Spinach Quiche

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Spinach Quiche

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Made with heavy cream and Gruyère, this rich spinach quiche is classic French.

Spinach & Gruyere Quiche

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 stunning 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!”

Jen from Newburyport, MA

Ingredients For Spinach Quiche

spinach quiche ingredients

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

crust pricked with fork

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.

golden baked crust

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.

Skillet of cooked shallots.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.

eggs, cream, and seasoning in bowl

Whisk to combine.

whisked egg and cream mixture

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.

layering shallots in crust

Sprinkle the shredded cheese over top.

layering shredded cheese in crust

Scatter spinach evenly over cheese (breaking up clumps as best you can).

layering spinach in crust

Then pour the egg mixture carefully over top.

egg and cream mixture poured into crust

Bake at 325°F for 50 to 55 minutes until custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.

baked spinach quiche

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.

Slices of Spinach Quiche on plates with forks.

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Video Tutorial

Spinach Quiche

Made with heavy cream and Gruyère, this rich spinach quiche is classic French.

Servings: 4 to 6
Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 9-inch deep dish frozen pie crust
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ cup thinly sliced 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-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung free of water

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F 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.
  2. 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.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.
  4. 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.
  5. Bake at 325°F degrees for 50 to 55 minutes until the custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
  6. Note: 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.
  7. Note: 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.
  8. Make-Ahead Instructions: This quiche can be made up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
  9. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche can be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (6 servings)
  • Calories: 504
  • Fat: 39 g
  • Saturated fat: 21 g
  • Carbohydrates: 25 g
  • Sugar: 3 g
  • Fiber: 2 g
  • Protein: 14 g
  • Sodium: 472 mg
  • Cholesterol: 218 mg

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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Comments

  • Love all your recipes. Making the Thai Butternut squash soup tonight for tomorrow. Not looking forward to peeling abd chopping the squash! Pre-peeled was way to expensive. But I know how great this soup is. Made it 4 years ago.
    Plan on making this quiche tomorrow. However, forgot to buy the frozen spinach. Any hints on defrosting it fast? Buying the spinach today.
    Thanks.
    Sunny Drohan

    • — Sunny Drihan on January 3, 2024
    • Reply
    • So glad you like the recipes, Sunny! I usually thaw my recipe in the microwave but here is a piece that gives you a few options to choose from. Hope you enjoy the quiche!

      • — Jenn on January 3, 2024
      • Reply
      • Thanks Jenn. Much appreciated.
        Sunny D.

        • — Sunny Drohan on January 4, 2024
        • Reply
  • I made this yesterday for New Year’s Eve lunch. My French sister-in-law proclaimed it the best quiche she has ever eaten! I am a pie crust maker so had reservations about the Marie Callender crust but it was delicious. I made the Quiche Lorraine as well at it too got raves.
    If I could give this 10 stars I would.

    • — Beth G on January 1, 2024
    • Reply
  • I made this for Christmas brunch. I used sweet onion and sharp white cheddar otherwise cooked as directed. My family loved it. It’s so rich and flavorful. We had great leftovers the next day too.

    • — Joylene on December 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • I had an extra pie crust to use after making a pie for a friend and decided a Christmas morning quiche was the way to go. I buy the big package of spinach from Costco and freeze in vacuum bags what I don’t use right away. This recipe was perfect for that spinach. No shallots-minced some yellow onion instead. Listening to some of the critics regarding richness, I substitued 1/4 cup whole milk for part of the heavy cream. After wringing out the spinach, I placed on a paper towel-lined plate and placed in the preheated oven to dry out further while I prepared the egg base. This was so very good. I haven’t made a quiche in a long time, but after eating this version, I will definitely be making again soon.

    • — Diana Doyle on December 27, 2023
    • Reply
    • As always, perfect! I made the quiche last week, using only 8 ounces of sliced baby Bella mushrooms for “ meatless Monday” …was so delicious I now have the spinach quiche in the oven ! Do not cut back on the cream, as it is what makes this recipe a step up from quiches made with half and half…it’s decadent, and memorable! Thanks Jen!

      • — Gayann on January 21, 2024
      • Reply
  • I made this to add to Christmas Eve dinner. Turned out to be the biggest hit of all. Have to say, without hesitation, that it was the best spinach quiche I’ve had. I made it per recipe with no changes and after tasting it, I don’t think I’ll be making any modifications. Thanks Jenn, great recipe!

    • — Adam O on December 25, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn-I mistakenly thawed the frozen pie crust overnight before baking it. Will this change the outcome of the final quality?

    • — Leslie on December 17, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Leslie, It will be absolutely fine. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on December 17, 2023
      • Reply
  • It wouldn’t be a recipe comment without some adjustments. Made this with leftover sauteed spinach, lightly squeezed to remove excess moisture then heated in a skillet until dry. The quiche really benefited from the seasonings in the sauteed spinach–garlic, salt, pepper, a little ground red pepper. The resulting quiche was delicious. I was surprised at the low cooking temperature (325), but it really worked and produced a silky custard.

    • — Mary on December 9, 2023
    • Reply
  • Can you not use fresh spinach instead of frozen?

    • — Pam p. on December 7, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Pam, fresh spinach is fine to use; just make sure to cook and squeeze out any liquid before incorporating it into the recipe. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on December 7, 2023
      • Reply
    • I’ve been making this quiche recipe for some years now. It is seriously, the most delicious quiche ever – so why would I ever need to bake another recipe when I’ve found the winner?

      Every-time I make it for guests, they rave about the flavours. My step-daughter cried the first time she tried it – as she was so overwhelmed by the incredible taste.

      The only thing I changed was the cheese. Not being a Gruyère cheese fan, I swapped it out for a strong English vintage cheese I get at Aldi (in Australia).

      I also make my own shortcrust pastry (Cookido/thermomixer recipe).

      Hands down this is the most delicious and most complimented quiche out there (IMHO). 😋

      • — Bec on December 26, 2023
      • Reply
  • I made two yesterday, helping out with cooking at home. My son who is also a chef loved it! The whole family loved it even the picky toddler lol Will definitely make this recipe again but I’m planning to buy ceramic quiche pans and using pastry sheets next time. The frozen pie shells were a bit small, not very deep, and had to do a lot of repair. No reflection on the recipe of course 🙂

    Can’t wait to make other recipes now!!

    • — Tanya on December 6, 2023
    • Reply
  • Best Quiche Recipe Ever. My go to recipe especially when I don’t know what to make for dinner.
    It’s very versatile. You can make it for Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, as an Appetizer or just to keep in the fridge as a snack.
    My Family likes it for dinner with a nice big salad.

    • — Martha on December 6, 2023
    • Reply

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