Spinach and cheddar quiche is a meat-free pie that can be served as appetizer as well as main dish. Homemade pie crust is filled with sautéed vegetables, egg & cream mixture topped with cheddar cheese.
Making spinach and Cheddar quiche is easy and if you like savory pies, you will enjoy this French classic.
The whole process is easy and does not require much time. The prep can be done in 15 minutes including making homemade crust. Now the pastry needs to be chilled which takes about 20-30 minutes but if you manage your time well, you’ll need 5 minutes for making the crust first and the rest including sautéing can be done while the pie crust pastry is chilling.
So it’s all about time management, guys! A bit of time and effort is all it takes to make this easy spinach and cheddar quiche.
By the way, if you love spinach, you might also like these recipes:
How to make spinach and cheddar quiche
First thing to do is prepare the dough for the quiche crust. To do so, combine the flour and cold butter (that you have cut into small cubes) in a food processor/mixer with dough attachment. Use the pulse function until crumbs form.
Add the egg and water and process until dough is formed. This will only take several seconds. The quiche dough will be quite soft so place it in a Ziploc bag and chill for 20-30 minutes.
By the way, if you don’t have a stand mixer or food processor, you can also make the dough by hand. It takes about 5 minutes to make. In case you don’t feel like making the dough yourself, go ahead and buy the pie crust.
I have 2 sandwich pans that are perfect for making quiches. These are about 7.5-inch (19-cm) wide. Now divide the quiche pastry into 2 pieces and roll each one out. Make sure it is larger than your pie pan. Once you are happy with its size, transfer it into the pan. I recommend lining the pans with baking paper and greasing the sides with butter first.
Gently press down the pastry, push towards the edges and remove any excess pastry. Now it’s time to add the filling.
The filling is made of sautéed leek, red onion and spinach. I usually sauté the onion and leek for about 5 minutes before adding frozen spinach. Sauté for a further 5 minutes or until the spinach is thawed. Season with salt and pepper, give it a good mix and turn off the heat.
Now it’s time to pour over a mixture of milk, cream and eggs. Top this with cheddar cheese – either cut into cubes or shredded. It does not really matter.
Bake this spinach and cheddar quiche in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the egg mixture is set and pastry is cooked.
Useful tips
- If you are not a fan of spinach and cheddar quiche, simply change the ingredients that go into this filling. Tomatoes, ham, asparagus… anything is possible as long as you like it.
- Half and half (US) = Single cream (UK).
- Red onion can be substituted with white one.
- Fresh spinach can also be used. Just bear in mind that you will need to use more spinach. The best is to start adding the spinach in stages and if you feel it’s not enough, just add more.
To know more about the origins and name of this French pie, check out the history of quiche. You’ll find there some interesting facts.
Spinach and Cheddar Quiche
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour (190 grams)
- ½ stick Unsalted Butter (60 grams)
- A Pinch of Salt
- 1 Small Egg
- 3 tablespoons Cold Water
For the filling:
- 1 Small Red Onion
- 1 Leek
- 2 teaspoons Vegetable Oil
- 2 cups Frozen Spinach
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup Milk (185 ml)
- ½ cup Half and Half (125 ml)
- 2 Eggs
- 2 ounces Grated Cheese (50-60 grams)
Instructions
- For the crust: Place flour, chilled diced butter and salt in a food processor. Process using the pulse button until you get a crumb-like texture. Add the egg and cold water and process until the dough comes together. Take it out, wrap in cling-film and place in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile: Finely dice the onion. Cut the leek in half length-wise, cut each half again and chop. Pour oil in a skillet/frying pan and add the onion and leek. Saute for 5 minutes on low-medium heat before adding the frozen spinach. Saute for a further 5 minutes (or until the spinach is thawed) and turn off the heat. Add seasoning and give it a good stir.
- In a medium bowl whisk the milk, eggs and half and half until well combined. Cut/shred/grate the cheese.
- Take out the pastry, divide into 2 pieces (when using two 7 or 8 inch pans) and roll each one out. They have to be larger than the bottom of your pans as you need to cover the sides as well.
- Make sure to line the pans with baking parchment and grease the sides with butter before placing the crust pastry in. With your hands, press the pastry down and to the sides. With the back of a knife cut off the excess pastry.
- Divide the filling into two equal halves and spread onto each pastry. Pour the egg mixture over and top with cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 25 minutes or until the eggs are set and the pastry is cooked.
Notes
- Half and half (US) = Single cream (UK).
- White onion can be used instead of red one.
- The filling: add/omit or substitute the filling ingredients to your liking.
- Making homemade quiche crust takes less than 5 minutes but you can also buy one.
- The quiche crust ingredients & filling are enough for 2 small quiches (7-8 inch/18-20cm wide each).
- Instead of vegetable oil you can use sunflower oil.
- Adjust the amount of salt and pepper to your liking.
Tina Brown says
This looks delicious and I am definitely making this for my next brunch!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Glad to hear that, Tina!
Traci says
THIS looks so darn good…I am wishing it was on my breakfast table this morning. Love it that you used sauteed red onion and leek in this…they’re the perfect aromatics. Pinning!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thank you, Traci! :)
Allison - Celebrating Sweets says
Your photos are gorgeous! This quiche looks so delicious. I can’t wait to try it!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thank you, Alison. Let me know what you think if you do!
Jessica Robinson says
Your quiche looks delish. I don’t tend to make pie dough in a mixer or food processor, as it will become tough and then not be flaky. The old-fashioned way of making it by hand is the best. Loving your quiche recipe though!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Hi Jessica. :) Thanks. I have to say that in this case I found it better using the food processor. But it does not really matter what way you use as long as you are happy with it!
Ginny says
Quiche is the Best! Love the leek and spinach that you’ve incorporated into this recipe. Thanks!
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
You are welcome!
Sandy says
I am salivating just looking at your photos! This is just perfect for a meatless meal.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
:) Definitely!
suja says
The classic recipe are always welcomed by everyone in all the time. And we love the way you have explained about each processes. This one looks absolutely fit for my weekend brunch. Saving to make this very soon with fresh spinach and some green peppers.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
Thanks so much! :) Let me know how it turned out for you!
Matt Freund says
I really like quiche. This looks totally delicious I’m gonna have to try it. The reason I love it is it last a couple of days and you can eat a piece here in there and it goes with a lot of things. Plus I like that you can fill it with just about anything and it’s always delicious.
Matt Freund says
This recipe was delicious and it was easy to make as well. I will make this again.
Julia | Happy Foods Tube says
That’s great to hear, Matt. Thanks for your feedback!