Puffy Golden Quiche with Leeks, Greens, and Baby Swiss
I love a good dinner pie filled with lots of veggies and some cheese. This one, inspired by a suggestion by longtime Scramble fan Hillary Bratton, turns golden brown on top and holds together beautifully. Use whichever greens you find locally. Scramble recipe tester Debbie Firestone said, “I have one daughter who DOES NOT like kale, but even she went back for seconds!”
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked pie crust (9-inch) (use wheat/gluten-free, if needed), refrigerated or frozen
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 leeks white and light green parts only, halved and thinly sliced (make sure and rinse thoroughly to remove any dirt) about 3 cups
- 2 cloves garlic minced, about 1 tsp.
- 1 head kale Swiss chard, or collard greens, stemmed and coarsely chopped (8 – 12 oz.)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup low fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (or use any variety)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded baby Swiss or Gruyère cheese about 6 oz.
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (use the convection setting of your oven for more even browning, if you have it).
- Unroll and press the crust into a tart or pie pan and trim the excess crust from the edges (unless you purchased a crust that comes in a pie tin). Bake it for 10 - 15 minutes until it is lightly browned. Remove it from the oven (and keep the oven heated).
- Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When it is hot, add the butter and the oil, and when the butter is bubbling add the leeks and garlic. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes until the leeks are tender, and then add the greens.
- Cover, reduce the heat, and steam them for about 5 minutes until they are wilted, and then remove them from the heat.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sour cream, 1 cup of the cheese, the salt, pepper, and basil.
- Spoon the vegetables into the crust, top it with the egg mixture, stirring very gently to get the liquid to pass down through the vegetables.
- Top it with the remaining cheese, put it on a baking sheet and return it to the oven.
- Bake it for 25 - 30 minutes or until the top is puffy and golden brown. ) Let it cool for at least 10 minutes and serve it hot, warm, or cold. You can cover and refrigerate it for up to 3 days, or cool it completely and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Slow Cooker Directions
- To make a crustless version of the quiche in the slow cooker: Use a 3 – 4 Qt. slow cooker and omit the butter, oil, and the crust. Add the eggs and sour cream or yogurt to the slow cooker, and whisk to combine. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 3 - 4 hours, until the eggs are set. (Slow cooker cooking times may vary—Get to know your slow cooker and, if necessary, adjust cooking times accordingly.)
Notes
Do Ahead or Delegate: Halve, slice, and rinse the leeks, peel the garlic, stem and chop the greens, shred the cheese if necessary and refrigerate, combine the spices, make and refrigerate the egg mixture, or fully prepare and refrigerate or freeze the quiche.
Scramble Flavor Booster: Double the garlic and the basil and/or serve the quiche with a little hot sauce, such as Tabasco.
Tip: To stem the greens quickly, slide your thumb and forefinger up the stem to remove the greens, and discard the stems (or save them for another use, or put them in the compost bin).
Nutritional Information Per Serving (% based upon daily values): Calories 331, Total Fat: 21g, 32%; Saturated Fat: 9g, 31.5%; Cholesterol: 151mg, 50%; Sodium: 498mg, 21%; Total Carbohydrate: 24g, 8%; Dietary Fiber: 2g, 7.5%; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 14g
Like this recipe? Check out The Scramble's family-friendly meal plans to see just how simple getting dinner on the table can be!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!