Gluten Free Ham, Spinach, and Swiss Quiche Recipe

Day 5:
Hi, my name is Rachel and I have an addiction to eggs (and tea but that has nothing to do with tonight's post).  I would eat breakfast for dinner almost every night if I could.   My dear husband thinks it's weird to have breakfast for dinner.  Sigh.  Sometimes I say, "Too bad, I'm the one making dinner every night, so I get to choose and we're having pancakes (or other breakfasty goodness)."

That being said, I love making food for people that they enjoy.  There's probably something psychologically wrong with me but it's how I show love.  So since the hubs doesn't like breakfast for dinner I rarely make it.

I am however able to sneak in quiche!  Its connotations suggest dinner but let's face it, it's breakfast in a pie crust!  So on the eve of our 9th wedding anniversary we have a marriage of breakfast and dinner.  Best of both worlds!

The Ingredients:

• 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
• 5 large fresh eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped or 1/2 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup diced ham
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

The Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Place pie crust in pie plate, crimp edge
2. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
3. Spread spinach in the bottom of the crust.  
4. Pour egg mixture over spinach and sprinkle with ham.
5. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350.  Bake 25-35 minutes until filling is puffed and crust is browned.  (note:  I'm at 4500 ft so cook times are weird for me sometimes.  The original recipe says to reduce heat to 325 and cook for 20 mins but that has never worked for me and it's taken over an hour when I do it that way).
7. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Variations:  Plenty of ways to change this up, generally I use this as a no-fail base.  Originally the recipe I adapted it from was vegetarian and did not have any ham in it.  A few ways to change this recipe:

• use a different meat like sausage or bacon, be sure to pre-cook it before adding it to your quiche.
• add in extra veggies:  mushrooms, summer squash, onion, diced tomatoes, black beans
• switch up the cheese or use a variety.  I like to add in some pepper jack to kick it up a bit.
• add spices to your egg mixture.  I tend to add some ground mustard (about 1 tsp).  

Inspiration:  This recipe is adapted from Recipe.com magazine, Fall 2011, p. 34.