My rustic Bacon & Spinach Quiche is one of my go-to comfort food recipes. It's also one of my most popular recipes because it is fast, easy, satisfying and ALWAYS a crowd-pleaser!
Today's recipe is a delightful fusion of classic quiche ingredients such as bacon, cheddar cheese, spinach, and onion. However, quiche happens to be an incredibly adaptable dish, perfect for transforming leftover meats and vegetables into morsels of deliciousness. By the way, ham and mushrooms make fantastic additions as well! If you prefer a vegetarian twist, feel free to create your own medley of diced vegetables, such as tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, and capsicum. Once you've mastered this recipe, the possibilities for experimentation become endless.
While most quiches use a short-crust pastry I use a ready-made puff pastry and I've never had any complaints - I also like the little flaky crispy pastry you get on the edges when using puff pastry.
MY TIPS
The secret to getting a fantastic flavour in this quiche is good quality CHEESE - cheddar, Edam, sharp cheddar and lightly smoked cheese all work really well. A light flavour, like mozzarella, doesn't have the depth you need, nor do you want a heavily salted/smoked cheese that will overpower the dish.
An easy custard ratio is 1/4 cup milk to one egg, with a pinch of salt and a good few grinds of pepper. This is important if your custard happens to fall short for whatever reason - you want the custard to JUST cover all the mixture.
If you use a salty cheese there is no need to add salt to the custard.
If you happen to feel you have too much custard for whatever reason, just add a bit more grated cheese to "thicken" it up. This is quite a forgiving recipe and allows for easy adjusting.
Depending on the size of your pastry sheets you might need a bit of extra pastry, so just cut a little extra pastry to size as required and gently press them into the areas you need so that the pan bottom and sides are covered in pastry (or up to the level of your custard).
If you have a really deep dish you only need to have the pastry up to the line of your custard filling.
Last but not least, the trick with using puff pastry sheets is to get it onto your quiche tin or baking dish BEFORE it gets super soft. I then allow it to sit for a little while on the tin/pan itself and then I gently push it down into place once it has a little give.
Watch my video demo for all my tips and tricks
YOU WILL NEED
1 x 25cm x 25cm/10" x 10" sheet puff pastry plus a little extra to fix gaps if needed
1-2 tablespoons rice bran oil or your preferred cooking oil
1 large onion finely diced
2 cups chopped bacon pieces
4 cups baby spinach (you can also use frozen spinach - about half a cup)
1+3/4 cups good cheddar or tasty cheese
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs
2 rounded tablespoons of chopped parsley
A pinch of chilli powder or paprika (optional - mainly for warmth and colour)
Salt and pepper to taste
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.
In a large non-stick frying pan, add the oil and allow to warm up. Add the chopped onion and bacon and fry until the onion is softened and golden in colour. Add the spinach and allow it to wilt and soften. Set aside.
Line your 22cm/9-inch quiche dish with the pastry. Add more pastry if needed. Simply cut to size, overlap and press to join. I use a fork to "bond" the edges together and get a good seal.
Add your slightly cooled bacon, onion and spinach mixture evenly over the pastry.
Add the grated cheese evenly over the bacon mixture.
In a measuring jug add the milk and eggs, and whisk until well combined.
Add the parsley, a pinch of salt and a few good grinds of pepper. Mix to combine.
Pour the egg custard over the cheese layer.
If using, sprinkle with a pinch of chilli powder or paprika.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the custard is set.
Remove and allow to cool a few minutes before serving. Perfect hot or cold with a lovely crisp salad and some fresh garlic bread.
SERVES 4
DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE RECIPE
Tried this recipe? Tag @eatinstylebyferitta or #eatinstylebyferitta so I can see your creations and show you some love ♥