Bacon Spinach & Caramelized Onion Quiche

My in-laws were here this weekend so I wanted to make something good (yet easy) for breakfast that wasn't super heavy and full of calories. It had been way too long since I'd made a quiche, so that is what I decided on. I love quiche, and you can use any ingredients you want. I went with bacon, spinach, and caramelized onions.

Start by cooking your bacon. If you don't already cook your bacon in the oven, you should! It is by far the easiest way to cook it evenly and it creates the least mess. Just cover a sheet pan with foil, lay out the bacon slices in a single layer, and pop in a preheated (or not) oven at 400 degrees. The length of time depends on how thick your bacon is. Mine was super thick and the pan was full so it took about 25 minutes. Just check it until it is done to your liking (we like it to still be slightly chewy at our house, but my mom prefers it borderline burnt- to each his own!). When its finished, just put the bacon slices on paper towels to drain and pour the grease from the pan into your bacon grease collection jar (which you should have if you are southern like me for cooking vegetables, etc.- & if you don't, you should start one!) & throw away the foil and voila, the clean up is done!

As the bacon is cooking, wilt the spinach over medium heat in a saute or sauce pan. This just takes a few moments. Once it is wilted, put it into a colander & lightly salt it to pull out the moisture. Let it sit while you cut up your onion. I used a medium sized sweet yellow onion and left the slices longer than a dice. Melt the butter over medium low heat, and toss in the onions. Cook them low and slow, stirring frequently to avoid browning them. You want them to soften and turn a nice even golden color. If they start to dry out add another tablespoon of butter. This will take about 30 minutes.

While the onions are caramelizing, remove the excess moisture from the spinach so that your quiche doesn't end up super soggy in the middle. Just use paper towels and press the spinach so that the water that is left drains out the holes in the colander. I was actually cooking the quiche for Sunday morning, but wanted to go ahead & get some of the prep out of the way Saturday to save some time the next day. So I cooked a few extra slices of bacon for my mother-in-law & I to eat because how can you cook bacon without eating some right away? I can't. It smells too good. This is where I stopped on Saturday. I just put the drained spinach, cooked bacon, and caramelized onions into a tupperware for the next morning.

Sunday morning I pulled the pie shell out of the freezer, poked a few holes in the bottom with a fork, and blind baked it (put it in the oven empty) at 375 for 15 minutes. While it is cooking, go ahead and beat the eggs, add the milk or half & half, and salt & pepper to your liking. Using half & half makes the egg mixture a little richer, but 2% will cut a few calories. Take the crust out of the oven and layer your toppings and the cheese into the shell, ending with a layer of cheese. I also use foil to cover the outer edge of the pie crust to keep it from burning or getting too dark while the quiche bakes. Pour the egg mixture into the shell, and put it back into the oven for 45 minutes until the egg sets and the top begins to brown. (I forgot to photograph the assembled quiche before baking it..sorry. Still learning.)

Remove from the oven and let it stand and cool for at least 10 minutes. It cuts easily with a butter knife and I just used a fork to take the pieces out, as it held together well. This is such a tasty breakfast, a way to eat some veggies in the morning, and much more impressive than plain old bacon and eggs! A slice served with some fruit and/or a salad makes for an excellent brunch or light lunch as well.

Other favorite quiche ingredients of mine are:

• ham, broccoli, and green onions
• chorizo, butternut squash, and kale
• smoked sausage (can be turkey), bell peppers, and onions
• mushrooms, zucchini, and tomatoes 

Bacon, Spinach, & Caramelized Onion Quiche
8 servings, 250 calories
40 minutes prep, 1 hour cooking time

• 1 Pillsbury deep dish pie crust
• 5 large eggs
• 3/4-1 cup milk or half & half
• 3/4-1 cup shredded cheese
• 5 slices of bacon (calorie count will vary depending thick cut vs. center cut)
• 6 oz. fresh spinach 
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 1-2 tbsp. butter
• salt & peppper