Description
Hearty spinach mushroom quiche delights dinner guests with classic French culinary elegance. Home cooks can easily craft this savory pastry for memorable weekend brunches, impressing friends with minimal kitchen effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 large eggs
- 6 oz (170 g) Gruyere, grated
- 8 oz (226 g) sliced button mushrooms
- 1 box (10 oz/284 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and pressed to remove water
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) half-and-half
- 1 store-bought pie crust
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsps chopped fresh thyme
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) with rack centered, creating optimal cooking environment for the quiche.
- Mushroom Infusion: Sauté mushrooms, garlic, and thyme in olive oil over medium heat, developing deep caramelized flavors and releasing aromatic essences until mushrooms achieve rich golden-brown coloration.
- Crust Foundation: Carefully lay pie crust into 9-inch deep tart pan, pressing meticulously to ensure complete coverage. Layer sautéed mushrooms and thoroughly drained spinach across crust, creating a robust vegetable base.
- Cheese Layering: Generously distribute Gruyere cheese over vegetable foundation, establishing a melting preliminary barrier that enhances overall flavor complexity.
- Custard Creation: Whisk half-and-half and eggs together, seasoning with salt and pepper until achieving a smooth, homogeneous liquid mixture that will form the quiche’s signature creamy interior.
- Assembly and Baking: Pour egg mixture evenly over vegetable and cheese layers, positioning tart pan on rimmed baking sheet. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and continue baking 10-15 minutes until center sets and crust turns golden and crisp.
- Resting Period: Remove from oven and allow quiche to stabilize for 10-15 minutes, permitting custard to solidify and ensuring clean, precise slicing when serving.
Notes
- Prep Ahead Strategy: Sauté mushrooms and spinach up to 24 hours in advance, storing in an airtight container to streamline assembly and reduce day-of cooking stress.
- Cheese Selection Tip: Swap Gruyere with sharp white cheddar or fontina for subtle flavor variations while maintaining creamy texture.
- Temperature Control Hack: Use a digital thermometer to confirm egg custard reaches 160°F at center, ensuring food safety without overcooking.
- Crust Crispness Secret: Briefly pre-bake pie crust for 10 minutes before adding fillings to prevent soggy bottom and maintain delightful crunch.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 220 mg