Want a knockout brunch idea? Try this Spinach Quiche recipe, the perfect savory pie for any occasion! This one features a savory filling with spinach and cheddar cheese, scented with garlic and just the right seasoning to make it irresistible not to take another bite. Pour it all into a flaky pastry crust and bake until puffed and golden. It’s the best idea for wow-ing a crowd at brunch, and it works as a light dinner too with a salad. This one got rave reviews over here (especially with our crust-loving 6 year old!).
How to make spinach quiche: an overview
A quiche is a French tart filled with custard and savory fillings. Leave it to the French to invent the idea of pie as a main dish! It’s become a classic brunch recipe, with spinach as one of the top vegetarian fillings. Want to make a spinach quiche recipe? You can make this classic recipe in less than 2 hours, made completely from scratch with a homemade quiche crust. Or, you can use store-bought refrigerated pie crust for a shortcut. However, we highly recommend the homemade crust for its crispy, buttery texture: and it holds its shape better! Here’s what to expect:
Ingredients in the spinach quiche filling
This spinach quiche filling is savory and cheesy, with just the right nuance in flavor from onion and garlic. The key? Frozen spinach, which makes this quiche easy to assemble. Cooking that amount of spinach from fresh just isn’t practical here, and the texture from frozen spinach is actually better for this application. Here’s what you’ll need for the filling:
Frozen spinach Butter White onion Garlic Eggs Milk Heavy cream Dried mustard and dried dill Salt and pepper Shredded cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese
Tip: blind bake the crust
The biggest key to making a quiche? Blind bake the crust! Blind baking is baking a pastry crust without the filling. This makes sure the bottom won’t get soggy because the crust is perfectly firm before you add the filling. If you don’t blind bake, you’ll get soggy bottom crust (we did). Here’s what to know about how to get the perfect flaky crust:
First, refrigerate the crust 30 minutes. Why? This helps the crust to hold its shape while blind baking. Prick holes with a fork all over the crust. This is called docking: it helps keep the crust from puffing up while in the oven without filling. Add parchment paper then pie weights, dried beans, or rice! Pour them right into the crust. We use two sets of these pie weights. Bake for 18 minutes at 400°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F. Remove the pie weights. Remove the weights and bake 18 to 22 more minutes until the crust is golden. Then the quiche is ready to fill.
Homemade vs purchased quiche crust
You can use purchased refrigerated pie dough for this recipe: but we’ve found we like homemade quiche crust much better! Why?
Homemade crust holds its shape better. We’ve had some issues with refrigerated pie dough holding its shape, even when blind baking! It can lose the crimping on the edges and come out looking uneven. Homemade crust tastes better. It only takes a few minutes to make homemade quiche crust: and it tastes so much better! The flavor is much more developed and it’s even flakier and crisper than a purchased crust (at least the brands we’ve used!). Feel free to weigh in if you have a refrigerated quiche crust brand you love.
How to make a pie crust shield
For this spinach quiche, you’ll need to use a pie crust shield. This tool prevents pie crust from burning in the oven by covering just the crust, allowing the filling to bake normally.
It’s easy to make a pie crust shield with aluminum foil. Cut a hole in the center of a large sheet of foil that’s the diameter of your pie plate. The foil will rest on the crust but let the filling bake uncovered. Here’s a video with instructions for more details. Or, buy a metal pie crust shield. Here’s a link to buy a pie crust shield online.
Make ahead instructions for quiche
Quiche saves very well: in fact, it’s even better after it’s cooled to room temperature or even cold. Here’s what to know about making quiche in advance:
Make the quiche 1 to 3 days in advance. Then refrigerate it until serving! You can eat it cold, room temperature or warm. To reheat, warm in a 200 degree oven for about 20 minutes. The quiche saves 5 days refrigerated. Wrap it in plastic or aluminum foil to keep it fresh. It also saves up to 3 months frozen. Go to How to Freeze Quiche.
Make it a meal
Wondering how to make quiche into a meal? Go to What to Serve with Quiche for easy side dish ideas! To pair with this spinach quiche, we’d recommend simple carrot salad, yogurt parfaits, or banana muffins (if serving as a brunch!). For dinner, go with elegant pear salad with pecans.
More quiche recipes
Want more quiche? Here are a few more ideas for savory pies:
Try a Classic Quiche or Easy Quiche Opt for Spinach Mushroom Quiche or Classic Asparagus Quiche Grab a Breakfast Quiche Go crustless with a Crustless Quiche with Spinach (so simple!)
This spinach quiche recipe is…
Vegetarian. 4 from 1 review
