Quiche Florentine

When you’re looking for a simple and affordable dish to impress, look no further than Quiche Florentine, a combination of an egg custard baked in a pie crust with spinach and Swiss cheese. Not only is it utterly delicious and a wee bit fancy, but it’s also vegetarian, making it a welcome addition to breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Yes, en France, Quiche Florentine is usually served for lunch or dinner, perhaps with a green salad or a cup of soup. This Quiche Florentine recipe is fantastic served as part of a Budget Brunch Party Menu or for a later meal, accompanied by a simple green salad with a basic Dijon Vinaigrette dressing.

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If you’ve got eggs and flour, butter and heavy cream, you’ve got the makings of a fantastic dinner. That’s basically what quiche is. Just throw in whatever veggies, cheese, or meat that you have on hand, and you’re set!

Of course, in the case of Quiche Florentine, you’ll want to get more specific. It’s a spinach quiche recipe accented with Swiss cheese, preferably gruyere cheese. And it’s absolutely delicious!

Why Make This

This is an easy quiche to make. All you need is a batch of your favorite pie crust recipe, some spinach, cheese, eggs, and cream. It bakes in the oven in less than an hour.

It’s very freezer-friendly. You can prepare several Quiche Florentine to stash away for another day. Bake them from frozen for a fresh addition to a Holiday Brunch or Potluck supper.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make Quiche Florentine:

a single pie crust – I like to make this Easy Homemade Pie Crust and place it in a quiche pan. I don’t bake it in advance, but if you’d like to blind bake your crust, I’ve offered instructions below. You can use a favorite gluten free crust if you like.

frozen spinach (chopped) – I use frozen spinach because it’s cheap and easy to keep on hand. If you’d like to use fresh spinach or fresh baby spinach, you can do so. Chop it fine and sauté it briefly over medium heat before adding it to the recipe.

Gruyere or other Swiss cheese – Gruyere has the best flavor, but it’s also a bit more expensive than generic swiss cheese you might find at the grocery store.

flour – The flour helps the cheese not clump together. If you’re using a gluten-free crust, you can use gluten-free baking mix instead of the flour.

eggs – You’ll need three eggs for a 9-inch quiche. If your pie plate is bigger, use four.

heavy cream or half and half – The thicker your cream, the richer your quiche. Half and half works fine and in a pinch, so will whole milk. Anything with a lower fat content will not give you as good a quiche custard texture.

salt and pepper – You don’t need any other seasonings than salt and pepper, but if you like you can add fresh or dried herbs to the filling, according to your tastes.

Variations

While Quiche Florentine is classically Swiss cheese and spinach, there are lots of things you can add to give it a twist, such as:

• a different type of cheese, such as cheddar or goat cheese
• chopped and sautéed vegetables – a great use of leftovers
• cooked and crumbled bacon or sausage

To make this gluten-free: be sure to use a gluten-free pie crust as well as gluten-free baking mix instead of the flour.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to prep your Quiche Florentine:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a pie or quiche pan on a small baking sheet to make it easier to handle and to catch the drips. Lay the prepared pie crust into the quiche pan and trim the edges.
• Layer the spinach in the bottom of the prepared pan.

• Combine the cheese with the flour in a small dish and toss to coat.

• Sprinkle the cheese over the spinach.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and half and half. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Pour this mixture over the fillings in the pie shell.
• Bake the quiche for 30 to 40 minutes or until set and golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Variation: using a pre-baked crust

I’ve always used an unbaked quiche crust, but if you prefer, you can par-bake the crust prior to adding the filling.

To blind bake the crust:

• Line the pie plate with the crust, trim, and crimp the edges. Chill the pie crust in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wrap a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil or parchment closely in the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Fill it with your chosen pie weights.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and foil. It may stick so do it slowly to prevent tearing.
• Continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Immediately add the filling and continue to bake until the quiche is done.

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This post was originally published on March 18, 2010. It has been updated for content and clarity.