Yesterday, I was working on some burger recipes for my next post. I’m doing a cheeseburger with a couple of twists and a veggie burger for the R.V. (resident vegetarian). I was sure that would be yesterday’s dinner, but I just wasn’t motivated to get started on them. I kept thinking about the butternut squash that had been sitting on my counter for a few days. Originally I wanted to make a squash risotto. Then I thought I would substitute squash for pumpkin in a dessert. Nothing was really exciting me though. Squash, burgers, risotto, spinach…spinach? Yeah, I remembered I just bought some baby spinach. The burgers were forgotten. Spinach makes me think of cheese, and creamy goodness. All I could think about was QUICHE! I love quiche, and I had not made a quiche in years. So, naturally I had to make a quiche. A butternut squash spinach quiche to be exact. But you probably figured that out early on.
The only thing I was hesitant about was making a crust. Dough and I just don’t get along the way I would like us to. I knead too much, roll it out too thin, don’t let it rest enough, burn it. I sometimes buy a ready-made pie crust, but I really didn’t want to have to go to the market. I was determined to use whatever I already had in my cupboards and refrigerator. So I turned to the internet for a good quiche crust recipe. I found one that was really simple and quick, yay! For anyone who thinks they can’t make a good crust, or have just never tried, please try this recipe for a Quick Quiche Crust. It’s light and delicate yet holds up well to the quiche filling.
I think the quiche turned out okay, but I’m still working on it. I’m going to post the recipe anyway, but I will try a stronger cheese next time (note: I need to buy goat cheese). I also found it needed more seasoning. I don’t like to use too much salt, but maybe it could use a bit more or some dried herb for a deeper more savory flavor. The R.V. liked it but, I will definitely add bacon next time. The meal came together in a little over an hour. To save some time, pre-peeled and cubed squash, frozen spinach, and a ready-made pie crust can be used. That said, it was a good meal served with a spinach salad and pomegranate vinaigrette. When I perfect it, I will post again.
9 inch pie serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 1- 9 inch Pie Crust
- 2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 oz of fresh baby spinach (or 1/4 pkg of frozen chopped spinach)
- 1 cup of shredded swiss cheese
- 4 sage leaves
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon of salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Peel squash, scoop out seeds and stringy pulp with a spoon, and chop into 1/2 inch cubes until you have 2 cups of cubed squash. Depending on the size of the squash, you may have extra that you can store in a ziplock bag in the fridge for a couple of days.
2. In a bowl combine squash,onions, olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper and stir. Spread squash mixture on a baking sheet and roast for 20 mins. until squash is tender and the edges are brown.
3. While the squash is roasting heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Finely chop the sage and spinach and saute until wilted, about 4 minutes. Set spinach and sage aside. In a bowl whisk eggs and cream until combined. Stir in remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg.
4. Add roasted squash and onion into pie crust. Layer the spinach and basil mixture over the squash then sprinkle the cheese on top. Last, pour egg and cream mixture over the filling stopping with a 1/4 inch of crust left as custard will rise. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes until quiche is set and crust has browned. Let quiche rest for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
