Hot or cold, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this spinach and cremini mushroom quiche is the answer for a light summer treat. Served with a side salad or fresh fruit, this “egg pie” makes a complete meal.

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Spinach & Cremini Quiche

Hot or cold, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this spinach and cremini mushroom quiche is the answer for a light summer treat. Served with a side salad or fresh fruit, this “egg pie” makes a complete meal.

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine French

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 1 basic pie crust from scratch, or ready-made
• 6 eggs or 4 whole eggs and 2 egg whites
• 1 cup milk
• 2/3 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup cheese grated (Swiss, Cheddar, Gruyère or crumbled Feta)
• 1 cup spinach rough chopped
• 1 cup mushroom sliced
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350° F.
• Roll pie crust on a lightly floured board into a circle several inches larger than your pie dish.
• Use your rolling pin to transfer the crust from your board into your baking dish.
• Shape the edge of the crust however you like. Crimp with your fingers or a fork, or create fluted edge for something different.
• Place the spinach, mushrooms, and cheese, into the crust, adding them in alternating layers.
• Break the eggs in to a large bowl. Add the milk, half-and-half, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Whisk together thoroughly and pour over the spinach mixture.
• Place quiche on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 45 – 55 minutes (cooking times will vary based on your oven and amount of ingredients, if crust begins to burn cover edges with foil).
• Check for doneness by shaking the quiche to see if the center is set.
• Remove from oven and allow to stand for at least 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

Slightly sauté the spinach and mushroom to reduce amount of liquid before adding to quiche.

“π (sometimes written pi) is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of any Euclidean circle’s circumference to its diameter. π is approximately equal to 3.14. Many formula in mathematics, science, and engineering involve π, which makes it one of the most important mathematical constants. For instance, the area of a circle is equal to π times the square of the radius of the circle”. This is what Wikipedia tells me about Pi.  I suppose this is something I learned about many years ago is school, however since I use Pi about as often as I speak Phoenician, it must have escaped me.

My brother-in-law Dave is a Physicist performing research involving carbon gas emissions from plants.  A few years ago on a trip to the fair city of Lincoln, Nebraska for the 4th of July, I had the opportunity to visit one of his research sites located in the middle of a corn field.  As part of the tour we went inside his field office, which was nothing more that an over-sized tin shed that appeared to be dropped from space. Inside the office there were shelves  piled high with what I refer to as “science parts”, computers and other items that were not recognizable to me. On the back wall of the room was a large chalk board with the longest equation I have ever seen.  When I asked Dave what it was, he told me it was “something he was working on”.  While scientific formulas are not something we have in common, we both can connect over the other kind of pie. So here are some Pies to honor Pi day.

Of course there are Fruit Pies,

the Meat Pie,

and the Pizza Pie.

For breakfast there is the Egg Pie,

  or how about a Tomato Pie?

Many prefer the Chocolate Pie,

and lets not forget the obsession with the Cow Pie.

So happy Pi or Pie day to all, no matter which kind is your favorite.