Spinach and Ham (or Bacon) Quiche

A modified quiche recipe from Dorie Greenspan. Very versatile. I've used a combination of chopped ham+onion+frozen spinach+swiss or chopped turkey+onion+frozen spinach+colby jack. I've prepped this ahead of time by combining the quiche filling and storing in fridge the night before, and rolling out unbaked pie dough onto a pie dish and freezing. Then the next morning, I poured the quiche filling into the frozen pie crust and sprinkled with cheese. 

Here’s what I did:

1.      Thawed spinach and squeeze out excess water

2.      Sautéed chopped onion with oil and garlic over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Added the chopped ham. Remove from heat.

3.      Added the spinach and season with more salt and pepper. Put mixture into the pie crust

4.      Whisk 2 eggs, 2/3 cup heavy cream together. Pour on ton of the spinach mixture in crust.

5.      Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and some shredded Swiss cheese

6.      Baked at 375 for 30 min.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche (modified from Dorie Greenspan’s "around my French table")

http://www.friendsfoodfamily.com/friends-food-family/2011/02/spinach-and-bacon-quiche-from-around-my-french-table.html

Ingredients:

1-      9 to 9 1/2 inch tart shell, made from tart dough (see recipe below) partially baked and cooled (used 9 inch deep dish Pillsbury frozen pie crust)
10 ounces of ready-to-use baby spinach (or about 1 1/4 pounds regular spinach, trimmed and washed) (used 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed)
4 strips of bacon (used 12 slices of ham, chopped)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
salt and pepper for taste
2 large eggs
2/3 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan (also added some shredded Swiss cheese)

Preparation:

·        Center a rack in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F (baked at 375). Put the tart shell on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper after partially cooking the crust (see directions below).

·        To cook the spinach, fit a steamer basket into a large pot. Pour in enough water to come almost up to the steamer. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the spinach, cover, and steam just until soft and thoroughly wilted, about 4 minutes. remove the spinach, drain and run under to cool it and set the color (it will be deep green). 

·        When the spinach is cool enough not to burn your hands, squeeze it between your palms and get out as much moisture as you can; do this in batches, so you can squeeze harder. Put the clumps on a cutting board and coarsely chop or thinly slice the spinach.

·        Put the bacon in a skillet, place the skillet over medium heat and cook, turning occasionally, until the bacon is crisp on both sides. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, and pat it dry (set the pan aside). Cut the bacon crosswise into thin strips.

·        Drain off all but one tablespoon of fat from the skillet, return the skillet to medium heat, and toss in the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft but not at all colored, about 5 minutes; remove from the heat.

·        Add the bacon and spinach bits to the pan, toss to blend and add a little more salt and a few generous grindings of pepper.

·        Turn the spinach bacon mixture into the crust, spreading it as evenly as possible. Whisk the eggs and cream together until well blended and pour into the tart shell, giving the custard a minute to seep around the spinach and settle in. Sprinkle the top of the quiche with the Parmesan cheese.

·        Carefully slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the filling is uniformly puffed (wait for the center to puff), browned and set. Transfer the quiche to a cooling rack, remove the sides of the pan and allow it to cool and gather itself for at least 5 minutes or so before serving.