Although the word "Quiche" is French, did you know that the "Quiche" was originally of German origin? The German word "Küeche" (meaning "cake") was changed by the French by shifting letters around in the spelling. Interesting I thought.

To me, this - open-faced savory pie - as I like to call it, can be manipulated with so many variations by the home cook which is fabulous warm or cold for a lunch, brunch or even dinner with a veggie and a simple crisp garden salad.

My Spinach, Onion and Bacon Quiche Recipe uses fresh ingredients. You can vary the cheeses as far as the domestic Swiss goes. I love to use imported Swiss cheeses such as Finlandia or Jarlsberg. They have a wonderful nutty flavor and along with the Gruyere Swiss which brings depth of flavor, they bring this quiche alive. Enjoy!

Check out my Chef’s Notes at the end of the recipe for helpful tips and variations to this recipe.


Ingredients


1 Marie Callender's (or other) 9" deep dish frozen pie crust, defrosted
4 oz. thick-cut smoky bacon
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 fresh garlic cloves, chopped fine
A pinch of red pepper flakes
3 cups baby spinach, chopped
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups heavy or light cream
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 cup domestic Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup gruyere Swiss, grated

Method

Preheat oven to degrees 375F.

1. First, line a shallow baking sheet with parchment paper (greased proof paper) and cook the bacon until well done, but not crispy. Drain on paper towels and reserve the bacon renderings (fat.) Chop the bacon and set aside. Raise the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Heat the bacon renderings over a medium heat for a minute or two and cook the onions, garlic and red pepper stirring often until the onions are starting to look opaque. Add the baby spinach, stir and cover until the spinach starts to wilt. Remove the cover from the pan and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Set aside to cool.

3. In a bowl combine the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Then, stir in both of the cheeses.

4. Place the spinach and onion mixture in the bottom of the pie shell, followed by the bacon. Pour the egg mixture on top and swirl gently with a fork to distribute all of the ingredients evenly. Bake in the center of the oven (middle rack) for 20 minutes and then reduce the oven heat to 325 degrees F. and cook for a further 30 minutes.


COOK'S NOTES and TIPS:

First, a note on the pie crusts. You can use a 9 inch crust for this recipe or to 9 inch shallow crusts of any brand. I used Marie's because they held up better without breaking around the edges. The generic ones in the supermarkets seemed to be too flimsy and the end eye-appeal didn't delight me.


If the edges of the quiche start becoming too brown, have a little strip of foil ready to put around the edges of the pie crust to stop it from becoming too brown or burning. I use a pie saver, which is a metal ring that you place over your pie crust when you are baking. All ovens are different, so this is just a precautionary tip.


Please make sure you let the quiche rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes so that the egg mixture can set or it will just fall apart when you slice it. The eggs need time to regroup and set. Chilling for a little while is a big help.


Variations: - To substitute any or all of the veggies and meat in this recipe all you have to do is look in your refrigerator or your grocery store for your favorite ingredients. Pre-cook them as we did here and just add them to the pie. Be creative, you may come up with a winner!