Using my favorite quiche recipe as the starting point, this cheesy spinach quiche is a savory, creamy, and satisfying option for brunch, lunch, or dinner. As good as the egg-custard filling is, it somehow becomes even BETTER paired with my buttery flaky pie crust! This one is always a crowd pleaser.
I originally published this recipe in 2014 and have since added new photos and success tips.
As the totally underrated and unassuming cornerstone of any brunch spread, quiche is such a versatile dish. With a perfectly balanced base of milk (or milk and cream) and eggs, a good quiche recipe can be an endless drawing board for your favorite add-ins. I spent many, many hours in the kitchen fine-tuning my quiche recipe for you (and me!) to have fun adding different meats, seafood, cheeses, herbs, and vegetables to the mix.
Today’s recipe is one of my most beloved iterations. Cheesy and rich, yet light and delicate, each bite of this cheesy spinach quiche literally melts in your mouth. It’s no surprise this version has become a family favorite, always occupying a coveted space on the brunch table, next to a batch of cinnamon rolls!
One reader, Katie, commented: “This was amazing!!! I will definitely be making quiche more often, thanks to this recipe and your clear-cut directions. Thanks for making it so easy! ★★★★★”
And another reader, Deb, commented: “Recipe of perfection. Simple and flexible – most of the time is in making the buttery crust which simply has no equal!… ★★★★★”
Here’s Why You Will Love This Cheesy Spinach Quiche
- Rich, creamy, and savory custard-like filling is baked in a buttery, flaky pie crust.
- Flavored with garlicky, peppered spinach and mushrooms.
- Extra cheesy thanks to plenty of cheddar and parmesan cheeses—or use your favorite type of cheese instead.
- The perfect way to start the day, but also enjoyable for lunch or dinner.
- Makes great leftovers!
- An obvious choice for your menu of Mother’s Day recipes and Easter brunch recipes.
- Sure to impress all who are lucky enough to try a slice.
Start With My Perfect Pie Crust
I always turn to my homemade pie crust when making quiche. (Or any pie, really!) The crust recipe uses a combination of butter and shortening and creates the most buttery, flaky pie crust. Of course, you can use my all-butter pie crust instead if you’d like.
Since the pie dough needs time to chill in the refrigerator, I always make it the day before. You also want to set aside some time to par-bake the pie crust before adding the filling and baking the entire quiche. This prevents a soggy crust—see “FAQ: How Do I Prevent a Soggy Crust?” below for more information.
The recipe yields two pie crusts, so you can freeze the other one to use at a later time. Browse my pie recipes to find a pie that uses only one pie crust, like pumpkin pie or blueberry crumble pie, or this easy skillet pot pie. Or if you’re hosting a crowd, use the second crust to make another quiche. I trust you won’t mind finding another way to use that second crust!
Store-bought crust also works in a pinch, but if you have the time, I encourage you to give homemade a try. It’s easier than you think and really takes the quiche to the next level.
Cheesy Spinach Quiche Ingredients
Like my classic quiche recipe, the base of today’s spinach version includes milk and eggs. You could, instead, use a combination of milk and cream for a richer texture. Here’s everything you need:
A few notes:
- Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen here. Frozen is convenient, but holds a lot of extra water. Be sure to blot out as much excess water as you can. If you use fresh spinach, use about 3 cups—either cooked down, or simply add it fresh (chopped). See how I make cooked-down fresh spinach in this goat cheese spinach & sun-dried tomato quiche and this breakfast strata.
- Cheese: Use 1 cup total (grated) of your favorite cheeses. I typically reach for cheddar and mozzarella, plus an additional 1/3 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Feta cheese, goat cheese, or Swiss cheese are also popular options.
- Mushrooms: As detailed in the recipe below, be sure to cook them down first to rid some moisture.
And if you love today’s flavors, try making this as mini quiche or even crustless vegetable quiche. You could also use these add-ins to make an easy frittata or breakfast egg muffins.
FAQ: How Do I Prevent a Soggy Crust?
Don’t let all your hard work go to waste by serving a soggy, under-baked pie crust. Take these two extra steps to help prevent this:
- Reduce the moisture in the vegetables: By sautéing the mushrooms, you’ll rid them of their extra moisture. Same with draining the frozen spinach (if using). Without doing so, the excess moisture would not only throw off the texture of the quiche filling, but also make it harder for the crust to bake properly.
- Par-bake the crust: Par-baking (aka blind baking) the crust gives it a head start before you add the filling. You’ll find these instructions in the recipe below, and I have a full post (including a helpful video tutorial) on how to par-bake pie crust if you want more information. You’ll need two packs of these pie weights for this part. (If you bake pies often, they’re a must-have for your pie baking tools.)
After the crust has par-baked, you’ll add the fillings and bake it.
How to Prevent a Rubbery Texture
Quiches are baked to have a creamy and custard-y consistency. If your quiche’s texture is rubbery or spongey, using too many eggs is likely the culprit. The ratio of eggs to cream or milk has to be just right. Our recipe testing revealed 4 eggs to 1 cup of milk or cream creates a rich, yet light and delicate quiche.
How to Make Spinach Quiche Ahead of Time
Mornings can be busy, especially if you’re hosting family and friends. There are several ways to start this spinach quiche ahead of time. Here is what I usually do:
- The night before, I make the pie crust and sauté the mushrooms. I also either thaw the frozen spinach or cook down the fresh spinach. The next morning, I simply need to par-bake my crust, mix together the filling, and bake. If you want to save even more time, par-bake your crust the night before, too.
- You can also prepare the entire spinach quiche ahead of time. See recipe Notes for more details, and decide which method will work best for your schedule.
For more inspiration for breakfast on busy mornings see my complete list of 30+ make-ahead breakfast ideas.
Here’s What to Serve With Cheesy Spinach Quiche:
Cheesy spinach quiche pairs well with basically any breakfast or brunch food. I have a complete section bursting with breakfast recipes on my site, but here are some favorites:
- Cinnamon rolls or no-yeast cinnamon rolls
- Banana bread or banana muffins
- Coffee cake
- Jumbo blueberry muffins
- Any flavor of scones
- Cream cheese French toast casserole or whole wheat pancakes
- A Dutch baby piled high with all your favorite sweet toppings
- Strawberry bacon salad makes a wonderful side for brunch or dinner, too.
Spinach Quiche
- Prep Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: one 9-inch quiche
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This cheesy spinach quiche uses my favorite quiche recipe as the base. It’s savory, creamy, and baked in a deliciously flaky homemade pie crust. Impress all your guests with this brunch recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked flaky pie crust (what I use) or all-butter pie crust*
- 10 ounces (283g) frozen spinach*
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 8 ounces (227g) sliced mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk*
- 1/3 cup (25g) freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup (4 ounces/113g) freshly shredded cheddar cheese*
- 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
Instructions
- Prepare pie crust: I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin the quiche. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out and par-baking.
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (save the second pie crust for another recipe). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches (30cm) in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch (23cm) pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a rim around the pie. Crimp the pie crust edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. Chill the pie crust in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days. Cover the pie crust with plastic wrap if chilling for longer than 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Par-bake: Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper. Fill with 2 packs of pie weights, or use dried beans. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Bake until the edges of the crust are starting to brown, about 15–16 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick holes all over the bottom crust with a fork. Return the pie crust to the oven. Bake until the bottom crust is just beginning to brown, about 7–8 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Crust can still be warm when you pour in the filling, or you can par-bake the crust up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover cooled par-baked crust tightly and refrigerate until ready to fill.)
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (177°C).
- For the filling: If your frozen spinach is not already thawed, thaw it in the microwave per package directions. Drain the spinach in a colander while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper to hot skillet (just a sprinkle of each, you’ll use 1/4 teaspoon each in the next step). Stir and sauté the mushrooms until they release all of their moisture and no more water remains on the bottom of the skillet, about 6–7 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, parmesan cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper together until combined.
- Blot and squeeze the rest of the water out of the thawed spinach. Spread spinach on par-baked pie crust. Add the cooked mushrooms and shredded cheese. Pour the egg mixture on top. If desired, sprinkle the top with a little more parmesan cheese.
- Bake the quiche until the center is just about set, about 50–60 minutes. Don’t over-bake. Use a pie crust shield to prevent the pie crust edges from over-browning. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Or you can cool the quiche completely before serving—it’s fantastic at room temperature, too.
- This quiche makes great leftovers! Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The pie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can par-bake the crust ahead of time too. See end of step 4. To freeze the quiche, cool baked quiche completely, then cover tightly with a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter, then bake uncovered at 350°F (177°C) for 20–25 minutes.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Rolling Pin | 9-inch Pie Dish | Pie Weights | Pie Crust Shield | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk
- Pie Crust: Both linked pie crust recipes make two crusts. You only need one crust for this pie, so freeze the second half for another use, or double the filling to make two quiches.
- Spinach: You can use fresh spinach instead, about 3 packed cups (about 120g). You can cook it down ahead of time, or just add it fresh/raw. If you want to add it fresh, roughly chop the fresh spinach before adding to the quiche. I use cooked-down fresh spinach in this goat cheese spinach & sun-dried tomato quiche.
- Milk: Whole milk is best for the creamiest texture, but 1/2 cup (120ml) each heavy cream and whole milk is fantastic, too, for an even richer filling. You could also substitute 1 cup (240ml) half-and-half. See How to Bake the Perfect Quiche post.
- Cheese: I make this quiche with mostly cheddar cheese, and some parmesan cheese as well. Feel free to swap in your favorite cheeses, or use a blend. Gruyère, Swiss, mozzarella, and/or feta cheese are other great options.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This was a fantastic quiche recipe and we loved your crust recipe! This will find a home on our weekly menu plan!
This is a fabulous cheesy quiche pie. It is the only I use. A must try. thank you for sharing Sally.
Loved this quiche! I added in caramelized onions and used 3/4 gruyere to 1/4 white cheddar-my mom and I loved it!
!M
Might sound odd but I used let over collard greens for the filing! Wonderful! Add a little saracha on the sides with turkey bacon. Yum
Hi Sally – I want to make this today for brunch tomorrow morning? Can I assemble the whole thing and put it in the fridge overnight? Or should I keep the filling mixture separate from the crust and pour it into the crust just before baking tomorrow morning?! Thanks!
Hi Sarah, you can do it either way but personally I would keep them separate then pour into the crust and bake in the AM.
I made this for dinner tonight and my kids 6 and 5, both asked for seconds! I didn’t end up using mushrooms because mine were bad, but I browned some sausage – so good! I’m still shocked that my kids liked it so much. It’s a rare event these days. Can’t wait to make it again! Thanks!
This sounds delicious!! I have some fresh spinach I was hoping to use. Any tips on using fresh vs.frozen?
Hey Robin! I would use 3 cups (packed) fresh spinach. You can cook it down, but don’t have to. Here is a newer quiche recipe I made with fresh spinach.
I made two of these last night, one to give to a coworker and one to keep for myself. Oh man am I glad I made one for me. Best midnight snack EVER!
Hi! I made the egg mixture ahead of time and put it in an airtight container in the fridge. I was wondering if the quiche results would be the same as the egg mixture was in the fridge for about 2 days. Thank!
Yep, the quiche will be just as tasty. Enjoy!
I’m going to make this and I was wondering how it will do if I add extra fillings. I want to add more protein but I don’t want it overflowing. Also how would it do if I added a crust topping or is that overkill?
Thanks for your recipe and tips.
I think a crust topping would be too much. You can leave out some mushrooms and add a cooked meat if you prefer.
I can’t wait to try this recipe! However, I don’t want to make a crust, but plan on using a pre-made one. Does it need to pre-bake as well?
Yep– pre-bake it for 8 minutes.
I made this the other day for a brunch I had with my small group and this was literally THE BEST quiche that I have ever had. My small group said the same. It’s the perfect egg/milk/cheese ratio! Thanks!
Made this quiche this weekend for my grandma’s birthday dinner. We usually just buy one from the store, but I decided to make one homemade since she was visiting our new house for the first time. I have never made a quiche before, but this recipe was amazing! A huge hit here. My boyfriend, who usually doesn’t like quiche or eggs, actually requested it again for dinner tonight. It’s in the oven right now! Thanks for the recipe and all the great work you do on your blog. Your recipes are always a winner and I appreciate the time you put into making them so great!
Hi sally! just wanted to let you know that i’m fully addicted to your website! and i made this quiche with only mozzarella, and let me just say this quiche was gone in less than 12 hours!! my family devoured it!! even my sister who hates both spinach and mushrooms inhaled this quiche!! thank you so much for your recipes and sharing them with all of us!! keep up the amazing work, i can’t wait to see what you create next!
I love this quiche! Made it many times 🙂 including your pie crust. Made it also once with chicken, curry spice and pineapple. The only problem I always have is that the sides of my pie fall down into the pie when I prebake. I then try to squeeze them up with a spoon again but never becomes pretty. Do you maybe have an idea why and how I can prevent this?
I substituted fresh beet greens for the spinach and sautéed them with the mushrooms. This was a very yummy quiche with extra sharp cheddar cheese in a prepared Pillsbury pie crust.
Hi sally, i would like to use feta cheese instead. How should I go about changing the cheese quantity ? Thank you!
3/4 – 1 cup crumbled feta is perfect.
Would this recipe work without the crust?
Absolutely!
This is a wonderful quiche recipe! I think I will be using it as my base recipe from now on. I made this spinach quiche for Easter brunch and my family loved it. I modified the recipe slightly (added 2 eggs, used cheddar and smoked gouda) to make a cheesecheese quiche, and it was perfection! Making a broccoli cheese quiche right now. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Sally~
I’d never actually had quiche before, but committed to making one for my small engineering office’s silly celebration of Pi Day 3-14-15. This “breakfast pie” was completely devoured by 8:30am. I prepped everything, including your homemade crust, and got it in the oven at 7am that morning. A week later, I’m making another, just for me! I’m loving your site and am excited to try more of your recipes. Just wanted to say thank you!!
Karen
I found this recipe a couple of weeks ago…LOVE IT so easy ,made it twice already
I made this last night, but instead of mushrooms, added broccoli and shallots along with fresh spinach. My 16 year old son ate 1/3 of it!! Another winner, Sally. So many variations to this quiche too – can’t wait to make more. Everything I’ve made so far from your site has been fantastic! I’m really enjoying your recipes!!!
Hello Sally! I found this recipe a few days ago and couldn’t wait to test it. Today I finally made it and.. wow! It was amazing.. We ate half already 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. This is going to be one of our family favorites.
Hi Sally,
I made this today with fresh spinach and broccoli, crustless, and with 2% milk. When I cut it, though, there was water on the bottom. I followed all of the directions, so was it because of the milk fat content? Thanks! Otherwise it was great.
Do you think you used *too much* spinach and broccoli? I know too many fresh veggies prevents the eggs from solidifying properly. I don’t think the milk fat content is the issue. You can also try slightly reducing the quantity of milk.
Hi Sally! 🙂
I need your help please. I just made your homemade pie crust and it is in the fridge chilling. (Nervous because I have never tried to make homemade crust before) anyway, how do you pre bake the shell to make the Quiche? I plan attempting it tonight! Many thanks!
Hey Laura! It’s so easy. Just roll out the crust and press it into the pie pan. Trim the edges and pre-bace as directed in the recipe.
Can you replace the parmesan in the eggs with something like monterey jack or just take it out entirely?
Yes that’s fine
I don’t like mushrooms…how would you suggest adjusting the recipe if I leave the mushrooms out?
No need to adjust – just bake as directed or replace with another vegetable (which you could sauté) like zucchini or summer squash.
Hi sally!
May I know how I should reheat the quiche after placing it in the freezer? Thanks!! (:
Hi Jia! I simply let thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then heat the oven to 350 and bake for about 20 minutes or until warm all throughout.
Hi Sally. 🙂 I just made this quiche, using the crustless option. I used half aged white cheddar and half creamy harvati and baked it for 55 minutes. It turned out fantastic with a nice golden brown top. I am excited to try the quiche with the crust next time. All of your recipes are wonderful and I have had great success with all of them. 🙂
Silly question, i have fresh spinach, do i have to cook it first or can i just throw it in like that? I’ve never made quiche but it looks so good!
Not a silly questions at all! You can use fresh spinach, chopped. Or cook it down if you prefer. Either way, it will wilt/cook down inside the quiche as it bakes.