Servings: 8 Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes (+ 1-2 hours extra if making quiche crust from scratch)
Nutrition Highlights:
Protein for Muscle Health: Eggs, turkey bacon, and cheddar cheese provide protein to support muscle maintenance, tissue repair, and recovery.
Beta-Carotene for Eye Health: Butternut squash is rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that the body converts into vitamin A to support healthy vision and immune function.
Choline for Brain Health: Eggs are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient involved in memory, nervous system function, and brain health.
Iron for Oxygen Transport: Spinach provides plant-based (non-heme) iron, which supports red blood cell production and oxygen transport throughout the body.
Balanced Meal Prep: Quiche is a fantastic meal prep option because it freezes and reheats extremely well. To make as a meal prep, cut the quiche into 8 portions, wrap each portion in tinfoil, and refrigerate for 10 days or freeze up to 3 months. Enjoy as a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Leeks, squash, and spinach after sauteeing.
Ingredients:
1 (9-inch) pie crust - homemade or store-bought.
8 oz (227 g) Turkey Bacon
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium-size butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes. Alternatively, you can use pre-cut squash. You will need about 2-3 cups total.
1 leek, sliced
3 cups raw spinach
6 whole eggs
1 cup 2% Milk
2 cups reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded (using reduced fat cheese lowers the saturated fat content while still providing lots of flavor!)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Sprinkle of parmesan cheese (optional, but will help create a nice golden color on the quiche)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F.
If using a raw pie crust, partially blind bake for 10 minutes (this will help the bottom of the pie crust to cook thoroughly and prevent a soggy crust).
Keeping the oven at 400°F, cook the turkey bacon 15-20 minutes until crispy. Remove and chop into small pieces.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, add the cubed butternut squash and sauté about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the leeks and sauté another 5 minutes. Lastly, add the spinach and sauté 2-3 minutes until the spinach has just started to wilt. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
Add the butternut squash, leeks, and spinach to the egg mixture. Then add the chopped bacon and cheddar cheese. Stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into your pie crust and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until eggs are set.
Cool at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before enjoying.
This quiche saves very well! Save in the fridge for up to 10 days, or freeze. To freeze, I recommend slicing into the quiche into 8 pieces and wrapping each individual piece in tinfoil before freezing. Reheat in the oven, microwave, or airfryer.
Quiche crust after partially blind baking at 400°F. for 10 minutes
The assembled quiche before baking
MindFuel Tips:
Use any type of greens you want - kale, arugula and chard are all great options!
Pumpkin is a great substitute for butternut squash and is also high in beta-carotene.