldom seen in Paris or other foreign countries”.
Ingredients
Fresh Spinach: I recommend using fresh spinach over frozen. Fresh spinach has a better flavor than frozen spinach, but can be substituted. Use one small box of frozen spinach as a substitute.
Pernod (optional): Pernod enhances the flavor of spinach.
Mushrooms: You can use any type of mushroom you want, except for portobello mushrooms. They are inky and will turn the custard an unappetizing greyish-black color.
Medium White Onion: I prefer white onions to saute. When cooked, they are sweeter and cleaner-tasting than the all-purpose yellow onion.
Monterrey Jack Cheese: Very creamy when it melts. It adds a buttery flavor with nutty undertones that complement the spinach.
Swiss Cheese: Swiss cheese adds depth to the Jack cheese and pairs well with spinach and mushrooms.
Dried Tarragon is used in this recipe because quiche has a long cooking time.
Recommended Equipment
Tofu Press: Such a great multi-use kitchen tool! I usually use cheesecloth to squeeze out the excess liquid in vegetables, like spinach. However, I have found that when I need cheesecloth, I never have it on hand, or I can’t remember where I put it! This solved my problem. Clean-up is easier, and I always have it on hand! It also works great for tofu.
Pyrex Pie Plate: One of my favorite kitchen workhorses. When I use it, I always get a nicely browned bottom crust. It also helps me see how well the bottom crust is browning.
Aluminum foil or pie crust shield: Pie shields are used for pies with long cooking times. It prevents your crust from over browning before your dish is done. To learn how to do this, read the post on Blind Baking And Par-Baking Pie Crust.
Instructions,
Bake the Five Minute Flaky Pie Dough Par-bake it for 10 minutes. To learn more about par-baking, read the post on blind baking and par-baking. It’s very simple.
- Saute mushrooms and onion until brown. Add fresh spinach. It looks like a lot, but it will shrink down to nothing. Cook until just wilted.
3. Spinach and mushrooms are mostly water. When cooked they release a lot of water. Wrap spinach in in cheese cloth and squeeze water out. I take an extra step and pat it down with a paper towel. Spinach should be very dry. If this step is skipped the custard will be soupy. Once dried, season with salt and pepper. It should be highly seasoned because the egg mixture will absorb the extra salt.
TIP: A tofu press works wonders to remove water from vegetables, and It does a great job with tofu as well!
4. Line bottom with slices of Swiss cheese, add 1/3 of spinach mixture.
5. Add 1/3 of the egg mixture (milk,cream and tarragon) and top with Monterrey Jack cheese. Repeat layers until pie is full, ending with Swiss cheese on top.
6. Sprinkle with paprika and dried tarragon. Place quiche on a lined baking sheet, cover the crust with aluminum foil or a pie shield. Bake for about 40 minutes. Ten minutes before the quiche is done, remove the shield to let the crust brown.
FAQs
What is Pernod?
Pernod is a French anise liqueur made from distillates of star anise, fennel, and 14 other botanicals, including coriander, mint, camomile, and veronica. It has a subtle taste with notes of anise, coriander, and mint, and is known for its freshness and digestive properties. Pernod is different from pastises like Ricard and Pastis 51 because it has a low licorice content.
Why is my spinach so watery?
If you’ve ever cooked a big bag of spinach, you know that it wilts down to practically nothing! That’s because spinach is mostly water. Heat and salt release the water. Squeeze the water out with a cheese cloth. A tofu press works well for this.
What is the trick to make a fluffy quiche?
The right temperature is the trick! Using a moderate oven temperature of 375 degrees allows the custard to set gently, promoting a fluffy texture. Resting: Allowing the quiche to rest for a few minutes after baking can help the custard set and achieve a fluffy, creamy textur
Spinach And Mushroom Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 5-minute Flaky Pie Dough, (par-cooked for 10 minutes.)
- 6 Tbsp butter.
- 8 oz package sliced Swiss cheese
- 8 oz package sliced Monterrey Jack cheese
- 8 cups fresh spinach or one small box frozen spinach.
- 1 medium white onion
- 1 ½ cup fresh mushrooms
- ½ teas. dried tarragon (plus extra to sprinkle on top Do not use fresh tarragon)
- 1 teas. Pernod (optional)
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teas. tarragon (plus extra to sprinkle on top)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Make the 5 Minute Flaky Pie Dough recipe. Par-bake it for 10 minutes. (recipe makes two crusts, freeze one for later).
- Heat a large fry pan, add butter.
- Saute mushrooms until browned
- Add onions and saute until transparent.
- Add spinach, salt, pepper and Pernod. If more butter is needed, add a tablespoon or two and cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. Do not overcook spinach. It will get bitter.
- Wrap spinach mixture into a cheese cloth and press out excess liquid. I use a tofu press because it works better than cheese cloth. Spinach mixture should be very dry. Do not skip this step or the custard will be soupy.
- Taste the mixture. Highly season it with salt and pepper(season with more salt than you prefer, the eggs, milk and cheese will absorb the additional seasoning).
- In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream and tarragon to combine.
- When pie crust has cooled, line the cooked pie crust with slices of Swiss cheese(see photo), layer one-third of spinach mixture, one-third egg mixture and slices of Monterrey Jack cheese.
- Repeat alternating layers until pie crust is full, ending with slices of Swiss cheese on top.
- With a fork or knife, pull some of the spinach mixture to the top so it pokes through the cheese and egg mixture(see photo).
- Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent the crust from over-browning. (see photo)
- Lightly sprinkle with paprika and dried tarragon. Put quiche on a lined baking sheet( use parchment paper or silicone mat to line ), and bake.
- After about 25 minutes of cooking time, the cheese will start to brown. and form a crust. Use a fork or knife to make holes in the browned cheese to release steam. Cook for remaining time.
- When done, immediately poke a few holes in top of the quiche to release steam.
- Let the quiche sit for about ten minutes so the custard can set.
- Enjoy!
