Bacon, Spinach, Caramelized Onion, Smoked Gouda Quiche
*serves 4-6

A few weeks ago I prepared a Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, Crispy Kale & Cheddar Quiche along with this Bacon, Spinach, Caramelized Onion, Smoked Gouda Quiche. I made two quiches at once because I knew I wanted to have a spare for a quick dinner that would require nothing more than a reheat and preparing a salad.

You know, some days you just don’t feel like cooking — so having a quiche in the freezer can be clutch on those nights. Well, that and they’re great for breakfast reheats, lunches and when you get an unexpected meal guest.

This quiche uses Marie Callendar’s ready made deep dish pie shell and the caramelized onions were prepared ahead of time. The ingredients are pretty basic too, I used what was in the house, so you can feel free to substitute the cheese with something more accessible, like cheddar, if that’s what you have on hand. But, honestly, I really love this combination of flavors. The smoked gouda with the smoky and salty bacon creates a flavor explosion.

When I’m cooking I always do my prep first. Especially when it comes to making a recipe with layers of different cooked vegetables and ingredients. A little time preparing goes a long way in not only time saving, but in making the process of cooking more organized and accessible. And I always find that when there is some order in the kitchen, I can get my mind and heart into it and it also makes it more fun.

Also, what’s more fun than crying through slicing onions?! Sauteing spinach and baking bacon in the oven?! Come on! Get that all out of the way first! And the rest will be smooth sailing, I promise.

Next you can get the quiche custard base started by whisking together the eggs and half and half; adding the cheese and chopped cooked bacon to the mixture. Then the layering fun begins! Start stacking that quiche with the veggie goodness and, finally, pour that salty, smoky, custardy egg mixture on top and you’re ready for the oven.

Bacon, Spinach, Caramelized Onion, Smoked Gouda Quiche
*serves 4-6

1 x deep dish pie crust, *recommended Marie Callender’s
8 slices of bacon, baked in the oven according to package instructions
1 x 10 oz bag of pre-cleaned spinach
2 cloves of garlic, pressed or thinly sliced
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4-1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
5 teaspoons of salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 eggs
1 cup of half and half
1 cup of smoked gouda cheese, thickly grated

Instructions for caramelizing onions
—Heat a large skillet over a medium flame with 2 tablespoons of butter and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
—Add onions, allowing them to cook and sweat, about 10 minutes
—Add 2 teaspoons of salt and continue to cook the onions, stirring and moving the onions about for another 20-25 minutes
—As the onions break down and become brown, you’ll notice beautiful browning and bits on the bottom of the skillet, at this point, add half of the balsamic vinegar to deglaze and continue to stir and cook
—Deglazing the pan with balsamic vinegar helps speed the caramelization process and creates really yummy, jammy caramelized onions with loaded depth of flavor
—Continue to cook and deglaze for up to 1 hour, if you’re that patient, but you can pull them from the flame as soon as your desired caramelization is reached
—Taste to adjust salt, add freshly ground black pepper
—Put aside to cool
—Good news: you’ll probably have leftovers from the quiche to use for a burger, or on eggs or in a grilled cheese sandwich!

Cook bacon according to package instructions and chop into pieces

Instructions for sauteing spinach
—Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a saute pan with garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant
—Add the whole bag of spinach and a pinch of salt
—Saute until cooked/wilted and set aside

Instructions for egg custard / quiche base
—In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and half and half with 2 teaspoons of salt and freshly ground black pepper
—Whisk in chopped bacon cheese and put aside

Quiche assembly
—Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
—Remove your 9” deep dish pie shell from the freezer
—Layer the bottom with the sauteed spinach
—Load a nice layer of caramelized onions on top; you’ll know when to stop!
—Finally, pour the egg custard over the top of the vegetables so it’s evenly distributed and covering all of the layered veggies
—Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until the edges of the pie crust are brown and the middle of the quiche is just set (no jiggling: solid, yet still soft, like my belly)