Spinach Pie

An Americanized version of the classic, savory, French tart known as quiche, this spinach pie will be a welcome addition to your next brunch, luncheon, or dinner. It’s creamy and cheesy with enough spinach to balance out the rich, egg custard. The flakey, buttery crust brings it in for the win. This savory spinach pie will be on your go-to brunch recipes shortlist. The biggest surprise is how easily this recipe comes together. You can use frozen spinach and a premade pie shell for maximum convenience so your family can enjoy spinach pie for a weeknight dinner. On second thought—the biggest surprise will be how quickly this pie gets devoured.

Ingredients for Savory Spinach Pie

• Butter: For sautéing the onions, butter creates a delectable aroma and sweet, creamy flavor.
• Onion: Diced onion adds a boost of savory flavor to the spinach and cuts through the rich custard. Sweet yellow onions are a good type of onions for this spinach pie.
• Frozen spinach: Thawed and drained frozen spinach makes the prep work a cinch. Frozen chopped spinach also has a great texture and fantastic green flavor. Use a colander to drain as much liquid from the thawed spinach as possible before adding it to the egg mixture. You can sub-in fresh spinach, but you’ll need a good eight cups.
• Nutmeg: Ground nutmeg adds a warm and subtle nutty flavor while adding balance to the richness of the custard.
• Cottage cheese: The not-so-secret ingredient in this spinach pie is cottage cheese, which imparts a creamy, light and fluffy texture to texture to the body of the egg custard. The subtle flavor of cottage cheese allows the savory spinach filling to take center stage.
• Cream: Unlike traditional quiche that typically calls for heavy cream, half and half works very well in this pie.
• Parmesan cheese: The hard, salty, nutty and tangy Italian cheese is the ultimate flavor boost that puts “savory” in the title of this recipe.
• Eggs: Three lightly beaten large eggs are the base ingredient for making the custard filling for this spinach pie.
• Pastry shell: A store-bought pie crust or premade pastry shell makes this recipe come together quickly for a weeknight dinner or impromptu luncheon. However, if you have the time, a flakey homemade pie crust will take this recipe to the next level.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the spinach

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In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the diced onions and sauté until they become translucent. Remove the skillet from the heat and mix in the spinach, salt and nutmeg.

Step 2: Make the custard

Julia Hartbeck for Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, add the cottage cheese, cream, Parmesan and beaten eggs, stirring to combine. Add the spinach and onion mixture, stirring to incorporate. Pour the filling into the pastry shell.

Step 3: Bake the savory spinach pie

Julia Hartbeck for Taste of Home

Place the pie into the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pie from the oven and let it stand for five minutes before slicing.

Julia Hartbeck for Taste of Home

Savory Spinach Pie Variations

• Make more veggies: Try adding sautéed mushrooms to the pie for some umami flavor. Other veggie options that pair well with spinach include artichokes, roasted red peppers and sun-dried tomatoes.
• Make it meaty:  To bump up the savory profile of this spinach pie, add some cooked bacon, which is a traditional ingredient in quiche Lorraine. Smoke ham and pork sausage are also fantastic options.
• Make it Italian: Give this spinach pie some flavors of Italy by adding a layer of sliced soppressata, capicola, mortadella or prosciutto. Top it off with some chopped fresh basil.

How to Store Savory Spinach Pie

Place any leftover pie in sealed airtight containers and refrigerate for three to four days. To reheat, place the leftover pie in a 350º oven for 15-30 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165º.

Can spinach pie be frozen?

Definitely. This spinach pie is a terrific candidate for doubling the recipe to eat one and freeze one. Let the pie cool completely, then wrap it in plastic, followed by aluminum foil, and place it in the freezer for up to three months. Gradually thaw the frozen pie in the refrigerator overnight and reheat as directed.

Spinach Pie Tips

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Can this pie be made gluten-free?

What can I serve with savory spinach pie?

This pie works very well with a simple garden salad for a crispy, fresh counterbalance to the rich and creamy pie. A hot bowl of tangy tomato soup is another delicious pairing option.

How can I keep this spinach pie from getting watery?

Spinach is made up primarily of water, so removing as much of it as possible before incorporating it into this recipe is important. Make sure to squeeze it before removing it from the colander. If the spinach still looks watery after mixing with the onions, put the skillet back on the heat for a couple of minutes. Cook the spinach, stirring until the moisture is removed.