August 19, 2009 by Stacy McDonald
Quiche Cordon Bleu (Bacon-Chicken Spinach Quiche)
As we seek to cook nutritious meals for our families, I think it’s important that we also try to create a meal time “experience.” Think about it. When was the last time you lit a candle at dinner time? What about setting up a special center piece or using pretty cloth napkins? This doesn’t have to be every day, but could we try, at least sometimes, to get a little creative in the kitchen? Watch your children’s eyes when they enter the kitchen and see candles sparkling or a special note or Scripture waiting on their plates at dinner.
God could have made all food taste the same, smell the same, and look the same. But He didn’t. He made all sorts of wonderful foods with different colors, textures, aromas, and tastes. Some foods are sweet and tickle our senses. Others are savory or spicy, creating a sense of adventure to a meal that needs a little kick. Some foods are sour or tart, creating a splash of fun to a fresh summer time meal. Other foods are smooth, and creamy – maybe even soothing. Our God is a creative God. And as His creation, let’s try to glorify Him at meal time by utilizing the wonderful gift of food in ways that bless others.
I’d like to find some ways to help make this easier for more people. I’ve found that making food ahead – food that freezes well – is a big help. The following recipe for Quiche Cordon Bleu freezes wonderfully. Our family used to make this in our tea room back in Texas. Now we get to make it for fun for family and guests alike! And if you’re avoiding white flour like we are, you can just leave out the crust. Personally, there are some things I’d just rather not use whole wheat flour with – I’d just prefer to forego the crust – and this is one of them.
I’m going to try to modify this recipe for the mini muffin pan (won’t that be great for a high protein breakfast for little ones?), but for now here is the recipe in its original, full sized form.
Quiche Cordon Bleu
1 C. sliced, good quality bacon (or turkey bacon), crumbled & crunchy
1 1/2 C. chopped, cooked, boneless, chicken breast
3 T. chopped green onion
3/4 C. white onion
3 C. Chopped Spinach
1 C. chopped mushrooms
Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning (or salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Cayenne)
Fresh chopped garlic
Chopped fresh basil
3 C. shredded Gouda cheese
3-9 inch pie shells (deep)*
Custard
1 1/2 C. heavy cream
3/4 C. milk
1 1/2 T. corn starch
6 free range eggs
Preheat to 400 degrees. Thaw pie shells. Poke with fork and bake for 10-11 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven and increase temperature to 425 degrees. Set pie shells aside.
Sauté onions first, then mushrooms and garlic. Add remaining vegetables in butter, olive oil, or bacon drippings. Stir in seasonings, herbs, cooked, chopped meats, and grated cheese and set aside.
Whisk eggs, cream, and milk together. Whisk in corn starch.
When pie crust is cooled, add meat mixtures evenly to pie shells; then pour custard mixture over all.
Cover the edges of pie crust with foil and bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes. Test for doneness, remove from oven, and let cool on wire rack.
*You can easily make this dish gluten free by omitting the crust or choosing/making a gluten free crust. If omitting, be sure to oil the pan well and simply pour the custard directly into the pie dish.
A good side dish with quiche is fruit. I like to let the younger girls put this one together all by themselves! I have them use one of those large, plastic lettuce knives (it’s more difficult to cut yourself with one of those) to cut up the fruit. And an apple slicer for the apples or pears.
Fruit Salad with Tropical Dressing:
Kiwi
Strawberries
Bananas
Blueberries
Apples or Pears
Fresh Pineapple
Clementines
(Really, you can use whatever fruit you like best!)
Tropical Dressing:
1/8 C. Agave Nectar
1/8 C. Coconut Oil (If it’s winter, and your coconut oil has turned solid, soften it in a glass under warm water until it becomes a liquid)
1/4 C. Lime Juice
1 tsp. real vanilla
(In the fall and winter we add a touch of cinnamon and cardamom)
Similar Posts:
11 Responses to “Quiche Cordon Bleu (Bacon-Chicken Spinach Quiche)”
Leave a Reply
Please note: Comment moderation is currently enabled so there will be a delay between when you post your comment and when it shows up. Patience is a virtue; there is no need to re-submit your comment.
THAT looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!
We go all out for Shabat on Friday evenings and always light candles, use Grt. Grandma's special china, and have a special dish. Sometimes the Littles surprise us with name tags they create as they are waiting to sit down.
It DOES make a difference!
We love it!
Great tips, and I hope we get to try this dish soon!
Mmmmmm….looks delicious! I love me a good quiche. I completely agree about making dinner time special. We sit as a family for dinner every day and on Sunday we have dinner in our dining room, complete with a nice tablecloth and candles just for a change of pace. I believe that sitting 'round the table as a family is so important for our children.
This is a recipe I think I could use especially since it freezes and I love to have homemade frozen things on hand. Do you cook it before you freeze it or after and if before how do you warm it up? Also, please share other ideas for making mealtime a celebration. Thanks so much, you are always helpful!
Yum! That looks sensational and perfect! I think I'll try the muffin tin recipe, without the crust…
Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing!
We eat dinner as a family every night and feel this is important. I try to cook as nutritiously as I can and still try to make food that is delicious and enjoyable. However, sometimes I feel frustrated as I spend time planning menus, making food and then we sit down and my daughter won't eat (she is picky) and I don't feel that my effort is appreciated. My husband is appreciative of all that I do at home, and he enjoys the food that I prepare but dinner time always feels rushed with an 8 month old and almost 4 year old (that won't eat anything)…forget enjoyable conversation, we spend the time gulping down our food and trying to get our daughter to eat..something…
anyway…have you ever been in this situation, any suggestions?
Mrs.McDonald,
This looks DELICIOUS!!! :)
Love & Blessings~ Miss Jen
P.S.
Yes… my little mini quiche
don't have much egg
in them… but this does~
http://blessedfemina.blogspot.com/2009/01/breakfast-in-kitchen.html
Your quiche sounds delicious! My daughter has a wheat/gluten allergy ~ so thank you for suggesting the gluten-free alternative. I think we will try it this week!!
Blessings to you and your family!! :)
I made this Sat. night for Sunday. It was delicious!! My mom asked for the recipe, my husband said it is a "do again", and my pickiest eater scraped her plate clean!! Thank you for sharing. I just have one question. How do you freeze it? Do you cook it for a little, all the way, or leave it raw?
Thank you,
Sara Mc from OK
This looks and sounds YUMMY!! Like some others, I'd like to know freezing instructions. This would be awesome to have on hand!
[...] fabulous quiche recipe is called ‘Quiche Cordon Bleu: Bacon-Chicken Spinach Quiche’. It will give you a perfect restaurant-quality custard filling every time. You can put in [...]
Hello, Stacy — This is the BEST quiche ever! I have made it several times since I found your recipe earlier this year. Many thanks for sharing it with us.
I even wrote it up on my blog and have linked to it here (crust recipe is a UK one, which I also make regularly)! (Not sure if you allow links, but it is the entry for July 4, 2010.)
I almost panicked when I saw you had a new site. The first thing I thought of was the link to the quiche recipe! (Phew!) It’s here!
God bless you and your family
Churchmouse
‘Churchmouse Campanologist’