Friday Night Quiche

I recently attended a teen youth group function where instead of having “Friday Night Pizza,” several of the teen’s mom’s sent along a quiche to share. This filling dish goes a long way and can be eaten without any utensils when made in a tart pan.

If you thought that quiche was just an inexpensive meal to make when you have extra eggs on hand, think again. It definitely is an easy and budget-friendly meal, but it certainly doesn’t have to be boring.

There are so many ways to make quiche, including making it with potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, spinach, tomato, mushroom or just with egg and cheese and smoked meats like ham, prosciutto and pancetta.

Quiche originated in France and is still a very common part of French cuisine – and for good reason. Meat is much less affordable in Europe, so it is less commonly consumed. A dish like quiche is a great way to add some filling protein to a meal in a more economical way.

The following recipe was made in a tart pan, which makes it easier to serve because you can easily lift the quiche out of the tart pan and cut it on a cutting board. This way the quiche can be eaten just like a slice of pizza. If you want to eat it this way, you will need to make your own crust with butter like the recipe below since store-bought crusts tend to be more greasy and flaky.

Consider trying this recipe for your next dinner party, especially since it does well when made ahead of time. It can be served warm or cold depending on your preference. Quiche is great paired with soup or salad and makes excellent leftovers for breakfast!

Spinach and Speck Quiche

Recipe: Spinach Quiche with Speck (Smoked Prosciutto) or Pancetta

Spinach Speck Quiche

Per Serving 241 calories

Fat 17 g

Carbs 10 g

Protein 13 g

14


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Ingredients

    For the crust:

  • Ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 4-5 Tbsp. cold water

    • For the filling:

  • 1 8 oz. package of diced speck, pancetta or 1 cup diced ham
  • 3/4 cup whipping cream
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen spinach (I buy in bulk and freeze my own)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese like Conebella Italian Cheddar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Crust:
  3. Stir flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender.
  4. Sprinkle water, one tablespoon at a time over the flour mixture, gently stirring with a fork with each addition until it reaches the desired moistness. Form into a ball.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into about a 12 or 13-inch diameter circle.
  6. Transfer pie crust to a 11-inch tart pan so that the edge reaches just above the tart pan. Prick the crust with a fork, cover with aluminum foil and bake in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Fill with quiche filling.
  7. Reduce oven temperature to 375
  8. Quiche Filling:
  9. 1. In a medium saute pan, heat the speck/pancetta until it is golden brown. Set aside.
  10. 2. In a medium bowl, combine whipping cream, eggs, yogurt and nutmeg. Stir until combined. Add spinach and stir just until combined.
  11. 3. Pour ingredients into tart pan and top with cheddar cheese and speck/pancetta.
  12. 4. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes until golden and mostly set (it can still be slightly soft in the center).
  13. 5. Allow quiche to rest 5 minutes, then remove from tin, slice on a cutting board and serve.