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These mini quiches are delicious. Crisp, flaky pastry cups brimming with spinach and artichokes set inside a creamy egg custard and accented by a perfect blend of cheddar and Parmesan. They’re everything we love about spinach artichoke dip—with the tantalizing addition of that flaky pie crust.
They’re also great for almost any occasion. You can prep a big batch on Sunday for week-morning breakfasts, or fill a platter for the snack table at your next game night. You can even serve them for a classy brunch. Morning, evening, and everywhere in between, they’ll be equally yummy.
Before we go any further, we need to talk about homemade pie crust.
That's right, I am absolutely suggesting that you make your own, from scratch.
Now, my goal is to provide recipes for delicious food that are accessible to everyone, regardless of previous kitchen experience. Why, then, am I recommending that home cooks learn to make it, when it is notoriously tricky and you can easily pick up a package of ready-to-roll pie crust from the store?
First, because homemade pie crust is delicious. It’s miles beyond anything you can buy in the freezer section. If you’re going to the trouble of making your own pie or quiche, why would you put an amazing filling in a substandard crust?
Second, because it’s incredibly versatile. Yes, here I’ve paired it with a savory quiche, but it’s equally great for a pecan pie or a fresh fruit gallette, or whatever fillings you like! Learn this one recipe, and you will unlock dozens of dessert and brunch possibilities.
Finally, because sometimes it’s good to challenge ourselves with something a little difficult, where we’re not one hundred percent sure of success the first time. So what if we fail? We can always try again. And when we finally succeed, the achievement will be that much more satisfying because we had to work at it.
Making flaky pie dough isn’t the easiest thing to perfect. I failed so many times at it, and I can’t promise that it’ll be perfect the first time you try. However, the recipe I’ve included below is the easiest method that I’ve tried so far, and it yields the most consistent results. With this recipe, I am confident that your pastry will turn out far better than my first attempts did.
I hope you’ll take on this extra challenge, because it is worth it. BUT if you’re short on time, or if your capacity for challenges is maxed out in other arenas of your life, don’t let that stop you from getting in the kitchen and making these quiches. Just pick up a roll-out crust from the freezer aisle. You won't get judgment from me!
Enjoy!
Anytime Spinach Artichoke Mini Quiche
(Makes 24)
For the flaky pastry crust:
8 oz unsalted butter, chilled (~1 cup, 2 sticks)
8 oz all-purpose flour 8 ounces (~2 cups)
1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ cup ice water
For the filling and assembly:
1 large bunch of spinach
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 14-ounce can of artichokes, drained and chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup fresh-grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup fresh-grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp tabasco hot sauce
1 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, divided
Special Equipment:
Rolling pin, 3-inch ring cutter, 2 standard 12-cup muffin tins
Method
For the flaky pie crust:
Slice the butter into cubes. In a bowl, toss together flour and salt until thoroughly mixed, then add in the butter. Working quickly, smash the butter cubes flat and toss in the flour so they are coated. Do not rub the butter into the flour too much or allow it to break up or melt; you want big chunks of butter.
Pour in the ice water and stir together with your hands until a shaggy dough forms, pulling away from the side of the bowl. Don’t knead. You should still see big chunks of butter in the mixture. Gather the dough together into a ball and transfer to a heavily floured board.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a long rectangle, then fold it in thirds like you would a business letter. Turn the dough 90 degrees so the short end is facing you, and roll out again. Repeat the folding.
(Feel free to add more flour to prevent sticking. If the butter begins to melt, transfer the dough to the refrigerator in a covered container until it is cold enough to continue working with without the butter melting.)
Roll out for a third time, this time into a wide circle about the thickness of a coin. Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut out circles. Fit each circle into the cup of the muffin tin, carefully smoothing the dough down to fit into the corners. Do not pull the dough—if you do it will tend to shrink back when it bakes—but allow it to relax into the muffin cup.
Cover the unbaked shells and refrigerate for at least one hour so the dough can rest.
(You can leave it in the refrigerator overnight, or even freeze it at this point until you’re ready to bake it. If you choose to freeze, though, make sure that you thaw the shells in the refrigerator before moving on to the next step.)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When you’re ready to bake, line the unbaked shells with cupcake liners or small pieces of foil and fill with rice or beans. Blind-bake the crust for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden. Remove the liners and pie weights and return to the oven for 10 minutes more.
Cool completely before adding the filling and finishing.
For the filling and assembly:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large skillet, saute the garlic in the oil at medium heat for 1 minute, until light brown. Add the chopped artichokes and ½ teaspoon salt and saute 3-4 minutes more, until all the water has been cooked out of the artichokes. Add the spinach and continue to cook for a few minutes, or until wilted.
In a bowl, lightly beat eggs, then add in milk and heavy cream, hot sauce, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
Layer spinach and artichokes into the bottom of the blind-baked tart case(s) and sprinkle an equal amount of the two cheeses over the top. Carefully pour egg custard into the tart shells up to the top.
Bake quiche(s) for 25 minutes, until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool complete in tins before removing.
Enjoy cold, warm, or at room temperature for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anytime in between.
Makes 24 mini quiche.
Originally posted March 13, 2020.
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