Bacon and Spinach Quiche

INGREDIENTS

Ready rolled shortcrust pastry (at room temperature - allow two hours from freezer or 30 minutes from fridge). We used the Tesco large ready rolled shortcrust pastry pack.

175g / 6oz fresh spinach

110g / 4oz streaky bacon (seven slices)

Half a medium onion

Half a red sweet pepper (optional, but adds colour)

55g / 2oz mature Cheddar Cheese

180ml Single Cream

55g / 2oz butter

2 medium eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
 
COOKING TIME: 1 hour 45 minutes (an honest time, not the hugely over-optimistic times of most other recipe websites!)
 
DIFFICULTY: Medium
 
FREEZE: No
 
SERVINGS: 5 servings
 
EQUIPMENT: A 21cm (approx.) round and 3.5cm (approx.) deep tart tin or oven proof dish.

PREPARATION

If using ready rolled pastry, take the ready rolled shortcrust pasty from the fridge or freezer to bring it to room temperature (allow two hours from freezer or 30 minutes from fridge).
Peel, top and tail the onion. Finely slice half of it and store the other half in the fridge for later recipes.
Gently whisk the eggs with a fork.
Grate the cheese.
Finely chop the half sweet pepper

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

On a medium heat melt the butter in a pan and add the spinach. It may not all fit in initially but it will as the spinach wilts. Cook, stirring continuously for 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons of water and continue stirring until all the spinach is completely wilted. This should take another couple of minutes.

Place the spinach in a colander, press it down firmly to remove any excess liquid. If liquid remains in the spinach the pastry may go soggy and / or the quiche may not set.

Cooking spinach

STEP 2

Spread a good coating of butter or oil around the tart tin or oven proof dish. This will greatly help in stopping the pastry from sticking to the base of the tart tin or oven proof dish during baking.

Unroll the pastry and firm it gently into the base of the tart tin or oven proof dish. Cut any excess pastry from the edges with the blunt side of a knife. Crimp the pastry at the top edges of the tart tin or oven proof dish

Prick the base of the pastry with a fork several times all over. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes to set the pastry.

Set the oven to 200°C / Fan 180°C / Gas Mark 6.

Roughly line the pastry with baking paper and half fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 20 minutes - especially important if you are using uncooked rice.

Remove the baking paper and baking beans or uncooked rice and return the part cooked pastry to the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the tart tin or oven proof dish with pastry from the oven and set aside to cool.

STEP 3

While the pastry is baking (during previous step) cook the streaky bacon on a medium heat in a frying pan until it begins to crisp a little. Remove the bacon from the frying pan (leave the fat in the pan) and let it cool for a few minutes. Cut the cooked bacon into bite sized pieces and place on kitchen paper to absorb some of the fat.

Frying streaky bacon

STEP 4

Set the oven heating to 190°C / Fan 170°C / Gas Mark 5. Add the chopped onions and sweet pepper to the frying pan on a medium heat and fry for about ten minutes turning them frequently. Add the spinach and chopped bacon stirring the mixture until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add a little salt and pepper. Take the pan off the heat and place the ingredients into a bowl.

Frying bacon and spinach

STEP 5

Let the mixture cool in the bowl for a couple of minutes.

Add the cream and cheese to the bowl and mix it all together with a fork. Add the whisked eggs to the bowl and mix in thoroughly with a fork.

Cheese and cream mixture for quiche

STEP 6

Spoon the mixture into the the cooked pastry case and gently even it out.

Place in the pre-heated oven for 35 minutes until the quiche has set.

This quiche is best eaten at room temperature but can also be served warm.

Bacon and Spinach Quiche

This quiche will keep in the refrigerator for two to three days and is best covered with cling film or aluminium foil.