Lunch Pie Aka Quiche With Toulouse Sausage And Spinach Recipes

Steps:

• To make the crust, place the 1 1/4 cups of flour and salt in a food processor and pulse once to mix. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch pieces and scatter over the flour. Pulse until the mixture is somewhat crumbly. Add the water and pulse again until the mixture adheres when squeezed between your fingers. Gather the dough into a loose ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Press into a smooth disk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a round about 2 inches larger than a 9- to 10-inch tart pan. Transfer the round to the pan, easing it into the bottom and up the sides. Fold in any excess dough hanging above the top and press it against the pan so it adheres. Prick the crust all across the bottom with a fork.
• Bake until barely golden on the bottom and around the edges, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside, leaving the oven on.
• To make the filling, rinse the spinach and shake off the excess water, leaving the spinach slightly moist. Place in a microwave-safe bowl or in a sauté pan. Cover and place in the microwave oven, or cover and cook on the stove top over medium heat until wilted but still bright green, 1 to 2 minutes by either method. Let cool, squeeze out the remaining moisture, and set aside.
• Add just enough oil to a small sauté pan to film the bottom and place over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring to break up the clumps, until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and spread the sausage across the bottom of the partially baked crust.
• Combine the eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg, and cayenne in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk in the cheese and stir in the spinach. Pour the custard mixture into the crust.
• Bake until the filling puffs up and is golden on top and a fork inserted in the center comes out clean but still a little moist, about 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Bake pie shells for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the remaining ingredients.
• Pour the filling into the pie shells.
• Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set.

Steps:

• Cook sausage till browned, breaking it up as you go, drain on paper towels and set aside.
• Thaw spinach in microwave or if you are cooking fresh you will need almost double. I like the finely chopped that is in a box for 1.00.
• Get out your pie crusts and line the bottoms with half the spinach, and sausage each.
• In a larger bowl combine all of the cheese but a handful, the eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper.
• Pour half of the mixture into each shell and sprinkle the remaining handful of cheese over both.
• Bake at 350 about 40-45 minutes. You can do a toothpick test, try not to overbake, your eggs won't be as fluffy.
• if your pie crusts are browning too fast you can cover them in foil just not the whole pie, you want a pretty light golden top and the air to make it rise.
• Serve warm. You can make the pies the night before and bake in the morning or they do reheat well. If you are freezing let it cool completely then portion out and wrap each slice individually or wrap the whole thing and freeze.