My Bacon & Spinach Quiche is one of my most popular recipes for so many reasons - it's fast, easy and ALWAYS a crowd pleaser!
This rustic quiche is perfect when you're short on time but still demand a fantastic meal!
Quiche is a wonderfully versatile food and great for using up leftover meats and veggies so feel free to experiment. Today's recipe is a very traditional blend of beautiful flavors including bacon, cheddar cheese, spinach and onion. Just an fyi, ham and mushrooms are also great too! For a meat-free option add your own combination of chopped veggies like tomato, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus and capsicum. Once you have made this recipe a few times and are familiar with it you can really go to town on the variations.
Now I have to say, 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 flavor in this quiche is good quality CHEESE - cheddar, Edam, sharp cheddar and lightly smoked cheese all work really well. You don't want to go for cheese that is light in flavor, like say, mozzarella, as it simply doesn't have the depth you need for the quiche flavor to really come out, 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. So if I need more custard for any reason, I just whisk together 1 egg and a 1/4 cup milk, a shake of salt and pepper and top up my custard until satisfied
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 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 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
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 - a mix including sharp & lightly smoked cheese also works
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs
2 rounded tablespoons chopped parsley
A pinch of chilli powder or paprika (optional, mainly for warmth and color)
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 color. Add the spinach and allow to wilt and soften. Set aside.
Line your 22cm/9 inch quiche tin or dish with the pastry. If you need more pastry cut more to size and add to the areas as needed, overlapping slightly so it is easy to join. I use a fork to "bond" the edges together and get a good seal. It doesn't have to be pretty, just sealed.
Add your slightly cooled bacon, onion and spinach mixture evenly over the pastry.
Add the grated cheese evenly over the bacon mixture.
In a medium bowl or measuring jug add the milk and then the eggs and whisk until the well combined, (no yellow yolk bits should be visible or your quiche will come out tasting like eggs and for a quiche that is not good).
Add the parsley and season with a good pinch of salt and a few good grinds of pepper and mix the custard again.
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
Tried this recipe? Tag @eatinstylebyferitta or #eatinstylebyferitta so I can see your creations and show you some love ♥