Spinach and Feta Quiche with a Sweet Potato Crust

While searching for recipes for my upcoming vegetarian class at the University of Tennessee Community Cooking Classes, I found this one in the Cooking Light magazine, October 2016 issue.

The recipes was fairly simple with a small amount of prep and cooking time, important factors to consider when organizing a hands on class. There weren't too many ingredients and the only one I didn't have on hand was fresh spinach. Once the recipe was completed I knew I had the perfect one for class. The finished dish hit a home run on both eye appeal and taste. It was beautiful and delicious.

Sweet potatoes are thinly sliced into rounds and layered to make the crust. I used a mandolin to save time while yeilding precise cuts. If you are skilled with using a chef's knife that will work too or slice the potatoes in the food processor by using the slicing blade.

Onions are sauteed until translucent before adding the spinach which cooks down very quickly. Once that is layered on top of the potato crust the egg batter is added. The quiche is topped with feta and baked.

The students were proud of their final product so I decided to try it out on my family. It was the perfect side for our Easter dinner.

Total time: 70 minutes
Serves 8


Ingredients:

Cooking spray
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-in.-thick slices
1 teaspoon cooking oil, I use pure vegetable oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, peeled and sliced
1 (5-oz.) bag fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. Layer sweet potatoes in slightly overlapping concentric circles on bottom and up sides of plate, cutting slices in half to fit (rounded side up) around the sides.


Coat potatoes with cooking spray or lightly brush with vegetable oil. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until potatoes are slightly tender. Remove and place pan on a wire rack. Increase oven temperature to 375°F.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add oil and onion; saute 3 minutes.

Add spinach; saute 3 minutes or until the spinach cooks down. Remove from heat; cool.

Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (through egg whites) in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk.


Arrange spinach mixture in crust; pour egg mixture over spinach. Sprinkle with feta. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes or until egg mixture is set.

Let stand 5 minutes; cut into 8 wedges.

Per serving:
Calories 101
Fat 4.5g
Protein 7g
Carbohydrate 9g
Sugars 3g
Cholesterol 98mg
Sodium 198mg