Ham and Spinach Quiche

The adventure of not having a working stove continues (and boy do I envy those of you who are allowed to call repair people for things in your houses!). Originally I intended this to be a frittata with bacon and onions, but lacking a means of frying I improvised with other things. It ended up being really tasty!

Even better, I got to make it at my leisure since I got out of work early today. But it should only be about 20 minutes' prep, which puts it at about an hour total. Still not bad even if you're trying to make it a weeknight dinner after work.

There are some things here that can easily be substituted for other things if you prefer. The spinach and ham are pretty non-negotiable, but you can use whatever type of spinach (including chopped frozen) you want; the ham I had was lunch meat, but you can use diced if you'd rather. I had garlic and herb feta cheese, but regular would work (although you'll probably want to add more seasonings), and since I used Great Lakes seasoning blend from Spice Merchants and you may not have any, feel free to use whatever blend you like.

After washing the spinach and trimming the stems, I wilted it in the microwave. In retrospect, I should have chopped or torn it into smaller pieces beforehand, since it was hot and hard to break apart after it was cooked. I ended up dumping it into a colander to drain and cool before putting it back into the pie plate.

Next step is to whisk the eggs until they're well-beaten, then whisk in the sour cream and seasonings. I actually used a full dozen eggs, but it ended up being too much, so I'm cutting it back to 10 in the recipe and adjusting the other amounts accordingly.

First layer in the pie plate was the torn spinach, then the mushrooms, then I tore up a little less than half the package of ham. I took the picture and then remembered I was going to also scatter feta cheese, so it doesn't appear in this photo.

It does, however, appear in this one, taken after I poured the egg mixture into the pie plate. It's important to use a deep dish pie plate or it will overflow. As the quiche bakes, it puffs up almost three inches, so if you don't leave it a little breathing room the only place it has to go is onto the bottom of your oven.

The recipe also reflects a change in how I did the cheese. I baked the quiche for about 20 minutes, then scattered the cheddar on top thinking it was going to be finished in 30 or so minutes total. When it ended up being an additional 30 minutes instead, the cheese suffered the consequences. Your cheese should be melted, and perhaps even slightly browned in places, but certainly not this done. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I prefer.

The most important part is to allow the quiche to stand for 15 or so minutes before cutting and serving. When you first take it out of the oven, it will still have what looks like a ridiculous amount of excess liquid. If you give it a chance to sit, that liquid will almost all be re-absorbed back into the quiche leaving it firm, but still moist.

Ham and Spinach Quiche

Serves 6

10 ounces fresh spinach (washed, stems trimmed, and chopped)

10 large eggs

3/4 cup light sour cream

1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend (I used Great Lakes Blend from Spice Merchants)

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic-pepper seasoning

1 (4 ounce) can mushrooms (drained)

3 ounces ham (sliced lunch meat style, or diced)

3 ounces feta cheese (I used garlic & herb)

1/4 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese (grated)

Preheat oven to 375F.

Place spinach in a microwave-safe dish (I used the glass pie plate in which I would be making the quiche) and microwave on high 1 minute; stir, and microwave 1 more minute. Place in a colander to drain and cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, whisk eggs together until well-beaten. Then add sour cream and seasonings and whisk until completely combined. Set aside.

If you used the pie plate to wilt the spinach, wipe out any excess water and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Squeeze the water out of the spinach, then scatter it evenly in the bottom of the pie plate. Follow with the mushrooms, ham, and feta cheese, making sure to scatter each one evenly.

Lightly whisk egg mixture again, then pour into pie plate until it is filled to about 1/4 inch from the top. Carefully transfer to oven and bake 45 minutes, or until center no longer shows liquid when pan is bumped. Scatter with cheddar cheese and bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Allow to stand 15 minutes before cutting and serving (keep warm... I turned off the oven, opened the door, and left it inside).

To make a full meal, I served it with a frozen vegetable blend in cheese sauce (Green Giant, if you're curious), and some cottage cheese.

Serving Size: 221 g

Calories: 276

Total Fat: 20.4 g

Saturated Fat: 9.9 g

Trans Fat: 0.0 g

CholesteroL: 348 mg

Sodium: 549 mg

Total Carbohydrates: 5.5 g

Dietary Fiber: 1.4 g

Sugars: 1.8 g

Protein: 18.9 g