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This is the sort of recipe I love to have on hand for those times when you want something special and comforting but simple. At it’s core, quiche is a farmer’s meal. Eggs, dairy, veggies and whatever meat you have leftover. But the process of putting it together makes it so special. It’s not every day you have pie – pie is special and homemade pie crust is even more so.

I also love having recipes on hand that feel special AND that can be adapted to what I have in the fridge. We almost always have eggs and cream. We almost always have flour and butter and the rest is to be made as you see fit. No bacon? Use ham, or turkey or even bbq chicken. No asparagus? Use broccoli (even frozen will work!) and if you don’t feel up to making a crust, a pre-made frozen one will do in a pinch. Pie is still special, even if someone else made the pastry.

Asparagus Bacon Spinach Quiche with Homemade Crust

Name: Asparagus Bacon Spinach Quiche with Homemade Crust
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: Crust; 1 egg; 2 1/2 tbsp ice water; 1 1/2 cups ap flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 10 tbsp very cold butter (.625 cups); Filling; 3/4 cup chopped asparagus; 6 slices thick bacon; 6 eggs; 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped; 1/2 white onion; 3/4 cup heavy cream or milk; 1/2 cup shredded mozza or other mild white cheese; 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 tbsp dried chives; 1/2 tsp salt and pepper

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

This rich and comforting quiche can be put together with simple items and easily adapted to what you have in your fridge

Ingredients

Crust
1 egg
2 1/2 tbsp ice water
1 1/2 cups ap flour
1/2 tsp salt
10 tbsp very cold butter (.625 cups)
Filling
3/4 cup chopped asparagus
6 slices thick bacon
6 eggs
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 white onion
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
1/2 cup shredded mozza or other mild white cheese
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp dried chives
1/2 tsp salt and pepper

Instructions

Crust

Mix ice water and egg - set aside

Add flour and salt to your food process or and pulse to mix

Add butter a tablespoon at a time and pulse until butter is roughly pea sized

Add egg / water mix and run your food processor until dough ball forms.

Flour your work surface and your hands and work your dough until it forms a rough disk shape. If it's too sticky, knead in a little flour but be careful to not overwork. You want your dough to remain cool.

Set aside while you prepare your pie pan with butter.

With a rolling pin, work the dough into a circular shape that is roughly 2/3 inches thick. If your dough is too tight and springs back when you roll it, allow it to rest on the counter for 10 min before rolling.

Line your pie pan, cover and place in the freezer for 30 min as you prepare the filling.

Filling

Chop bacon into small pieces (I like to use scissors) and saute in your pan until crisp. Set aside reserving 1-2 tbsp of rendered fat in the pan.

Saute onion and asparagus until tender then add spinach and cook until it has wilted. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream, cheese, red pepper flakes and chives and, salt and pepper.

Remove crust from freezer and spread out the bacon, then vegetable mixture into the bottom.

Pour egg mixture over the top and place in a pre-heated oven to cook for approximately 1hr and 20 min. All ovens vary so check on yours around the 1 hour mark. It's finished when it has set and a knife pierced into the center comes out clean.

Notes

This will make 1 deep dish pie or two standard ones. If you're using frozen pastry you may wish to half the filling ingredients or make two pies. This will puff as it bakes so pies should be roughly 1/2 full before cooking.
I did not egg wash the crust prior to baking - I feel that's an unnecessary step. Cream absolutely lent a rich texture to this and I would use it over milk if you can.
You do not need a food processor to make the crust - you can do it by hand with a pastry cutter (or 2 butter knives like my Grandma did) but the processor sure makes quick work of it.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 542Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 826mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 15g

My pie pan is a deep dish so if you’re using frozen crusts, you may need to use two and split the mix between them – or if using one, cut the filling ingredients by half. When I poured the mixture into my pan, it filled it roughly to the half way point and I though – oh that’s not going to be enough – but it rose up and it was perfect.

The crust was buttery and flaky and shrunk in just the slightest bit which alleviated my worries about not being able to get it out of the pan. Everything about this dish was a delight and you know what? We can use a few down to earth delights at this point in time. Don’t you think?

Serve this all on it’s own or with a simple green salad. The leftovers store well and re-heat in the microwave just fine. The thought of leftover quiche for breakfast had me crawling out of bed the next morning – a task that is becoming more and more difficult as this drags on. Quiche and coffee? What an indulgence! It’s one we all deserve.

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