Sausage and Spinach Quiche

Sausage and Spinach Quiche is the perfect main course for any special occasion brunch! Indulgently delicious, it's made with breakfast sausage, fresh spinach and herbs, rich feta cheese and creamy eggs baked to perfection in a flakey pie crust! Serve it with a platter of fruit and a simple salad for a complete brunch menu your guests will love!

Why We Love It!

• The Perfect Brunch! - Sausage and Spinach Quiche has been my go-to recipe for many a Mother's Day, Father's Day, holiday or baby shower brunch! It's super delicious, easy to make, and always a crowd pleaser!

• Quiche is so Versatile! - Quiche is a blank canvas, like pizza or pasta. You can make it any way you like! Sausage, spinach and feta is a delicious combination as is, but also easy to customize!  Easily sub bacon or ham for the sausage or leave it vegetarian with extra veggies.  Sub Swiss chard, or red bell pepper for the spinach and use any cheese you like. 

• Makes a Great Dinner or Meal Prep for Lunch too! - Sure the pie crust makes it rich and decedent, but quiche is also pretty well rounded! It's a nice balance of meat, veggies, and cheese, and it's high in protein with lots of eggs. It makes a great weeknight dinner with a quick salad. You can also meal prep a quiche to reheat for lunches all week!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Breakfast Sausage - I like to use bulk pork breakfast sausage for this recipe. You only need a half pound, so if you buy a package, save the other half for a pizza topping or for this Asparagus Ravioli! You can also use bulk sweet or mild Italian sausage or substitute chopped ham or bacon. Whatever meat you choose must be fully cooked before being baked into the quiche.

• Onion - This just adds a bit of caramelized flavor when cooked along with the sausage. You could substitute red bell pepper, leeks, or scallions.

• Pie Crust - If you're feeling ambitious, go ahead and make a homemade crust! But, a store-bought or frozen pie crust will work just fine and makes this a quick and easy recipe to prepare! 

• Fresh Spinach and Parsley - The fresh greens in this recipe don't need to be sautéd, they simply cook right into the baking eggs. You can also substitute Swiss chard or kale, but since they are a little tougher, throw them in to saute a bit as the sausage and onion are finishing cooking. You could use other herbs instead of parsley if you want a stronger flavor, such as thyme, basil, oregano or sage.

• Feta Cheese - Feta cheese, when baked into eggs, is incredibly creamy and delicious! You could also substitute goat cheese, or even Parmesan or shredded white cheddar.

• Eggs - I always recommend organic eggs from happy local chickens. They lay the most nutrient packed eggs.

• Half & Half or Whole Milk - It's just a half cup, but deciding whether to use whole milk, half & half, or even heavy cream will give you a slightly different amount of velvety richness.

• Salt & Pepper - Eggs need flavor! Just a bit of salt and pepper enhances the flavor in all ingredients.

Instructions

Begin by pre-baking the pie crust for 8 minutes. This ensures it will be done at the same time as the filling. While that bakes, precook your sausage and onions in a skillet until fully browned. Add the sausage and onions to the par-baked pie crust, then evenly sprinkle in the spinach, parsley and feta.

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, salt and pepper and pour into the pie shell. Even it out with a spatula. Bake the sausage and spinach quiche for 35 to 40 minutes until the egg is just set. Begin checking on it after 30 minutes, do not over bake. Let sit a bit before slicing.

A Brunch Menu - Side Dishes for Quiche

I have hosted many brunches over the years.  Many together with my mom, and we always make the food our top priority!  A baby shower, Mother's Day, or any special occasion served before noon, when deciding what to serve with quiche, we always fall back on some variation of this basic brunch menu: an egg dish, a fruit, a salad, and something sweet!

• The Main Course - Spinach Sausage Feta Quiche might be my favorite brunch anchor, but you could also do a French Toast Bake for an easy make ahead meal!

• A Fruit - Check out How to Make A Simple Fruit Platter, and serve your fruit like a pro! I sometimes like to add small bowls of yogurt and Homemade Granola to a platter of fruit.

• A Salad - For a winter brunch, this Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with pomegranate seeds is stunningly beautiful! If pomegranates are out of season, you can substitute fresh raspberries or blueberries. In the spring try this Asparagus Goat Cheese Salad.

• A Sweet Treat - Add something sweet to balance all that savory! We love Morning Glory Muffins, or Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins! If the season is right, you can end a brunch with Berry Rhubarb Crisp for dessert!

Storage and Reheating

• Storage - Store leftover quiche covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Extra quiche can also be frozen. Consider cutting it in individual wedges so you can pull out just what you need. Wrap it well, with plastic wrap and then either aluminum foil or tied up in a reused bread or bun bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.

• Reheating - There are different ways to reheat quiche. The quickest is a zap in the microwave. You can also thaw it overnight in the fridge, or bake it in the oven directly from frozen. Bake at 350° until warmed through.

Tips

• Make Sure Meat is Fully Cooked - Whether you are adding sausage or substituting ham or bacon, the meat must be fully cooked before adding it to the quiche. It will not finish cooking while the quiche bakes. Fully brown sausage in a skillet, or bake bacon on a sheet pan in the oven or in a skillet. If you are using leftover holiday ham that is already cooked, it can be added directly to the pie crust or given a quick saute with the onion or any other vegetables.

• Don't Over Bake - A quiche needs to be baked until the eggs are just set, so they stay light and fluffy. Ovens vary, so set your timer for 30 to 35 minutes before checking the quiche, then do a few more minutes until it's done. You can insert a knife to check that it comes out clean.

• Putting Together A Brunch Menu - Hosting a large brunch can be a lot of work, so consider what you can make ahead or ask someone to bring! A platter of fruit and a salad can be made the morning of and kept in the fridge. Muffins can be made the day before, or ask a guest to bring a dessert. That just leaves you the quiche to bake fresh. If you want to get a head start, use a store bought pie crust, and you can even brown the sausage and onion a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Then all you need to do is assemble the ingredients in the pie crust and bake it as your guests are arriving!

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