I've been trying to plan my menus around produce lately... so I've been doing searches for recipes containing certain ingredients. When I searched for leeks (I had one left over from something else) I found a Bacon, Leek and Cheddar Mini Quiches from Tracey's Culinary Adventures, I knew I had to make this recipe. However I had to change it a bit (I only had one leek and I had some spinach that needed to be used plus I made a large quiche instead of mini quiches). The result was absolutely delicious, and I loved her idea of using frozen puff pastry as the crust. (YEY for not making a pie crust!)
Spinach, Leek and Bacon Quiche
First, you'll need a leek. You'll want to make sure to get it clean.
This picture is AFTER I ran it under the tap and thought it should have been clean.
I suggest cutting it in half (lengthwise) and cleaning it that way.
Once it's cleaned, slice it.
Set the leek aside for a few minutes.
Next, you'll need bacon. I used precooked bacon (good sale), and was frying it to get some bacon grease... If you use fresh, you'll want to cut it into a dice before you fry it up.
Remove the bacon once it is cooked and reserve 2 Tbsp of the grease (or whatever is left.)
Toss in those beautifully sliced leeks. Let them cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, chop some spinach (about 4 oz or 2 cups chopped)
Once the leek is cooked, remove from heat and let cool for a bit.
In a large bowl, combine: 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, 4 eggs, 1 cup milk (I used whole), and 1/2 cup cream.
Toss in about 2 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley,
1 tsp salt,
1/4 tsp nutmeg,
1/2 tsp thyme, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Next, toss in the spinach,
cooked bacon,
and leek,
Mix well.
Place in pie pan (I used a puff pastry sheet for the crust, if you want to you can use a pie crust - just do not prick either!)
Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until set. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Enjoy!
Great looking quiche! Leek and Bacon go so well together, and I just love the taste of Spinach too... really healthy and earthy tastes! Leeks can be a pain to clean, can't they? I always cut them half way, to the centre down the length, and then you can still clean well between the layers, but conserve some semblance of the ring shape at the end.
ReplyDeleteHow much bacon do you put in there?
ReplyDeleteMissed that amount, sorry. I usually use 1/2 lb uncooked bacon.
ReplyDeleteThat looks great. I have never used puff pastry as crust. Do you cook it empty first I would for a tradional quiche crust?
ReplyDeleteNope, you just put the puff pastry into the pan and then add the filling. Super easy!
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