Easy Spinach & Cheese Quiche

As I was making my meals list for the week and trying to come up with some new dishes to throw into the rotation, the idea of quiche popped into my head. Warm, cheesy, veggie-filled quiche with a nice flaky crust.

I have to be in the mood for it, but when the mood strikes me I love the stuff. It's so versatile - you can add any flavorings or ingredients you like - and while traditional quiche is laden with butter and cream, it's really easy to "healthify" it and transform it into a great weeknight dinner.

The one trick I use to make low fat quiche taste just as flavorful as the regular version is to bake the cheese on top of the quiche rather than inside it. When you bake cheese inside the quiche, the eggs tend to stay a little more "wet" (not my thang) and you can't taste the cheese as much. But...when you bake it on top, the eggs become nice and firm (no runny eggs here!), and the cheese becomes nice and bubbly. Who doesn't like a cheesy crust?

I love homemade crust, but let's be honest - who has time for that on a Monday night? Frozen tastes juuust fine, and you can find good all natural / no artificial ingredient pie crusts at the grocery store these days. Take shortcuts where you can, I say!

 

I would typically make the quiche in a pie plate, but I decided to make two versions - one vegetarian for me and one with bits of roasted ham for Matt - so instead I cooked them in individual Pyrex dishes. Perfect single meals, with leftovers for tomorrow too. :) All you need is a simple salad of greens and cherry tomatoes and this is one delicious and satisfying winter meal.

Easy Spinach & Cheese Quiche

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 eggs

4 egg whites

1 pre-made pie crust (I used Immaculate all natural pie crust)

1/4 cup skim milk

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1 package of frozen spinach - add to onions frozen, cook it down til water is cooked out

4 oz. muenster cheese, shredded (swiss or cheddar may be substituted)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a saute pan coated with cooking spray, cook onions over medium heat until translucent and slightly brown. Add frozen spinach and break it up with a wooden spoon; add salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until spinach is cooked and most of the water has evaporated. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites and milk. Pour egg mixture into spinach mixture and stir to combine.

Lay the pie crust in a 9-inch round pie plate, and pour egg mixture on top. Bake for 15 minutes, until eggs are set. Top with shredded cheese and turn heat to broil; bake for another 2 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.