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Spinach Swiss Quiche is incredibly easy to make with a premade, frozen pie crust. Delightfully dense with spinach, Swiss and parmesan cheeses, a creamy egg custard and a bit of onion for the most pleasant crunch, this is not like other traditional quiche recipes! Read on for more.
This Spinach Swiss Quiche was another one of my mom’s famous recipes. It was a real treat when she made it!
It’s a great “go-to” brunch or lunch dish and is equally delicious enjoyed hot, cold or at room temperature.
Classic French quiche recipes stick to strict ratios of egg to dairy to filling, ensuring a perfectly “light and fluffy” egg custard that is the bulk of the dish. They generally have a “less is more” approach to the filling and frown upon overstuffing the quiche with too much “stuff”. To the French, the star of the quiche should always be the egg custard.
Well, this recipe for spinach quiche is overstuffed (in the best way), does not stick to classic ratios and is mostly filling, with just the right amount of custard involved to hold everything together in the most creamy, scrumptious and texturally-appealing way.
Plus, all the spinach balances out the richness a bit from the heavy cream, cheese and butter.
And, while I would not say that it has a “light and fluffy” texture, this spinach and cheese quiche is not too heavy either. It is just perfect in my humble opinion. Make it and see for yourself!
A shortcut that I use here is starting with a premade, frozen pie crust, as I also do in my ham and cheese quiche and pizza rustica Easter pie recipe. It’s important to have shortcuts in your culinary arsenal that are not short on flavor, and using a great quality frozen pie crust is one of them! (Here’s my preferred brand of crust and I used a whole wheat version for this recipe fyi.)
Plus there’s no need to blind bake the crust here–one more reason making this the easiest and best quiche recipe out there!
Cheesy, savory and mouth-watering–this recipe is a real crowd pleaser! Hope you enjoy it soon. Mangia bene!
By the way, if you love spinach like me, also check out these recipes, all which contain spinach! Spinach and Beef Stuffed Shells, Creamed Spinach, Baked Crab and Spinach Dip, Lasagna al Forno, Lentil Soup and Baked Ziti.
Main Ingredient Notes
To make this easy spinach quiche recipe, we’ll need:
- Crust: While you can certainly make a homemade crust if you are so inclined, the beauty of this very easy and quick-to-prepare quiche recipe is that it is unbelievably perfect with a pre-made, frozen pie crust. Just be sure to buy a “deep dish” crust for this recipe. If all you can find or have are the regular, shallower crusts, they will work. But, you will need two of them. Also, there’s no need to blind bake the crust for this recipe. Trust me! It’s been well-tested.
- Spinach: I suggest frozen spinach in this recipe for ease and convenience. You can, of course, use fresh spinach. Be sure to strain out as much excess liquid as possible from all the thawed or cooked spinach.
- Onion: Diced yellow onions are mixed with the spinach and other ingredients while raw and result in the most pleasant crunchy touch to the finished quiche. If you’re not a fan of onions, you can leave them out.
- Swiss Cheese: Also known as emmenthaler in the rest of the world, Swiss cheese is a medium-hard, cow’s milk cheese with a very distinct taste and aroma that gives this spinach quiche recipe its signature flavor. If you’re not a fan of Swiss cheese, though, gruyere, cheddar, fontina, gouda, mozzarella and monterey jack are all great alternatives here.
- Parmesan Cheese: Earthy Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese complements the Swiss cheese and spinach beautifully here, but sharp and salty Pecorino Romano can be used in place of it.
- Heavy Cream, Eggs, Butter: Used to make the oh-so-rich and delicious custard for this spinach and cheese quiche. Eggs bind/stabilize the filling, while the cream and butter provide moisture, richness and flavor.
How to Make Spinach Swiss Quiche
- Prep and gather all ingredients. Make sure spinach is thawed and that all liquid has been squeezed out of it. Take the pie crust out of the freezer to thaw and remove its packaging about 20 minutes prior to getting started on the recipe. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 350°F.
- PRO-TIP: There’s no need to blind bake the crust for this recipe.
- Combine the thawed and squeezed dry chopped spinach, swiss cheese, diced onion and grated cheese in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.
- Then, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, melted butter and black pepper in a separate bowl until well-combined.
- Pour the egg mixture into the spinach mixture and mix very well until all ingredients are well-incorporated. It should be a very thick mixture and not soupy at all.
- Carefully transfer the quiche mixture to the thawed crust, using a spoon or small spatula to spread it out evenly and flatten.
- Place the uncooked quiche on a rack in the lower third of a 350°F preheated oven. The quiche will take at least 50 minutes to cook, depending on your oven. It took 60 minutes in my electric oven but would take less time in my previous gas ovens.
- Let the quiche cool a bit (about 15 to 20 minutes) to set before slicing. That’s it!
If you’re interested in a comforting soup version of this spinach quiche, you can find a recipe for Spinach Quiche Soup with Pie Crust Croutons in my cookbook, SOUPified: Soups Inspired by Your Favorite Dishes.
More Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Ham and Gruyere Quiche
- Steakhouse Creamed Spinach with Croutons
- Creamy Crab and Spinach Dip
- Baked Artichoke Dip without Mayo
- Creamy Eggplant Soup
- Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce
- Potato and Italian Sausage Soup
- Stovetop Chicken Parm
- Creamy Crab and Mushroom Soup
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Tuscan Vegetable and Bread Soup (Ribollita)
Prefer your quiche crustless? No problem! Just place the quiche filling in a greased pie pan or muffin tins and bake. A crustless quiche will take less time to bake than one with a crust. So, I suggest to start checking for doneness after 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, just thaw the frozen crust and use/fill it as is.
Almost all other similar quiche recipes made with a pre-made frozen crust call for blind baking it, i.e., pre-baking or baking the crust without a filling to keep its shape, prevent steam pockets in the dough from puffing up and prevent crust becoming soggy from a wet filling. Blind baking is also necessary when working with a filling that does not need to be cooked further, such as a pudding or pastry cream for a classic fruit tart.
While all of the above is true, it has never been necessary with this recipe. One more thing that makes this the easiest and best quiche with frozen pie crust recipe out there!
No. Frozen spinach is already partially cooked. It’s blanched (boiled briefly) before freezing to retain its color and texture. All you need to do is thaw it, then squeeze out as much liquid as possible from it.
If you’re opting for fresh spinach, however, then, yes, it will need to be cooked before using it in this recipe.
No, but they are very similar!
A quiche (with French origins) is made with a crust, whereas an Italian frittata is crustless. Also, while both quiche and frittatas are egg-based, a quiche is made with more of a rich egg custard containing heavy cream or half-and-half, unlike a lighter frittata which is mostly egg with a little bit of milk.
Any of these options can be used. Whole milk will give you the lightest quiche, but I don’t like using it as it does not result in the best quiche texture. (Never use skim milk to make a true quiche.) Heavy cream will give you the richest quiche, while half-and-half will land you somewhere in the middle.
Heavy cream is used in this Spinach Swiss Quiche recipe. You can substitute half of it with whole milk if you want to lighten it up a bit. FYI half-and-half is a mixture of equal parts whole milk and cream. Check out this link for more information on these dairy similarities and differences.
Looking for a variation on this recipe? Add some crumbled bacon or crispy prosciutto to the spinach mixture for something fun and a bit more decadent!
Make In Advance, Leftovers and Freezing Spinach Swiss Quiche
You can make the quiche with frozen pie crust 1 to 2 days in advance of serving. Cool it at room temperature first, then wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Since quiche is wonderful hot, at room temperature or even cold, you have lots of serving options. If you’d like to reheat it, remove plastic wrap, cover it with foil and place it on the middle rack of a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes or until it’s heated through.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To freeze, wrap the cooled quiche in a couple layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, then remove plastic wrap, cover it with foil and place it on the middle rack of a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes or until it’s heated through.
TOP TIPS FOR SPINACH SWISS QUICHE
- Crust: Be sure to buy a “deep dish” premade frozen pie crust for this recipe. If all you can find or have are the regular, shallower crusts, they will work. But, you will need two of them. Just divide the filling between the two shallower crusts. Also, there’s no need to blind bake the crust for this recipe. Trust me! It’s been well-tested.
- Spinach: I use frozen spinach in this recipe for convenience and because I always have it on hand. You can use either chopped or whole spinach leaves, but the key is to squeeze out as much liquid as possible once it’s thawed. You can also start with fresh spinach, but will have to blanch/boil it first briefly and also squeeze it dry.
- Swiss Cheese: It’s always best to shred cheese yourself to avoid the anti-caking agents that are added to pre-shredded cheeses. I always buy whole block cheese and then shred it myself on a box grater.
- Recipe Substitutions: If you’re not a fan of Swiss cheese, gruyere, cheddar, fontina, gouda, mozzarella and Monterey jack are all great cheese alternatives for this recipe.
- Serving Suggestions: Quiches are generally rich and filling, so they’re mostly eaten with very little extra. I generally serve mine for brunch or lunch with a mixed green salad and sometimes a buttermilk biscuit, which is perfect!
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
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Easy Spinach Swiss Quiche with Frozen Pie Crust
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely squeezed dry
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
- ½ cup small diced yellow onion
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 Tbsp meletd butter, cooled a bit
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 (9" or 9⅝") deep dish, pre-made, frozen pie crust
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Make sure spinach is thawed and that all liquid has been squeezed out of it. Take the pie crust out of the freezer to thaw and remove its packaging about 20 minutes prior to getting started on the recipe. (It doesn’t need much time to thaw.) Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 350℉. (Do not use the convection setting.)(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)20 ounces frozen chopped spinach,, 1 (9" or 9⅝") deep dish, pre-made, frozen pie crust
- Combine the thawed and squeezed-dry chopped spinach, shredded swiss cheese, diced onion and grated cheese in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.20 ounces frozen chopped spinach,, 8 ounces Swiss cheese,, ½ cup small diced yellow onion, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Then, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, melted butter and black pepper in a separate bowl until well-combined.4 large eggs, beaten, ½ cup heavy cream, 4 Tbsp meletd butter,, ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- Pour the egg mixture into the spinach mixture and mix very well until all ingredients are well-incorporated. It should be a very thick mixture and not soupy at all. (See photo above.)
- Carefully transfer the quiche mixture to the thawed crust, using a spoon or small spatula to spread it out evenly and flatten.
- Place the uncooked quiche on a rack in the lower third of a 350℉ preheated oven. The quiche will take at least 50 minutes to cook, depending on your oven. It took 60 minutes in my electric oven but would take less time in my previous gas ovens.Test the quiche’s doneness the same way that you would a cake–by inserting a toothpick or thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, the quiche is done and should be removed from the oven. If there are custard remnants on the toothpick/skewer, continue cooking and checking the quiche in 5 minute increments.The quiche and crust should be a bit golden brown in areas. If you think that the crust is getting too brown, you can cover the quiche with foil and/or move it to the top rack of the oven, but I have never had to do this.
- Let the quiche cool a bit (about 15 to 20 minutes) to set before slicing. Then, dig in! Buon Appetito!
Notes
- Be sure to buy a “deep dish” pre-made frozen pie crust for this recipe. If all you can find or have are the regular, shallower crusts, they will work. But, you will need two of them. Just divide the filling between the two shallower crusts.
- There’s no need to blind bake the crust for this recipe. Trust me. It’s been well-tested.
- I use frozen spinach in this recipe for convenience and because I always have it on hand. You can use either chopped or whole spinach leaves, but the key is to squeeze out as much liquid as possible once it’s thawed, otherwise the resulting quiche will be watery. I just gather the thawed spinach into a ball and use my hands to squeeze it until dry. It takes a couple times squeezing to get all the water out but this step is really important. You can also place the thawed spinach in cheesecloth and squeeze it or press it against the bottom of a strainer.
- You can also start with fresh spinach, but will have to blanch/boil it first briefly and also squeeze it dry. You’ll need to start with roughly 3 pounds fresh spinach to end up with the same amount of frozen spinach needed in this recipe.
- It’s always best to shred cheese yourself to avoid the anti-caking agents that are added to pre-shredded cheeses. I always buy whole block cheese and then shred it myself on a box grater.
- Because of the large amount of cheese in the recipe, there is no need for salt.
- If you’re not a fan of swiss cheese, gruyere, cheddar, fontina, gouda, mozzarella and Monterey jack are all great cheese alternatives for this recipe.
- You can make the quiche 1 to 2 days in advance of serving. Cool it at room temperature first, then wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Since quiche is wonderful hot, at room temperature or even cold, you have lots of serving options. If you’d like to reheat it, remove plastic wrap, cover it with foil and place it on the middle rack of a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes or until it’s heated through.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To freeze, wrap the cooled quiche in a couple layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, then remove plastic wrap, cover it with foil and place it on the middle rack of a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes or until it’s heated through.
A beloved recipe and requested often!