Spinach Quiche

I'd say that a good 50% of my meal planning involves a thought process along the following lines:

"Dang it. That big bag of spinach I bought is about to go bad. What can I make with that, and this (insert random ingredient) that doesn't require a trip to the grocery store for anything else?"

Then I peruse my recipe binder and see if I get lucky. Today I did, and there's no wasted spinach here.

Spinach Quiche

From the Salt Lake Tribune

1 package frozen 9" pie shells (enough for 2 single crusts), or 2 homemade unbaked pie shells

6 eggs

15 oz. ricotta cheese

1 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half)

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 green onions chopped

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced (True confession: I used a pound of sausage instead. The Bruce gets a little uptight if dinner is meatless.)

1 package (10 oz) spinach leaves

1 cup grated cheese (any kind you like)

Preheat oven to 375.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, ricotta, cream, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. When smooth, set aside.

In a large pot saute onions and mushrooms or sausage. (If you are taking the vegetarian route, add about 1 T of oil to the pan before adding the mushrooms and onions.) Saute mushrooms for 2 minutes, or sausage until completely browned. Add spinach and cover the pan for 2 minutes. Stir until leaves are barely wilted.

Add the cheese mixture to the mushroom/sausage mixture. Stir over medium heat until cheese melts, then divide the mixture equally between the two pastry shells. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until top is slightly rounded and is turning golden. Let stand several minutes before serving.

I assembled my quiche this morning and kept it in the fridge until dinner tonight. It turned out great but did require more like an hour in the oven since it started out cold. If you want this quiche for breakfast I think assembling it the night before would definitely be the way to go.