I like cheese but for the most part, I could take it or leave it.  This comment generally surprises anyone I tell this to who usually comes right back and says “I love cheese!” like I have something wrong with me.  Aside from Cheese Wiz with my soft pretzels or a slice of creamy American on my turkey burger, I didn’t really have a hankering for cheese.  Until smoked Gouda came along.  I can’t remember the first time I was introduced to this wonderful cheese but I do remember my friend Lori and I shielding the cheese table at a charity benefit a few years ago so that no one could get to the smoked Gouda without going through us first.  So it’s no wonder that this Spinach, Green Onion and Smoked Gouda Quiche recipe had me at hello.  I love me some spinach but without the smoked Gouda in this title, I might have otherwise passed it by.

Fresh baby spinach and scallions are sautéed until wilted and added to a mixture of low-fat mix, eggs, and shredded smoked Gouda.  Poured into a homemade, simple crust and baked until golden brown, this quiche is not the pretentious quiche you might have grown up hating.  This quiche is fresh and smoky, light and filling.  The crust itself requires some patience and the final product is pretty boring so next time I might just use a store-bought crust.  Either way, the smoky cheese and creamy texture of this quiche is the real winner and I’ve realized boring quiches needn’t be so boring after all.

The ingredients:

To prepare crust, place butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Combine milk, salt, and egg yolk in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add milk mixture to butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour; beat just until combined. Press mixture into a 4-inch circle on plastic wrap; cover. Chill for 1 hour.

Unwrap and place chilled dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 10-inch circle. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Freeze 15 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

To prepare filling, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add spinach; sauté 2 minutes.

Combine 1 cup milk and remaining ingredients in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Stir in spinach mixture. Pour filling into crust.

Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes. Cut into 10 wedges.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine