Spinach Quiche
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Made with heavy cream and Gruyère, this rich spinach quiche is classic French.
Of all the spinach quiches I’ve tried over the years, this classic French version is my favorite. The recipe comes from my childhood friend Trish, who is not only one of the funniest people I know, but also a wonderful hostess. When Trish entertains, she goes all out—beautiful table settings, seasonal cocktails, fabulous food, and (best of all) hilarious party games. She once created an entire game of Jeopardy! for our old high school gang, complete with categories like Prom Dates, ’80s Pop Stars, and Senior Superlatives.
This spinach quiche is Trish’s “go-to” brunch dish. The combination of heavy cream and Gruyère makes it rich and flavorful. There’s also a good bit of spinach, which balances out all that richness and makes it just a little bit healthier. If you’d like to try another traditional French quiche, my quiche Lorraine made with smoky bacon, nutty Gruyère cheese, and shallots is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.
“This is the best spinach quiche I’ve had! It was a hit at our Easter brunch and I got several requests for the recipe. It came out perfect making ahead, freezing, and defrosting. This is a keeper!”
Ingredients For Spinach Quiche
To simplify things, I recommend using a store-bought crust. When buying frozen pie crust, be sure to check it carefully at the store for cracks. (If you unpack it and find that it’s cracked, no worries — there’s a fix below.) Also, make sure to buy a deep-dish crust; a regular pie shell is not deep enough to hold all the fillings.
Frozen chopped spinach also makes the recipe easy. It’s important to wring out all the moisture from the spinach before using. I usually gather it into a ball in my hands and squeeze it until dry. It takes a few minutes of squeezing to get all the water out. Be patient; you need the spinach completely dry, otherwise your quiche will be watery.
Gruyère is my first choice for this quiche – its nutty flavor works nicely in egg dishes, like strata, egg bites, omelettes, and more – but if you can’t find it, Cheddar may be substituted.
How To Make Spinach Quiche
Prick the bottom and sides of the crust all over with a fork. Bake on center rack until fully cooked and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. If your crust cracks in the oven (or if it was cracked when you opened the package), make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
Set the crust aside and turn the oven down to 325°F. Sauté the shallots in a bit of butter over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.
Whisk to combine.
Place cooked pie shell on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of oven) and spread the shallots over the bottom of the cooked crust.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese over top.
Scatter spinach evenly over cheese (breaking up clumps as best you can).
Then pour the egg mixture carefully over top.
Bake at 325°F for 50 to 55 minutes until custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
How To Freeze Spinach Quiche
This spinach quiche freezes beautifully for up to three months. After cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.
You May Also Like
- Greek Spinach & Rice Pie
- Cheese Soufflé
- Spinach & Cheese Strata
- Spinach Frittata
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Spinach Egg Bites
Video Tutorial
Spinach Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 (9-in) deep dish frozen pie crust
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallots, from 2 medium shallots
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded Gruyère, packed
- 1 (10-oz) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung free of water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (pricking about an inch apart). Bake until fully cooked and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it...if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate.) Don't worry if the crust cracks while baking; see my note below on how to fix it before proceeding. Set aside and turn oven down to 325°F (165°C).
- Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the shallots until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.
- Place the cooked pie crust on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of oven). Spread the shallots over the bottom of the cooked crust, then sprinkle the shredded Gruyere over top. Scatter the spinach evenly over cheese, breaking up the clumps as best you can. Pour the egg and cream mixture over top.
- Bake at 325°F (165°) for 50 to 55 minutes until the custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
Notes
- Don't panic if your crust cracks—you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1½ tablespoons of flour with 1 tablespoon softened butter. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
- I usually defrost the frozen spinach quickly by placing it in a fine mesh strainer and running hot water over it. I then gather the spinach into a ball and squeeze it dry. It takes a few minutes of squeezing and re-squeezing to get all the water out. Be patient...you need the spinach completely dry, otherwise your quiche will be watery.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The quiche can be made up to a day ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F (150°C) oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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With Easter approaching, this recipe is PERFECT. I’ve made it many times, and each time it turns out wonderful and everyone asks for it again and again. It’s easy, uses good ingredients, and I love the use of gruyere. It elevates this just enough to taste fussy but it’s not.
I’ve been a subscriber for YEARS, and this year Santa brought me the cookbook, so now excited to try even more recipes. Thanks Jen. Your recipes have become–without a doubt–my go-to recipes. Thank you thank you
💕
This has become a go to for our home. I have served it just as described at brunch gatherings, family meals, and late afternoon “light fare” gatherings that I have hosted. It always gets many complements. The bite of the Gruyere pairs very well with the spinach. I have added to or completely substituted leeks for the shallots due to what I had on hand and have been pleased either way. I return to this dish around Easter time and other spring family gatherings. My husband will even grab a leftover slice straight from the frig for an on the run breakfast!
I love this quiche and make it often. Gruyere is delicious but pretty expensive, so sometimes I’ll use another cheese. It’s pretty quick to make up for dinner and tastes like you spent lots of time on it.
I made this with light cream and chopped fresh baby spinach. It’s so delicious! It’s my go to quiche when we have company too and it always gets rave reviews! Jenn, thanks for your amazing recipes.
The very best quiche I have eaten. I have also prepared it using Swiss cheese, four ounces of spinach and eight ounces of hot Neeses Country Sausage. So goooooooood. My husband loves it and my neighbor too.
This quiche was absolutely delicious. I used fresh chopped spinach and made it crustless by just spraying oil onto the baking dish.
Did you adjust baking time at all?
This is a fabulous recipe and is so easy to prepare. I prep the spinach and cut the shallots ahead of time and then throw it together when I get home. I’m lucky to have a “coop” grocery store that offers wonderful flacky frozen crusts that also saves time. I’ve also used whole milk instead of heavy cream and just make sure to drain the spinach completely. My secret to draining the spinach is to do a final check for any extra liquid between layers of paper towels. I then wrap it between fresh paper towels and place in a ziplock sandwich bag in my refrigerator veggie drawer. Ive never had a problem with a runny quiche doing it this way. Ive also sautéed the shallots ahead of time and kept them in a plastic container with a little EVOO in the frig. When I’m ready to make the quiche, I take out the container with the shallots and put them in the microwave for 15-20 sec to separate the shallots in the solidified EVOO. All these tips work great when I’m in a pinch for time after work.
Can half and half or fat free half and half be substituted for the heayy cream?
Hi Kelley, If you want to go with half and half, I’d recommend the regular version as opposed to the fat-free. The quiche won’t be quite as rich as with the cream, but still delicious. 🙂
Love love this recipe! (And many more of Jen’s recipes). This is perfect as is but I still like to add bacon after putting the onions in the shell. You gotta try this! Harris Teeter sells a Greyere and Swiss mix pack and its perfect for this recipe.
I made this for my wife to take to work for the ladies she works with. The only thing I changed was to make my own crust and do it it an 11″ tart pan. This was the first time I used Gruyere in a quiche and it was the best from now on I will always use it, it adds so much more to the dish. I got e-mails from most of the ladies telling me it was the best quiche that they ever ate and asking me for the recipe. I will definitely be making it again. Thanks for the recipe
Jim