Day 9: Comfort Food

My in-laws Jim and Carolyn at Owen's school play in December.

Thank you to my mother and father-in-law for some last-minute help with a crazy Tuesday night schedule of swimming lessons, PTA, yoga, hockey, and a three-mile run. (Between the four of us, we managed to take care of the kids, too.)
In between all that, we shared a delicious, comforting meal that proves you don't ever have to miss meat - if you have cheese!

It takes some time (or advance prep work), but baking it in the oven for an hour while we rushed from school to homework to swimming worked out very well.

And although I rarely serve a new recipe to guests if I haven't tasted it, I lucked out with this one. It was really good and everyone liked it. (And when I say everyone, you can by now safely assume that Noah refused to partake. He had "boiling eggs" for dinner, his term for hard-boiled eggs; so cute I can't bear to correct him.)

Spinach Quiche

2-4 tbsp. butter (adjust amount to your preference)

3 cloves garlic, chopped, or 1 1/2 tsp. garlic puree in a jar

1 small onion, chopped

10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained*

4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained

6 oz. package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese

9 inch unbaked deep dish pie crust**

4 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 tsp. salt

fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter over medium heat and saute garlic and onion until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach and mushrooms, and season with a few grinds of pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust.

Whisk together eggs and milk, and stir in salt, 1/2 cup of the cheddar, and all the feta. Pour into the pastry shell and gently stir to make sure it combines. (It will seem like it is going to overflow.)

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center (mine took the full 55 minutes). Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

* I had some extra kale I wanted to use up, so I steamed it, chopped finely, and used that instead of the spinach. Swiss chard or any dark greens would work. Next time I might add some roasted red peppers too.

** I distrusted the recipe's directions to put the quiche filling in the shell unbaked. So I baked it half way first. The edges of my quiche were very dark brown, but not burned, and the crust cooked on the bottom, so it worked out. All depends on your risk tolerance, I guess.

We love you Jim and Carolyn, and we're so glad you live here!