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

  • It came out great both times I made it. I love how quick and easy it is to make, but also so delicious

    • — Heather on July 15, 2024
    • Reply
  • Made this for a girls brunch today and it was perfect! It was easy to prepare and very flavorful. I did add 1/4 cup chopped ham and used a Gruyere and Swiss shredded cheese mix and from Aldi. I will make this again!

    • — Benaye Wadkins Chambers on June 23, 2024
    • Reply
  • I absolutely love this spinach quiche recipe – it’s the perfect texture and taste; so soft, rich, buttery and flavorful! I am planning on making 10 of these for a church luncheon about a week prior and am wondering how I would prepare the quiche from frozen? I know the instructions say to remove quiche from frozen 24 hours in advance and pop in oven at 300 degrees until warm in center – but do you know how long the reheating itself generally takes? Thanks so much!

    • — Mabel on June 18, 2024
    • Reply
    • So glad you like it enough to serve a big group! I’d guesstimate that reheating will take 45 to 60 minutes. Hope everyone enjoys!

      • — Jenn on June 19, 2024
      • Reply
  • You are amazing providing metric measurements. I wasn’t going to use your recipe until I saw that. My daughter has recently turned vegetarian and I needed something I could make, freeze and reheat when the rest of us are having a meat option with vegetables or salad. Any other vegetarian options I could make, freeze and pull out would be great. She’s so fussy. She doesn’t actually like a lot of vegetables. Trying to find a vegan hamburger option…any thoughts?

    • — Samantha Ellis on May 30, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Samantha, Glad the metric measurements are helpful! I have a wide variety of freezer-friendly and vegetarian recipes that you can check out here. And I don’t currently have a vegan hamburger recipe, but if I come across anything that looks worthwhile, I’ll send it your way.

      • — Jenn on May 30, 2024
      • Reply
  • Ohhhh yasssss! So very easy to make. Completely delicious. I stuck to the recipe and it was great. I did try a couple of technique changes. I sauteed the shallots with the spinach. I also added a very good parm/romano cheese I had to the egg mix. It kicked it up a notch.
    This recipe is a keeper!

    • — Nicole Galluzzo on May 21, 2024
    • Reply
    • This is a great recipe. The addition of Parmesan/Romano to the egg/cream mixture sounds like a great addition. I served it with. chopped chives and it really worked.

      • — Paul R. Cutler on August 14, 2024
      • Reply
  • This quiche is amazing. It is so unbelievably delicious. I’ve made it so many times and it always comes out perfect. It’s gotten so many compliments too. Thank you for such a great recipe!

    • — Jennifer on May 18, 2024
    • Reply
  • The quiche looks great! Is it possible to use heavy cream with 7% fat? Thanks, Jenn.

    • — Ana María on May 17, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Ana Maria, I don’t recommend it. Heavy cream actually contains at least 36% fat, so you must have something different. I’d recommend either standard heavy cream or if you don’t want to use that, half and half.

      • — Jenn on May 17, 2024
      • Reply
  • Wonderful recipe!
    Do you have a favored frozen pie crust? I purchased a well known brand and was so disappointed with the cracks. One was so bad it was unusable. One quiche – the “house” – was crustless!
    Appreciate any recommendations.

    • — Donna on May 12, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Donna, My favorite pie crust is Whole Foods Wholly Wholesome pie crust, but I’ve noticed that they don’t make the deep-dish version anymore. You can still use it, but you’ll have a little custard left over. I’ve also used Marie Callender’s and Mrs. Smith’s, and they work well.

      • — Jenn on May 13, 2024
      • Reply
    • My go to frozen crust is Marie Callender’s. Locally I can only find it in a 2 pack, but it’s as good as my scratch crust.

      • — Nicole Galluzzo on May 21, 2024
      • Reply
  • Can you use fresh spinach

    • — Michelle Barnard on May 9, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Michelle, 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 May 9, 2024
      • Reply
  • I have only extra large eggs – should I use three eggs instead of four?

    • — Pat Foster on May 3, 2024
    • Reply
    • I’d stick with the 4 eggs. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on May 3, 2024
      • Reply

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