Anne’s Awesome Bacon-Spinach Quiche

It’s funny how certain “first” bites just stay with you forever. My first bite of an Omelette was  – of all places – on an airplane flight. My first bite of Quiche was at a little mid-town bistro – and it was an instant love affair.

I’m not sure if it was the Quiche itself that I fell in love with or the quaintness of this tiny French Bistro (long since gone) that I adored so much. Many a Sunday morning was spent there, sipping a Mimosa and nibbling on fresh-baked goodies. Many a Saturday nigh I could be found sipping Champagne and indulging in Chocolate Mousse perfection while discussing the politics of the day. Oh to the finer things in life!

I was fortunate enough to have grown up in an atmosphere that centered around family times, and plenty of entertaining – both in and out of the kitchen. We didn’t need a holiday as an excuse to get together. Family gatherings always included plenty of wonderful food, lots of laughs and some of the best off-key entertaining on the planet. While the adults put out a spread to end all spreads; the kids could count on a captive audience that loved everything we did. I can remember my sisters doing a wild hula dance. We sang “I want to Hold Your Hand” so off-key that the dogs in the neighborhood howled! It was only natural that as adults we love to entertain – and ham it up in the process.

Anyway, the first time I had home-made Quiche was at a family brunch. It was an Easter extravaganza to end all Easters. My middle sister, Anne, made the most awesome Bacon-Spinach Quiche as her contribution to the festivities. I’ve since collected and perfected a few recipes of my own, but hers has a very special place in my heart.

Anne’s Awesome Quiche
10 oz frozen Spinach
1/2 cup White Mushrooms
1 lb Bacon
1 Refrigerated Pie Dish
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheesed
10 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
Dash Nutmeg

Heat oven to 400-degrees. Thaw spinach, squeeze out as much water as possible, then pat dry with paper towels. Clean and slice the mushroom.

Dice bacon, fry up in a skillet until crisp; then drain on paper towels. Let the bacon cool.

Roll out pie crust and place crust in a deep-dish pie pan and set aside.

In a bowl cheeses together; cover bottom of the pie crust and about a third of the way up the sides with a layer of the cheese mixture.

Layer spinach, sliced mushrooms and crumbled bacon over the cheese.

Whisk eggs, milk and a dash of nutmeg together. Pour over Quiche.

Bake in hot oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue to bake for 45 minutes to an hour until firm and cooked through.

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Here’s to childhood memories and first bites!