Spinach Artichoke Quiche

A quiche packed with turkey sausage, cheese, spinach, and artichoke hearts.

I don't like eggs.  I've tried them scrambled, fried, and boiled and I just don't love them.  However, I love quiche.  Probably because there is so much else added in you don't just taste the eggs.  I often need eggs for something I'm baking and most cakes and breads only use a few so I end up with extra eggs.  What is a person who doesn't like eggs do?  I either hard boil them for my husband to have as an after workout snack or I make quiche.  Quiche is one of my favorite egg dishes.

I don't like eggs, but I love quiche. [Tweet this]

Many people complain that quiche isn't filling (check out my rant on Quiche) but they must be eating the wrong quiche.  This quiche is incredibly filling and delicious.  It's packed with marinated artichoke hearts, spinach, Monterey Jack cheese, and turkey breakfast sausage.  It's terrific and filling enough for any meal.

Quiche not filling? You're eating the wrong quiche. [Tweet this]

Spinach Artichoke Quiche

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground turkey breakfast sausage
2 cups artichoke heart quarters
2 cups frozen spinach
5-6 eggs
1 cup milk
1-2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
2 Tbsp dried minced onions
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pie crust (I used Easy Pie Crust)

Preheat oven to 450F.

Line the pie crust with a double thickness of foil and bake at 450F for 8 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake for 3-5 minutes more.  Remove crust from oven and lower oven temperature to 325F.

Brown and crumble the sausage over medium heat in a large fry pan until cooked through.  Allow to cool and remove to a large bowl.

Thaw spinach and squeeze out excess moisture.  Place spinach and artichokes in a food processor and pulse a few times until roughly chopped (or chop them by hand).  Add to the bowl of turkey.

To the bowl with turkey, spinach, and artichokes add the eggs, milk, and the rest of the ingredients.  Beat until well mixed then pour into prepared pie crust.

Bake at 325F for 45-60 minutes until set and browned on top (a knife inserted in the center will come out clean).

Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.  Makes 1 8-9 inch quiche.  Serves 6-8.

Enjoy.

Other recipes and rant mentioned in this post:

Quiche (and Easy Pie Crust)

For more egg recipes check out:

How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs

Mayonnaise-less Egg Salad Sandwich

Egg and Cheese Crepes

Linked to:  Pretty Pintastic, Show off, Best of the Weekend, 2 Cup, Treasure Box, Lou Lou Girls, Tickle my Tastebuds, Tasty, Cook Craft Share, Full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends

Follow Joy Bee's board Joybee Whats for Dinner blog posts on Pinterest.

Read more ...

Quiche

A filling breakfast pie made with eggs, bacon, and cheese.  This delicious, typically, breakfast or brunch item also makes a fine dinner.

I am so tired of seeing commercials that trash quiche.  It's always a 'manly' commercial that makes it seem like quiche is not filling and not fit for the consumption of 'real men'.  This makes me so mad.  Quiche typically contains eggs, cheese, and bacon (or some other meat).  What is so 'unmanly' about that? They are all protein.  Yes, you can make quiche without meat, but you can do that with lots of other dishes (like pizza) and they don't get the same kind of bad press as quiche.  I make quiche pretty often, usually it contains 1/2 to 1 pound of bacon, at least 1 cup of cheese (usually 2 or more) and about 5 eggs.  I will also put some kind of vegetable in it, usually spinach, but it gets pretty well hidden by all of the other goodies and there is nothing wrong with being a little health conscious.  I like quiche, it is a great way to clean out the refrigerator and you can use it to use up many leftovers.  My husband also enjoys quiche, and he is a man.  So what is the problem?  Maybe the people who these commercials are geared towards have not actually had or made quiche.  I'm not even going to get started on the sexism of 'manliness'.

Anyway, with my rant over I will give you my simple recipe for quiche.  With just the basic recipe you can add any cheese, meat and vegetable of your liking.

Ingredients:

1 recipe pie crust (I use an easy pie crust recipe)*
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup cheese (I usually prefer more cheese, but this was all I had)
1/2 pound bacon, chopped and cooked
1-2 cups frozen spinach
salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 tsp habanero flakes
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 cup chopped green onions

*Easy Pie Crust

1 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil
(I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour, 1/4 cup flax seed meal, 1/2 Tbsp baking powder with 1 stick of butter--melted, and the 1/4 cup water)
To make self-rising flour:  4 cups flour + 2 tsp salt + 2 Tbsp baking powder.


First make the pie crust.  Bring the water and oil (or butter) to a boil in a small saucepan.  Once boiling take off the heat and add the flour (or flour mixture).  Stir until all of the flour is hydrated and it forms a ball.  Dump this into your pie pan, or I use an 8 inch cast iron skillet. When dough has cooled enough to touch press out into a pie crust shape, filling the pan.  Then line the crust with a double thickness of foil and bake at 450 for 8 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 3-5 minutes more or until the crust is dried out.  Lower oven temperature to 325.

Mix up the eggs with the milk, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and habanero flakes or hot sauce (if using).  Then add the frozen spinach, bacon, cheese, and onions.  Stir until thoroughly mixed and pour into pie crust.   Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until set and browned on top.  Serves 6 depending on how you slice it.


Quiche is an easy and tasty meal and there are many variations you can make of it. This is just 1 recipe.  Be creative and use up any leftovers you might have.

Some quiche variation ideas:

Cheese Steak Quiche--use sliced steak, peppers and onions, and provolone cheese
Taco Quiche--use leftover taco meat or ground beef, salsa, and colby jack cheese
Sausage and Pepper Quiche--use Italian sausage, bell peppers, and mozzarella cheese

The variations are endless.  Make it as 'manly' or 'unmanly' as you like.  What are your favorite quiche recipes?

Enjoy.

Read more ...