Daddy’s Quiche
I know consuming dairy is a highly debated topic in the nutrition world, but as of now, we are a dairy-eating family. We stick to mostly grass-fed, whole-fat, organic dairy, and buy everything we can from a local farm. We don’t eat dairy with every meal, but we do have several standy-by meals that we really love.
One of our favorite extra cheesy, dairy-including dinners is this yummy quiche. It has morphed over the years from my Daddy’s original recipe. He used to include tuna, which I eventually took out as an adult. I grew up eating this quiche, and it feels like all the goodness of home to me. I just love it, and so does everyone else in the family. It’s also a perfect way for me to use up lots of eggs at once, especially in the warmer months when the girls are super active. They’re slowing down now, but we still have plenty of eggs to make quiche when we want.
I’ve made several changes to this recipe over the years, but it still has the same spirit as the original. I use an einkorn pastry crust and double my Daddy’s original quiche recipe using a regular 9×13 dish (instead of the traditional round pie dish) because a single quiche is simply not enough! Ha! And also, leftover quiche is so tasty for breakfast or any meal – it freezes well too!
Ingredients
- 1 einkorn pie crust
- 8-10 pastured eggs (I prefer 10 eggs, but the original calls for a smaller number)
- 26 oz grass-fed, whole milk
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- heavy pinch of cayenne pepper
- 3-5 oz fresh organic spinach (enough to fill the bottom of the dish) OR
- 2 10-oz packages of frozen chopped spinach, liquid drained
- 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- 2 cups grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (refrigerated)
Instructions
- Prepare the crust ahead of time. If you're using the einkorn crust recipe above, a single recipe works perfectly for this quiche. If you're using your own single crust recipe, you'll need to double it.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Roll the crust out to fit into a rectangular 9x13 dish, and transfer to the dish. Trim excess crust around the edges.
- In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
- Evenly spread the spinach in the bottom of the dish.
- Layer the Swiss cheese evenly on top of the spinach.
- Layer the Parmesan or Romano cheese evenly on top of the Swiss cheese.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture on top of the spinach and cheeses, making sure to evenly distribute, as well as making sure to keep the egg mixture inside the pie crust.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees, then REDUCE the heat to 350 degrees.
- Bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is done (a knife inserted in the center should come out clean).
- Side note - fresh spinach may result in a juicier outcome. I usually dab a paper towel in the center to soak up excess juices. I still prefer fresh over frozen, despite this extra step.
- Allow quiche to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. I usually divide it into 8 servings (the younger kiddos typically eat a half serving).
