Easy, Cheesy Mushroom and Spinach Quiche

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A wise woman once asked, “Why would anyone ever eat anything besides breakfast food?” (JJ’s Diner, anyone?!) Seriously, that question requires some contemplation. Eggs, waffles, bacon – YUM!

However, no matter if you are a breakfast fanatic, a moderate supporter of morning delicacies, or just in need of an easy brunch dish, this quiche is for you!

I first made this mushroom and spinach quiche for a Sunday brunch with my husband’s family, and, since then, have been addicted. It receives great feedback, and is usually the first to go at any get-together!

Though you can easily substitute store-bought crust into this recipe, the homemade shortcrust is delectable and SO easy to master! The quiche’s nutty aroma of sauteed mushrooms and garlic is almost as intoxicating as the savory taste! I’m drooling just thinking about it again.

So, head to the kitchen, and let’s get started! Peruse my written instructions for tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way, or scroll to the bottom for the printable, condensed recipe. (And, don’t forget to head to the bottom of this page to find more Pinnable images to save on Pinterest for later! It’s the only way I can ever remember recipes – LOL!)

Ingredients For A Nine-Inch Quiche

Crust:

• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1 tsp salt
• Few tsp of ice water (no more than 1/4 cup)

Filling:

• 1 cup (or more, if you like) shredded gruyere/swiss blend cheese (or 1/2 cup of each if you can’t find a blend)
• Approximate cup of roughly chopped mushrooms (give or take depending on preference)
• Half of a small onion, finely chopped
• 4 handfuls of fresh spinach (again, more or less to taste)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Misc. Materials:

• Food Processor.
  • This is the exact version that I use; it’s a mini, but can still pack a powerful punch.
  • Here is a full-size, top-rated processor, for comparison.
• 9″ Pie Plate.
  • For reference, I use this non-stick pan for everyday baking, easy removal, and even cooking – it makes the whole process a TON easier.
  • For a prettier pan to travel with you to brunch, here is a red ceramic option with handles.
  • Alternatively, this gorgeous, fluted-edge pan comes in multiple colors, and will make your crust look professionally-baked! No fussing required!
• Rolling Pin
  • Here’s an option if you don’t already have one!
• Ceramic Pie Weights,
  • Find them here. (Yes, it’s best to use pie weights instead of rice or beans! I did a little experiment that you can find below!)
• Reynolds Parchment Paper with SmartGrid
  • I ONLY use this kind; read on for why!
• Clingwrap
• Pie Crust Shield
  • Especially necessary if you have an older oven. Find it here.
• Pie Server
  • Here is an adorable floral design by The Pioneer Woman.
  • This option is one you can use for dessert, as well. (Both would make spectacular gifts!)

Quiche-Making Method: The Crust

(Note: If you are using a storebought crust, skip down to the paragraph that starts with “Trim your crust…”)

The first step to making a delicious quiche is perfecting your shortcrust pastry! The simple pastry crust is typically made by coating the flour with a fat; most recipes recommend using butter.

During baking, the butter surrounds the grains of flour, restricting the growth of the gluten, resulting in a deliciously delicate crust. For comparison, developed gluten creates a dense, bready network – think of kneading a dough rigorously (developing the gluten) to make a chewy baguette!

Traditionally, a shortcrust pastry is made by rubbing the chunks of chilled butter with the flour, in between the forefingers and thumbs. However, if you are usually warm, like me, your body heat can begin to melt the butter, which results in a tough, hard pastry crust.

To avoid melting the butter, use a food processor to mix it along with the flour. Since I have a mini processor, I have to split the ingredients in half and do one batch at a time. Simply cube the cold butter, and add it into the flour and salt in the bowl of your processor.

Pulse the mixture together a few times, until the butter and flour come together and begin to form pea-sized balls. Don’t worry if not all the flour is incorporated just yet.

Then, add two tablespoons of ice cold water to the bowl, and pulse the mixture a few more times. The dough should just barely begin to hold itself together. If you have dry spots, add a few tablespoons more of ice cold water and mix again, careful not to overwork the dough. The following photo shows how your dough will look when it’s mixed enough.

Next, dump the dough onto a piece of cling wrap, splitting it into two “bricks”, and firmly wrap each set of dough. (This recipe makes TWO pie crusts.) At this point, it is still okay if the mixture is crumbly, but it should hold together when pressed into a log-shape (see the photo after the next paragraph).

Before using the crust, chill the dough at a minimum of two hours in the refrigerator, or even overnight. Chilling the dough relaxes the gluten, once again, to provide a short, soft crust texture. If you only need one piecrust, you can wrap the second amount of dough once more for extra support and place it in the freezer to save for another time.

Once your dough has chilled (and, I don’t mean it’s wearing sunglasses and drinkin’ a beer – LOL) dump it onto a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper over the top, and roll the dough out in between the two papers. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.

Always roll from the center, out. Also, make sure to rotate the crust ninety-degrees (think – three hours on a clock face) each time you roll; this will help create an even, circular crust. Use the lines on your Reynolds Smart-Grid parchment paper to identify when your pie crust has exceeded nine inches. I’ll typically aim for 10-11, but no larger; you want the extra dough to make a decorative, even border.

Peel the top layer of parchment paper off of your rolled out crust, and flip it over, into the pan, pressing the dough down into the bottom. Once you are satisfied with the placement of the crust, peel the second piece of parchment paper off, too.

Trim your crust, and roll the outer edge under itself once to make a nice, extra thick border on your quiche. You can use a spoon to make a pretty, wavey pattern, or pinch the dough at an angle between your thumb and the soft part of your pointer finger.

Next, prick the bottom and sides of the crust a few times with a fork to create air holes. Then, place the entire pie plate, crust and all, into the freezer to relax the gluten and solidify the fat one last time before baking. You can start to preheat your oven to 350 degrees now, too.

Immediately before baking, cut one more piece of parchment or wax paper and lay it inside your pie. Over the top of that, pour in your pie weights and spread them out evenly. This extra weight holds down the crust so that it bakes without puffing up into a dome during your blind-bake (baking the crust partially before adding the filling).

Some people use dry rice or hard beans in a pinch, but I’ve found that ceramic baking weights better transfer the heat and result in a more even finish. I did a little experiment to test this, which you can see below:

Both crusts were made from the same batch of ingredients, prepared and frozen together, and baked in the same oven. The only difference in the experiment was the weights/rice. Middle-school science class was coming back to me – haha!

As you can see, the crust baked with pie weights was more evenly finished, whereas the crust with rice was still wet on the bottom, which meant it needed longer in the oven the second time, causing the edges began to brown prematurely. Subsequently, the crust edges become drier, too; and, that’s why pie weights are the way to go!

Blind-bake your crust for 20 minutes. Then, remove the pie weights and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the crust just starts browning and the bottom is no longer wet.

Quiche-Making Method: The Filling

While the crust is baking, I like to prep my filling.

Start by chopping the veggies, and sauteeing them down until most of the moisture has evaporated. I usually do two batches; the mushrooms, onions, and garlic first, and then the spinach last. You can also add some cracked black pepper here to give your mushrooms some flavor if you like.

Let the ingredients rest on a paper towel-covered plate to soak up any last bits of moisture. If your veggies contain too much wetness, they will cause your quiche to be soggy!

Then, in a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, and spices. Baking connoisseurs encourage 1-part egg to 2-part liquid dairy for the perfect quiche consistency. Thus, in my recipe, I’ve used three eggs (generally eggs are 2 oz each; 6 oz total) and 1 1/2 cups of milk and cream (12 oz).

Once your crust is finished blind-baking, layer half of the cheese along the bottom of the crust, and spread in the sauteed ingredients.

Finally, add the egg/cream/spice mixture. Top the quiche with the rest of your gruyere/swiss blend, and bake it in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

At the 30-minute mark, I test the consistency; your quiche should be set, but you still want a little “wiggle” in the center if you nudge the side of the pan. For a finished quiche, a knife inserted in the middle would come out mostly clean, but don’t be nervous if there is moisture on the knife.

If the edges of the crust are browning past your liking, but the quiche isn’t finished baking, you will need to cover only the edges of the crust with foil, or an easy, handy crust-cover until the filling is done. This will slow any further browning.

Let the quiche cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes or so before transporting or serving. You can serve this quiche immediately, but it also is just as great refrigerated and re-heated the next day.

So much “yum!” Seriously, the most difficult part of this recipe is waiting for the quiche to cool before digging in! Take it from me; I’ve burned my tongue too many times on this one. 🙂

Quiche Printable Instructions

Enjoy All The Quiche-y Goodness

I can’t wait to hear how much you LOVE this quiche! Honestly, my husband and I can finish off a whole one by ourselves for dinner… not proud of it, but it’s just that good.

Leave me a comment below and let me know if you’ve ever made a quiche before, or if you’re excited to try this one! And, special bonus points if you can name who quoted that famous breakfast line in the opening of this post! 🙂

Don’t forget to find me on Instagram so we can keep in touch, and enter your email below to receive notification of my next blog post like this one!

Thanks again for reading!! Be sure to check out my last breakfast recipe here! (It’s a little… okay, a lot… healthier than this one! LOL!)

XOXO,

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. Forgetful like me? Pin one of these to reference this recipe later!

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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