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Egg casseroles are a Midwestern staple, usually heavy on cubed bread and cheese. So what’s the reason for their popularity? Well, they’re quick and easy to mix up and always a hit at brunch. Who wouldn’t love the combination of those two things?
Growing up, I would’ve thought a quiche was fancy… or at least sounded fancy. And we all know that the fanciness of a name determines its level of difficulty, right? As I grew into adulthood, I realized that most dishes I thought of as elevated were really just the original dishes that these beloved Midwest staples were derived from. So it turns out that egg casseroles are really a quiche’s estranged cousin.
Casseroles are delicious and have their place, but can easily lose their true flavor with the overpowering addition of heavy ingredients such as bread and cheese. A quiche, with a simple crust, can let the right ingredients shine through and is truly no more effort than a throw-together casserole.
The crust of a quiche can be as simple as your favorite pie crust or as complex as a laminated croissant dough. I chose a take on pie crust, but with the addition of cream cheese. Cream cheese in pastry dough helps to make it foolproof. The crust becomes sturdier and more forgiving when rolling out. If the dough cracks or splits, the added fat from the cream cheese makes it easy to push back together while still giving that flaky finish.
A quiche traditionally has a custard filling made with eggs and cream. To bolster that, cream cheese again provides a behind-the-scenes starring role. French quiches often have crème fraîche added, giving it a rich and smooth outcome. Since crème fraîche is not as easy to purchase, cream cheese offers much of the same richness with a hint of tang to offset the added fat.
The add-ins for a quiche can be adjusted to suit any personal preference. My recipe has some of my favorites:
- Sweet potato adds sweetness without too much heaviness and blends well with bacon.
- Leeks are my go-to with eggs. As opposed to most onions, leeks have a softer onion-like flavor that isn’t as astringent.
- No cheese is necessary since the cream and cream cheese provide all the needed creaminess.
The finished quiche is rich and light at the same time. After you try this, you’ll agree that it’s the perfect breakfast, brunch, or lunch.
Watch how to make this sweet potato quiche
Spinach, Bacon & Sweet Potato Quiche
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 oz cream cheese cold and cut into four pieces
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter cold and cut into tbsp-size pieces
- 5-7 tbsp ice-cold water
For the filling
- 1 leek cut in half lengthwise and sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ lb sweet potato cut into ⅛- to ¼-inch pieces
- ¾ cup frozen spinach thawed
- 5 slices bacon cooked and chopped
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the crust
- In a food processor, combine the flour, salt, cream cheese, and butter. Pulse until the cream cheese and butter are combined with the flour and become the size of a pea or smaller.
- While pulsing the processor, slowly add water until the dough just begins to hold together.
- On a lightly floured surface, work the dough into a disk, kneading lightly. Roll into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a pie dish. Roll excess dough under and crimp edges. Freeze shell 20 minutes or up to one month if wrapped in an airtight container.
- To prebake crust, preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with parchment and fill to the top with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are set and golden, 12-15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights and continue baking until the bottom of the crust is dry and golden, an additional 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to make the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
For the filling
- Over medium heat, sauté leek with salt and pepper in 1 tablespoon oil until translucent, 2 minutes. Add finely diced sweet potato and sauté until just tender, 10-12 minutes. Add the frozen spinach and cook off any moisture, 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add room temperature cream cheese and bacon. Stir until the cream cheese melts into the mixture then set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk together and stir in the sautéed items mixed with cream cheese. Pour into prebaked crust.
- Bake until the edges of the filling are set and the center jiggles slightly, 20-28 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
Hi Kaleb,
Happy New Year to you.
This looks yummy and I’m keen to give this a try.
Could the flour, butter and cream cheese be mixed in a stand mixer instead as I don’t have a food processor?
Also, just a suggestion but it would greatly help your international readers if you included metric measurements as well?
Although I made changes (more veggies, no bacon) my husband, of well over 40 years, said it was my best quiche ever!
Thanks 😊
Absolutely one of the best quiches I’ve had! I love leeks but did not feel like going to the store. Onions worked well. My husband, who’s a better cook than me, and I have made many of your recipes. We thank you!
Absolutely wonderful!
Hi Kaleb. I made this but I was short ingredients so I used onions and chard. I forgot to sauté the sweet potatoes first! I also made it crustless (yikes). It was very good but Ill plan better next time so my ingredients will duplicate yours. It was yummy.
My husband and I look forward to seeing what you video and have tried many of your recipes. Thanks so much for being so awesome, big fan and follower. Being homebound during Covid and loving to cook we enjoy trying the new recipes and the homestyle cooking. The grandkids are loving tallthe treats as well coming from Grampa dn Nana Bears kitchen. Thank you Kaleb for being a breath of fresh air so to speak.
ou should have your own show!!!!
I love you and your recipes and all the wise/Wyse advice you have on just about everything.
I love to cook but I am having difficulty with baking. I always did but even more so now that I am gluten and cow dairy intolerant.
I would love a pie crust recipe and anything else you might teach me.
Loved this quiche recipe! I made the pie crust and froze it back in January, and today I made the quiche. It was delicious! Thank you, Kaleb for another great recipe!!
First time I baked the pie shell, can’t wait to see how it turns out ,with filling in it ,my filling is different .
Loved this! Had to use a frozen pie crust…weeknight. Loved the quiche! Added a little cheddar but was WONDERFUL!
I made this last night for my hubby as he loves sweet potatoes. The dough came together very quickly, mine got a little bit too wet, but I just added a bit more flour to my counter. What a beautiful, forgiving, soft dough to work with! My hubby loved it! ‘This has all my favourite things in it!’
Karen
Vancouver Island, BC
Hi Kaleb: My family loves your Spinach, Bacon, and Sweet Potato Quiche recipe. I make it all the time. When delicata squash are in season, I use that instead of the sweet potato. It is delicious. Sometimes, I add a little grated swiss cheese, also. This is our favorite quiche. Thank you so much for sharing this and all of your other recipes. I haven’t tried one yet that we don’t like.