Spinach and Sausage Quiche with a Whole Wheat Crust

Yield: 6

Author: Beth Richey, MS, RDN

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Sausage and Spinach Quiche with a Whole Wheat Crust

This is a classic dish that is versatile for any meal and freezes well.Busy Day Shortcuts: - Replace this crust with a favorite store bought crust or a simple store bought hash brown tossed with 1 Tbsp. corn starch and pressed into a lightly oiled pie pan.- Replace the fresh turkey sausage here with a favorite store bought turkey sausage or ham.

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 5.5 Tbsp. oil of your choice (olive, canola, avocado, etc)
• 3/4 tsp. salt (iodized table salt)

Filling

• 10 oz frozen spinach
• 3/4 lb. ground turkey (93% lean). Tip: cook up the whole pound with the seasoning as measured below. Use the leftover 1/4 lb in a quick lunch or dinner later.
• 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp onion powder or dehydrated minced.
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese (Gruyere or sharp cheddar)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup liquid egg white
• 1/4 cup half and half or light cream

Instructions

Preparing the crust

1. Pre-heat your oven to bake at 400 degrees
2. In a medium size mixing bowl add the flours and salt.
3. Mix with your hand until the dough looks like clumpy sand.
4. Add the water and gently knead just until all the flour is incorporated. The dough will be crumbly, so don't worry if it does not come together into a uniform ball. Also, be sure to not overwork your dough, it will become tough.
5. Press the dough into your pie pan with your fingers or the flat bottom of a glass.
6. Par-bake your dough by gently pressing a sheet of aluminum foil over the dough. Fill the pie pan with dry beans or pie weights.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Preparing the filling and baking.

1. While the crust is par-baking place the frozen spinach in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 3-4 minutes to defrost.
2. While the spinach is defrosting brown your ground turkey. Add the pound of ground turkey to a 10-12" skillet. Add the spices and cook, breaking up the meat frequently to make small, bite sized, pieces. Cook until you don't see any pink, ~4 minutes.
3. In a small mixing bowl add the egg whites, whole eggs and light cream.
4. Remove the pie crust from the oven.
5. Remove the spinach from the microwave. With two hands, squeeze out any excess water and then sprinkle the spinach into the bottom of the pie crust until there is an even layer.
6. Add 3/4 of the pound of ground turkey mixture to the top of the spinach.
7. Now, sprinkle the cheese on the top of the spinach.
8. Lastly, pour the egg mixture evenly over the meat, cheese and spinach.
9. With a fork, gently poke and wiggle the filling to let all the egg mixture flow evenly into the mixture. Be sure not to poke down into the dough.
10. Place the quiche back into the oven. You may want to place a baking sheet under the pie pan if you are afraid it will overflow.
11. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the center is set. The center should feel almost as firm as the outside edge when poked with a finger.
12. Let the pie cook for ~15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

This dish will remain fresh for 5 days when stored in an airtight container and refrigerated at 35-40 degrees in the fridge.