A lot of times people will come to me for advice about entertaining; or more specifically, what to serve when having guests over for dinner. And although my modus operandi is usually “Go big or go home,” when it comes to entertaining, I’ve learned the opposite is always the best way to go:

Keep things simple.

The host who keeps things simple has an arsenal of easy to prepare tried and true recipes in his or her back pocket that won’t break the bank, look (and taste) impressive, and will free the person hosting from the confines of the kitchen so that they can enjoy their guests.

A relaxed, comfortable host will result in a relaxed, comfortable dinner party and the best way to stay relaxed when entertaining is to have most of the work done ahead of time. Which brings me to today’s recipe for Spinach and Mushroom Quiche.

This easy to prepare vegetarian entrée is a savoury, cheesy delight that can be put together the day before your party and refrigerated; or made in larger batches and frozen. For the novice cook, it can be made using pre-prepared pie crust, but if you really want a flavour boost, use my recipe for making your own! Having my homemade savoury pie crust on hand over the holiday season will make you the star of just about any show – and will come in handy with some of the other recipes I plan to feature this year!

Please enjoy my easy to follow step by step video.

The recipe can be accessed below or visit the printable version here: Spinach and Mushroom Quiche.

Recipe link: http://mavensprintablerecipes.blogspot.ca/2013/11/spinach-and-mushroom-quiche.html

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust (use recipe below or press 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese into a ready made pie crust)
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 4-5 medium sized sliced button mushrooms
• 1 small diced shallot
• 1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
• salt and pepper taste
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 1 cup cooked, drained, chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup Gruyere cheese
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Saute the mushrooms and shallot in butter over medium high heat until shallot has caramelized and the mushrooms have browned. Add the salt, pepper, and thyme. De-glaze the pan with sherry, add the fresh thyme, and continue to saute until the liquid has reduced and the alcohol has burned off. Remove to a bowl and let sit app, five minutes until mushrooms have released their liquid.
2. Whisk the eggs, sour cream, and milk together and add the mushroom liquid to the egg mixture. Add the Gruyere cheese, salt, and pepper and whisk well to combine.
3.  Place the pie crust in a 9″ pie pan. Crimp the edges of the dough to form a decorative edge, if desired.
4. Spread the mushrooms and chopped spinach evenly in the pie shell and pour the egg mixture over the top.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and continue baking until the quiche is set and lightly browned about 35 minutes.
6. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

If making ahead and freezing: Cool to room temperature. Wrap tightly in Saran Wrap, foil, and store in a heavy duty freezer bag. Will keep up to three months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as per the instructions.

Pie Crust Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 1/12 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon lemon herb salt or kosher salt. Recipe for Lemon Herb Salt HERE
• 1 lb cold lard, or unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 extra large egg
• 1 cup ice cold water

Directions

1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle in the cheese and mix well with the flour and salt.
3. Cut in the lard or butter using a pastry cutter, a Kitchen aide or your fingers (I like to use my hands to make pastry) until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
4. Whisk the vinegar and egg in a liquid measuring cup and add enough ice water to make 1 cup. Mix the liquid into the crumbled flour, cheese, and butter mixture with a fork, Kitchen aide or your hands a little at a time until well combined and the dough is easy to work with. I always use the full amount of liquid.
5. Transfer to a clean work surface, and gently press to bring the dough together.
6. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts.
7. Shape each into a ball, flatten into a small round disc and wrap in plastic.
8. Chill for at least 1 hour before rolling out or place the wrapped discs in a freezer bag and freeze.
9. When ready to use, roll out disc on a lightly floured surface to 1/8″ thickness, place in a pie plate or cut to for tart shells and bake as per your recipe instructions.

This recipe will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. If frozen, thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator and then roll out as instructed above.

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