Make-ahead Spinach and Bacon Quiche with Tomatoes is quick, easy to make, and sure to impress! Fresh spinach, crisp, smoky bacon, and sliced cherry tomatoes are the superstar ingredients in this savory quiche recipe.
Add a silky custard filling of gruyere cheese, eggs, and heavy cream, and wrap it up in a flakey, purchased pie crust, and this flavorful spinach and bacon quiche will become the hit of any meal.
Why it’s the perfect dish:
- Quiche is versatile; you can add just about any veggie, meat, or cheese you like or have on hand. As an example, check out my recipes for Ham and Cheese Quiche and Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Quiche.
- It’s delicious whether served warm or cold, it’s relatively healthy, full of protein, and it can be low in calories, especially if you make it without the crust.
- Quiche can be a meal all by itself because, in most cases, it contains all of the major food groups. It’s also the perfect choice to serve at breakfast, lunch, or dinner and would be a lovely addition to a Mother’s Day brunch or luncheon.
Quiche is a home run in my book, and, in case you are wondering, yes, “real men do eat quiche”!
Ingredients – here’s what’s in it:
- Spinach – I used fresh baby spinach in this quiche recipe because I wanted to ramp up the nutritional value. It also makes it colorful. The saying that “we eat with our eyes” couldn’t be more accurate.
- Bacon – crisp, smoky bacon is my meat of choice for this recipe. It is called Spinach and Bacon Quiche for a reason! Feel free to substitute ham, Canadian bacon, or sausage.
- Cherry tomatoes – the addition of red tomatoes and green spinach makes each slice of this quiche a kaleidoscope of color and very appealing. Of course, you can easily substitute broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, caramelized onions, etc.
- Cheese – I used gruyere in this recipe because I love its rich nutty flavor. However, you could easily use swiss, manchego, gouda, cheddar, or fontina. Use what cheese or combination of cheeses you have on hand or what you like.
- Heavy Cream – makes a rich, velvety custard filling. If you want to save calories, you can also use half-and-half or whole milk. The quiche will still be delicious, but the texture of the filling will be a little looser.
- Eggs – are mixed with heavy cream to make the filling or custard. They bind everything together and add a rich base.
- Pie Crust – I have made plenty of pie crusts in my day, but now I almost always use frozen pie crusts. However, if you are a baker, feel free to make your own.
- Ground nutmeg – just a pinch adds a warm sweet and nutty flavor to the custard filling.
- Kosher salt – enhances all of the other flavors and brings them together into one cohesive dish.
Directions – Here’s how to make it:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Use a fork and prick the pie crust over the bottom and sides. Place the empty crust on a baking sheet with sides and par bake it for ten minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. Leave the crust on the baking sheet and set it aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Combine the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, and salt in a medium-size bowl and whisk well. Set aside.
- Sprinkle one-fourth cup of the shredded cheese evenly over the pie crust. Then, add the chopped spinach and the rest of the shredded cheese. Spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle the sliced tomatoes over the top.
- Carefully pour the egg mixture over the spinach, cheese, and tomatoes. Depending on the size of your pie crust and how deep it is, you may have a small amount leftover. Top with the crumbled bacon.
- Leave the quiche on the baking sheet and bake it for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is puffed and set.
- When it’s done, remove it from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool briefly. Quiche is best served warm or at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions:
Full of protein, it’s a savory main dish with milk or cream, eggs, cheese, meat, and/or vegetables cooked in a pie crust.
If you have followed my blog for any time, you know I love cheese. In fact, “the cheesier, the better” is my motto. I usually use gruyere in this recipe, but most cheeses, including feta, ricotta, and goat cheese will work, and I frequently use whatever I have in my cheese drawer.
You can also combine different kinds of cheese and use blends of shredded cheese like Mexican or Italian blends.
I do not cook my spinach, and I prefer to use fresh chopped baby spinach with the stems removed. Cooking your spinach first could introduce too much liquid into the filling and make it watery. I also do not like to use frozen spinach in this recipe for this exact reason. It’s tough to get the extra liquid out.
The secret to making a good quiche starts with its foundation, the crust. Yes, I take a shortcut and use purchased frozen pie crusts, but in my opinion, they are an excellent substitute. Be sure to par bake your crust and then sprinkle a portion of your shredded cheese over it before adding the filling to keep it from sinking and making it soggy.
My other secret is bacon; it makes everything better.
A quiche without a crust is called a crustless quiche. My Canadian Bacon and Brie Crustless Quiche is a good example. Most quiche recipes, including this one, can easily be made without a crust. To ensure it doesn’t stick, make sure to grease the pie pan thoroughly before adding the other ingredients.
Although the ingredients are similar, frittatas do not have a crust and are first cooked on the stove in a skillet. Then, they are moved to the oven to finish baking.
Quiches, on the other hand, are always baked in the oven.
Par baking means partially cooking an empty pie crust that will be baked again when the filling is added such as this quiche.
Blind baking refers to baking an empty pie crust before a filling is added. Blind baking is for pie crusts with fillings that do not need to be baked such as ice cream pies or cream pies.
Both methods help to firm up the pie crust, which keeps the filling from seeping into it and making it soggy
Sharon’s tips:
- If your cherry tomatoes are large, sprinkle a little salt on them once they are sliced, then place them on a paper towel to drain off any excess liquid before adding them to the quiche.
- Most quiches, including this quiche recipe with spinach, are full of protein and make a complete meal. If you prefer to serve them with a side dish, my Cheese Grits Casserole makes an excellent choice for breakfast or brunch. For a light lunch or dinner, a nice salad such as my Brussels Sprout Salad or Broccoli Salad is a good choice.
- Check your quiche at about 20 minutes to ensure the crust isn’t getting too brown. Cover the edges loosely with a small piece of foil if it is.
- To make this recipe ahead, make and bake the quiche as directed, cool it, cover, and refrigerate. When reheating, loosely cover with foil and heat in a 325-degree oven for about 20 minutes.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil and freeze for up to two months. Then, allow the quiche to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat.
- For the best results, before prebaking or blind baking the pie crust, generously prick the bottom and sides of the dough to keep it from puffing up as it bakes.
- For the best results, place your pie crust on a baking sheet to par bake it, and then leave it on the baking sheet to bake it with the filling. The aluminum pans frozen pie crusts come in are flimsy and will bend when you are placing them in the oven or trying to take them out.
More egg recipes:
If you like recipes such as this one, that features eggs, I think you might also like these other popular choices on my blog:
- Easy Eggs Benedict Breakfast Casserole
- Southern Deviled Eggs
- Baked Egg Cups
- Foolproof Eggs Benedict
- Sweet Potato Hash with Eggs.
My Loaded Cast Iron Breakfast Skillet and Easy Broccoli Mushroom Frittata are also good choices. Need more breakfast ideas? Check out all of my breakfast recipes here.
★★★★★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Spinach and Bacon Quiche Recipe with Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust purchased frozen, deep dish (9-inch)
- 2 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 ½ cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach stems removed and chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 4 large or extra large eggs
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Pie Crust Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F.
- Use a fork and prick the pie crust over the bottom and sides. Place the crust on a baking sheet with sides and par bake it for ten minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F. Leave the crust on the baking sheet and set it aside to cool for a few minutes.
Quiche Filling Directions
- Combine the eggs, half-and-half, nutmeg, and salt in a medium-size bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Sprinkle one-fourth cup of the shredded cheese evenly over the pie crust. Then, add the chopped spinach and the rest of the shredded cheese. Spread out evenly. Sprinkle the sliced tomatoes over the top.
- Carefully pour the egg mixture over the spinach, cheese, and tomatoes. Depending on the size of your pie crust and how deep it is, you may have a small amount leftover. Top with the crumbled bacon.
- Leave the quiche on the baking sheet and bake it for 30-35 minutes or until the filling is puffed and set.
- When it's done, remove it from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Quiche is best served warm or at room temperature.
It was delicious!!!!! I have a quiche that I have used for years, both of us said we liked that one and the change ups but this one was somewhat different and we like it just as much. Plus it felt healthier with the spinach and tomatoes. Great recipe and your most recent post sounds really good too.
Carolyn
This will be our dinner tonight, it sounds delicious. WEH even saved your column for me on my island. He didn’t want me to forget. I think it sounded good to him too.
Carolyn