Spinach Quiche with a Cornmeal Crust

Brunch. It is a wonderful thing. If I had to choose one meal a day: Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I would choose brunch.

Sleep in, brew a big pot of coffee and then eat tons of eggs, carbs, and fresh fruit. I mean, really, what could be better?

Mimosas. That would make it better.

So…while I’m dreaming of that incredibly lazy day that I will never get, let’s talk about this quiche. The thing that makes this quiche so special is the slight crunch of the cornmeal crust and the flavorful swiss cheese. It really is perfect.

Spinach Quiche with a Cornmeal Crust

1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
3 Tablespoons cold water

4 eggs, beaten
1 cup of milk (whole would be amazing but I used skim and it still tasted great)
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese tossed with 2 Tbsp flour (I didn’t have enough Swiss so I threw in a bit of cheddar)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
pepper to taste
dash of nutmeg
10 ounces cooked spinach, drained very well

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine cornmeal, flour, salt in a small bowl. Cut in shortening using a fork or pastry cutter until combined. Sprinkle water in while tossing with fork, and continue to stir lightly until mixture forms a ball. Roll out on lightly floured board. Fit loosely into a 9-inch pie pan, fluting edges (mine aren’t pretty but who cares).
3. Spread spinach over the bottom of the crust.
4. In a separate bowl, combine beaten eggs, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour over spinach.
5. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 25-25 minutes or until golden brown and set in the middle. Let stand 10 minutes before serving warm, room temperature or cold.

Verdict: One of my favorite things to eat.
Husband’s take: He said he liked it, but after he left for work in the morning I saw lonely, leftover crust on his plate. He left the best part! I’m not sure if he didn’t like it or was just trying to save calories. Who knows. What I do know is that I don’t want to know. PS: I can serve this for breakfast or maybe brunch (but let’s be honest, we stopped being “brunch” people when E was born)–but I would have to add sausage or bacon or SOMETHING meaty to get away with serving this for any other meal.
Changes I would make: None.
Difficulty: Easy.

Tagged as: brunch, cheese, egg, quiche, spinach