Spinach Pie

This is an absolutely amazing recipe. I mean really, how can it ever be wrong to combine cheese and bacon and spinach? It's reasonable if you're watching your calories (so long as you don't eat half of it in one sitting), and it reheats well for lunch leftovers. I got this recipe from my mom. It's one she's been making for more than 20 years. She clipped it out of a newspaper or magazine, and what I have it a copy of that, so unfortunately, I can't provide proper credit. I think it's probably a Philadelphia Cream Cheese recipe, but I'm not sure. I tweak mine just a little from the original, so I'll give you the straight recipe and then tell you what I did different.

1 9-inch pastry pie shell

1 pkg 8 oz cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup milk (I use 2%)

1 pkg 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained

1 cup (4 oz) shredded natural Swiss cheese 

3 eggs, beaten

6 crisply cooked bacon slices, crumbled (I used 8-9 slices)

2 tsp chopped onions (I used about a 1/4-1/3 cup)

1/4 tsp salt

dash of pepper

Prick bottom and sides of pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Combine cream cheese and milk in saucepan, and stir over low heat until smooth.

In large bowl, beat eggs. Gradually add cream cheese mixture to eggs, and mix well until blended. 

Add remaining ingredients, and mix well. 

Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until set. If your pie crust edge gets too well done too quickly, a trick you can use is to wrap the edge of the pie with aluminum foil for about 3/4 of the cook time. I left mine on for about 25-30 minutes before I removed it.

Divide the pie and enjoy!!!

The recipe calls for 8 servings, but frankly, that's just enough to tease you. I entered the recipe for the below calorie count for 6 servings.

Quiche Lorraine

I think quiche is one of the most amazing recipe ideas ever. How can you ever go wrong with a pastry pie shell, cheese, eggs, and bacon or some other type of meat. I've got another recipe for a "spinach pie," but we will save that one for another day. Today is for Quiche Lorraine. I found this recipe while searching Pinterest one night, and this was the second time I made it. Here's the link to the original blog post: Quiche Lorraine with Bacon. The first time was pretty tasty, but I decided to add onion and black pepper to it, and this time it was awesome! Next time I make it, I'm going to give myself enough time to make the pie crust from scratch. I think that will take this whole meal up another notch or two.

1/2 pound bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled (about 8 slices or so)

2 cups Swiss cheese, grated

2 Tbsp flour

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 small diced onion

dash cayenne

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell

Toss the Swiss cheese and flour in a large bowl.

And here, I diverged from the original recipe greatly. To the Swiss cheese/flour, add the bacon, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, onion and cayenne. Mix well. Pour in pastry shell.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes, or until set. Here's a tip for you... I was having problems with the edges of my pie crusts getting too dark and overcooked before the pie is even set. If you take aluminum foil and wrap it over the edge of the crust and remove it about the 40 minute mark it will give you the nice golden color.