We love a good quiche, especially one as fresh as this cheesy spinach quiche recipe. If you normally pick up yours from the grocery store, you’ve got to give this scratch-made version a try. You might be surprised at just how easy it is to make a homemade pie crust, just flour, salt, sugar, butter, and ice water – that’s it, just five ingredients! Once this comes together, the rest is just scrambled eggs and cheese (and, of course, a few extra ingredients for deliciousness). There’s something so light and flaky, creamy and flavorful about a homemade quiche. It’s super easy to do, and this is how we do it.
Once we’ve made the dough and chilled it for a half hour, we roll it out and bake it for under 10 minutes in a process called “parbaking” – where a bread or dough is partially baked first, then finished later. For this quiche, in particular, the parbaking process is important for keeping the crust from becoming too soggy once the liquid ingredients are poured into the crust. We’ve also parboiled our spinach, it’s a great way to retain that bright green color. And cheese is a must! So we’ve gone with a three-cheese blend here of mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and sharp cheddar. We love the creamy, salty, cheesy bite this blend adds to the quiche.
The quiche bakes in the oven and comes out a beautiful golden color, with a nut-colored crust and a gooey cheesy topping flecked with green from the spinach. We let this cool and set up a bit because a mushy quiche is the worst! The finished product is a flavorful delight and one that is perfect for a weekend brunch. It’s a recipe that is surprisingly easy to do, just a little time and patience are required, and there’re no extraordinary ingredients so it’s truly accessible to cooks of any level. Fresh and scratch-made are often some of the best tasting foods, so give this recipe a try and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
1 hour 40 minutes + cooling time to prepare serves 6-8
INGREDIENTS
For crust:
- 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 4-5 tablespoons ice water
For filling:
- 3 cups fresh spinach, stems removed
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 ½ cups 3-cheese blend (option: cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
PREPARATION
Mix flour, salt, and sugar together in a food processor. Add cubed butter and pulse until butter is about pea-sized. Slowly add 3 tablespoons of ice water and pulse. Add 1-2 more tablespoons as needed until dough comes together, pulsing after adding each tablespoon.
Remove dough from food processor and roll into an oval, then flatten. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to fit in a 9-inch round pie plate. Place crust into the dish, leaving edges rough. Place dried beans or pie weights into crust before baking for 8 minutes. Cool before adding filling. Reduce oven temperature to 425°F.
Blanche spinach in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Transfer spinach to a towel to remove excess moisture.
Sauté onion with butter, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper over medium-high heat until onions are softened in texture and translucent in color. Turn off heat and set aside to cool.
Beat eggs with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add half-and-half and ¾ cup cheese, whisk until well combined. Gently fold in spinach leaves and cooled sautéed onions then pour egg filling into pie crust. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top then bake at 425°F for 12-15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 22-25 minutes. Quiche is ready when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool for 20-30 minutes to allow quiche to set before slicing to serve.