This is the ultimate quiche recipe. It is from the deepest, darkest archives of Our Best Bites. It was published within the first month or so of when we started in March of 2008, way back when we were The Daily Bite (!!!) and has kind of gotten buried over the years.
I love this recipe for a lot of reasons. For example, why do you love quiche? Vegetables? Breakfast meats? Cheese? This quiche is extra in every one of those ways. Bacon? Yes. Ham? Yes. Spinach, onions, mushrooms? Yes, yes, yes. 2 kinds of cheese, and lots of it? Indeed. It is the ultimate quiche for lovers of quiche (and also for people like Ron Swanson who may be on the fence but could be convinced because it has two kinds of breakfast meat and eggs. Remember, in the words of Mr. Swanson, “There has never been a sadness that can’t be cured with breakfast food.”
I also love this quiche because it makes two pies, so you can either feed a crowd, make one for your family and take the other pie to someone else (it makes a great post-baby dinner with a salad and some orange rolls), or you can freeze it and heat it up when it’s convenient for you. Another great thing is that it definitely tastes better the next day, so if you’re having a breakfast or brunch, you can make it the night before and then easily heat it up the next day and no one will ever know that you weren’t up slaving away at 5:00 in the morning.
To get started, you’ll need a 10-ounce package of baby spinach, 8 eggs, some minced fresh parsley, shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese, shredded Parmesan cheese, half and half, sour cream, diced ham, some bacon, a minced onion, and some diced mushrooms.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook the bacon (our favorite way is in the oven, but you can do it on the stovetop if you prefer). Drain on a paper towel, chop or crumble, and set aside. While the bacon is cooking, roll two pie crusts into two pie plates (you can make your own or use store-bought crusts).
Sauté spinach in bacon drippings. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until softened, then add the parsley and cook 2-3 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the ham and bacon. Add the sour cream to the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Divide into each pie crust.
Sprinkle the parmesan over the pies…
and then add the cheddar.
Whisk together the eggs and half and half.
Pour over pies.
Place pies in oven (on a baking sheet if they’ll fit–it will keep any overflowing eggs from stinking up your oven.) Bake 45-50 minutes or until tops are puffed and golden brown.
Let stand 10-15 minutes. Each pie serves 8.
The Ultimate Quiche
Description
This Ultimate Quiche is perfect for special occasions. It makes two pies, so it’s perfect for feeding a crowd, freezing a pie for the future, or sharing with another family!
Ingredients
½ pound bacon
10 ounce package baby spinach
1 cup sour cream (light is fine)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
2 unbaked pie crusts  (or store-bought)
1 onion, minced
½ pound diced mushrooms
2 cup diced ham
16 ounces shredded Colby Jack or sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese
8 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook the bacon (our favorite way is in the oven, but you can do it on the stovetop if you prefer). Drain on a paper towel, chop or crumble, and set aside.
Sauté spinach in bacon drippings. Add onions and cook until softened, then add mushrooms and parsley. Remove from heat and stir in the ham and bacon. Add the sour cream to the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Divide into each pie crust. Sprinkle the cheeses over the pies.
Mix eggs and half and half. Pour over pies. Place pies in oven (on a baking sheet if they’ll fit–it will keep any overflowing eggs from stinking up your oven.) Bake 45-50 minutes or until tops are puffed and golden brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Each pie serves 8.
Notes
If reheating, cover pie with foil and bake at 325 for about 20-30 minutes, checking frequently to make sure it’s not getting too brown. You could also pop it in the microwave, but individual slices do better in the microwave than an entire pie.
