Tag Archives: spinach artichoke dip

Spinach Artichoke Quiche

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Spinach Artichoke dip is one of the greatest food inventions. Ever. Period.

However, it can’t be consumed in large quantities. Or with great frequency.

Especially not when your waistline is still recovering from the croissants and the crepes and the baguettes from your trip to Paris.

With Paris still on my mind, I started thinking about the fantastic foods we ate and I landed on quiche. My fiance’s cousin made an absolutely fantastic traditional quiche lorraine for us while we were there, loaded with cream and cheese and ham and a buttery crust. I knew my tummy couldn’t handle quite the same flavor bomb, but I thought I could lighten it up and mash it up with spinach artichoke dip.

And that’s how spinach artichoke quiche came to be.

This quiche doesn’t have a crust, which helps eliminate loads of calories right there, and is jam packed with spinach and artichokes, so the filling is more veggie than egg and cheese.

For this recipe you will need:

  • 1 bag of spinach
  • 1 can of artichoke hearts, drained
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 4 eggs
  • grated gruyere (I leave the amount to you)
  • parmesan cheese (again, I will never limit your cheese intake)

Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly butter a 9 inch pie pan.

In a large skillet, drizzle some olive oil and sautee the spinach and the artichokes. I just broke up the artichoke hearts into chunks with my hands. You can chop nicely if you wish.

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When the spinach is nice and wilted, season with salt and pepper and then transfer the mixture to the pie pan.

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In a large bowl, crack four eggs and toss in the gruyere and the parmesan cheese.

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Using a fork, stir to combine.

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Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the spinach and artichokes and add a sprinkling of parmesan to the top.

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Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the eggs are set.

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Slice it up and enjoy the mash-up of a quick Parisian meal with your favorite bar snack.

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Spinach Artichoke Mac and Cheese

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Today starts the one year countdown to the wedding.

I’m not that anxious to get married. I’m more one of those people that likes to mark things. Birthdays, first kiss, anniversary. These are causes for, as my friend Emily says, overcelebration.

So as we’re hitting the one year til we’re married mark, I’m thinking about where we started.

We actually met in October (part of the reason for the wedding being in October), and at the time neither of us were interested in dating.

I thought he was cute. He thought I was cute. We had some things in common. So we’d meet for drinks. Or we’d get Chipotle and hang out.

One of the first more real dates we went on involved beer and spinach artichoke dip. At that point, he shoulda known I was a keeper. No fancy dinners and wine for me. Nope. No thanks. I’ll take bar food at an Irish pub over cloth napkins and china any day.

So, thinking about that night had me thinking about a special dinner. Nothing fancy, but something that was reminiscent of that night in the bar over two years ago.

And so, spinach artichoke mac and cheese was born.

You will need:

  • Spinach
  • artichoke hearts (canned or jarred or frozen)
  • garlic
  • pasta
  • milk
  • fontina

In a large frying pan, sautee spinach. You can use olive oil. Or, if you are using artichokes packed in oil like I am, you can use the oil the artichokes are in for some extra flavor. Also, boil water and cook pasta (I’m using bow ties but you can use whatever shape you like) according to package directions.

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When the spinach is wilted down, add in the artichoke hearts and two cloves of garlic, minced.

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When the spinach is wilted and the artichokes are warmed, empty the mixture into a buttered baking dish.

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At this time, the pasta should be done. Drain the pasta.

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In the same frying pan you sauteed the spinach and artichokes in, pour in one cup of milk and some cubed fontina cheese.

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Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts.

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Dump the pasta into the cheese mixture and stir.

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Next, add the pasta cheese mix to the spinach and artichokes in the baking dish and stir.

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If you want to, add a sprinkle of parmesan over the top. You can add breadcrumbs too if you like. I just did cheese.

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Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

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Pour some beers and gaze at each other across the table, remembering the butterflies he gave you that night and the butterflies he still gives you tonight.