Mushroom crust quiche with asparagus and spinach
Spring in San Francisco can be so lovely. April typically marks the end of rainy season and promises several sunny days before the dreaded long, foggy stretch of June gloom sets in. To celebrate, I’ve been cooking all the spring things, starting with this mushroom crust quiche.
Hands down my favorite and most treasured recipe from college, this quiche has been my go-to through the years for make-ahead breakfasts, potluck luches or brunch with friends. It’s killer. Rich, silky, cheesy and full of flavor, the pan roasted mushroom crust gives the whole thing a punch of umami that you can’t get from sliced mushrooms baked into the custard alone.
This is one of those recipes that was passed down in a word document via email (typos and all). I now know it by heart and have made a million different iterations, including using flax seed instead of breadcrumbs in the crust to make it completely grain free. (Let me know if you want that recipe!). Dakota, one of my besties, is the person I have to thank for it. You can thank her too, after you make it.
COOKING NOTES
You can make this in a pie shell or, better yet, in a cast iron skillet for minimal cleanup. To make the mushroom crust, you need to chop your mushrooms really, really finely. The easiest way to do this is to pulse sliced mushrooms in a food processor. You can totally just chop up the mushrooms by hand, it’ll just take you a bit longer. If you want to make this lower in fat, you can substitute the heavy cream for an equal amount of milk. But I warn you: It won’t be nearly as creamy or delicious this way.
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
For the crust
¼ cup butter
2 cups (about 8 ounces) Crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
½ cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
For the custard
1 tablespoon olive oil
Small bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup whole milk
2 cups spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup grated mozzarella (or any melty cheese, really)
¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
A pinch of ground cayenne pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat the oven to 400°F.
In a saucepan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, warm the butter until melted. Add the finely chopped mushrooms and sauté until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, oregano and thyme.
Press the mixture into a quiche dish or evenly press into the cast iron pan, if using. Set it aside while you prepare the quiche.
Lay the asparagus out evenly on a roasting pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the asparagus until just crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove and lower the oven heat to 350°F.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the eggs, cream and milk. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Pour the quiche mixture into the mushroom crust. Top with the roasted asparagus. Transfer the entire thing to the oven and bake until set, 30 to 35 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when it’s no longer jiggly and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Let it sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into it. Serve and enjoy!