How to Make Quiche Florentine (with Fresh Spinach & Cottage Cheese)
Makes: 8 Servings
Per Serving: 16g Protein | 246 Cal
I recently spent a few weeks in the South of France and while I was there, I had the opportunity to cook with a French chef and learn a bit more about all different kinds of French dishes! When I came home, I used the inspiration from that experience to make a high-protein version of one of my favorite things she made: quiche.
This seriously satisfying meal is packed with turkey bacon, eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, Gouda, cheddar cheese, spinach, and more. What’s even morer interesting is that she made it for DINNER - so you don’t have to only enjoy it in the mornings! It’s great for a meal prep recipe, weekend or holiday brunch, or refueling after a tough workout. Quiche is the perfect light meal any time of the day.
Each slice contains 16g of protein and is made with easy-to-find store-bought ingredients like pie crust, turkey bacon, cheese, spinach, and more. You’re going to absolutely love my take on this classic French dish!
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Spinach Quiche Recipe
Full of plenty of protein: Each slice of this quiche contains 16g of protein thanks to eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, and turkey bacon. It’ll help keep you full between meals.
Great for meal prepping: Because this quiche makes eight healthy slices and reheats really well, it’s a great recipe to add to your regular meal prep rotation. Plus, you can pair a slice of quiche with a side salad or other easy, nutritious dishes to round out your meal at any time of day.
Super easy to make: Even if you’ve never made a quiche before, this is an easy recipe to get right. There aren’t any fancy steps here. You’ll just blend the egg mixture, add the bacon, cheese, and spinach, and bake.
Creamy and indulgent, but still healthy: The cottage cheese adds so much creaminess to this quiche and the Gouda and parm make it feel a bit rich and indulgent, but with healthy additions like turkey bacon, egg whites, and spinach, it’s still a solid nutritional choice.
Ingredients
1 store-bought refrigerated or frozen pie crust (standard size pie shell, not deep dish - you could also make your own classic pie crust)
2 slices turkey bacon
3 whole large eggs
¾ cup liquid egg whites
1 cup 2% cottage cheese (don’t use fat-free—it won’t be as creamy)
¾ cup shredded lite cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
Dash of salt & pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
2 slices Gouda, torn or chopped
Handful of fresh spinach (baby spinach or mature spinach)
Instructions
Preheat the oven: Turn the oven on and preheat it to 350 degrees F.
Cook the turkey bacon: Cook the turkey bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from the pan and let cool. Crumble the bacon once it’s cooled to the touch.
Prep the pie crust: Let the store-bought crust sit at room temperature for a few minutes (about 10), then transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate (unless you purchased the kind of crust that’s already in a pan).
Blend the egg mixture: Add the eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese to a large bowl or blender. Use an immersion blender or high-speed blender to blend the mixture until smooth.
Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust: Pour the blended egg mixture into the prepared pie crust.
Add the turkey bacon, spinach, and cheese: Sprinkle the turkey bacon, spinach, and Gouda pieces evenly across the egg mixture in the pie dish. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese over the top of the quiche.
Bake the quiche: Place a clean baking sheet on the oven rack below the rack you’ll put the quiche on, in case anything spills. Transfer the quiche to the preheated oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the quiche is set and the top is golden brown. Make sure that you test with a knife to make sure that it comes out clean.
Let the quiche cool: Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool on the stovetop or a wire rack for about 10 minutes before slicing it. Serve it warm or chill it first in the fridge and serve cold. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information (Per Serving - Makes 8 Servings)
Calories: 246
Protein: 16g
Carbs: 10g
Fat: 15g
Swaps & Substitutions
If you don’t have Gouda: Try substituting mozzarella or Swiss cheese instead.
Add extra veggies: Consider sautéeing onions, mushrooms, zucchini, or whatever other seasonal veg you like best. Any of these would be a great addition to this recipe.
Make it crustless: If you don’t want to use pie dough in this recipe, try making a crust with thinly sliced sweet potato, shredded potato, or just skip a crust entirely and bake your quiche in a greased pie pan or muffin tin. You should also start checking for doneness sooner—it likely won’t take as long to bake without a crust.
Make it dairy-free: Use plant-based cheeses instead, but be aware that the macros won’t be the same!
Storage Tips
Store in the Fridge: Transfer leftover quiche to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Store in the Freezer: Wrap each slice of quiche individually in a layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
How to Reheat: If frozen, first thaw the quiche overnight in the fridge. Gently reheat in the microwave or heat in a 300 degree F oven until warmed through.
FAQs
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Absolutely! If you want to make a low-carb or gluten-free version of this quiche, you can make a crustless quiche instead. Add the quiche filling directly to a greased 9-inch pie dish or divide into greased muffin tins (or muffin tins lined with paper liners). You’ll want to start checking for doneness sooner because it won’t take as long for the quiche to bake fully without a crust.
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Other than the fact that cottage cheese adds a good boost of protein to the quiche filling, it’s sort of a stand-in for the heavy cream or whole milk used in other, more traditional quiche recipes. The blended cottage cheese is thick and creamy, so it works as a good replacement for those higher fat, higher calorie, and lower protein ingredients.
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Sure! Use an additional 3 whole eggs in place of the liquid egg whites. Just make sure you’re aware that this will change the calorie and fat content of the finished quiche.
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You definitely can! This quiche recipe is ideal for meal prepping or making ahead of time. Follow the recipe as it’s written, let the quiche cool completely, then wrap it tightly with a layer of aluminum foil and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can either reheat the quiche in the microwave or oven, or just serve it cold. It’s great either way!
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Instead of the Gouda, try mozzarella, Swiss, Havarti, Gruyère, or goat cheese.
This creamy, spinach and cheese quiche is high in protein, a great make-ahead dish, and super easy to customize however you’d like. Whether you’re upping your protein intake, looking for a healthy weekend brunch recipe, or just want something ready and waiting on busy mornings, this quiche recipe is flavorful and nutritious.
Quiche Florentine
If you’re looking for a healthy and high-protein twist on quiche florentine, you have to try this recipe. Easy to make and endlessly customizable, it’s great for meal prepping or a leisurely weekend brunch.
Ingredients
- 1 store-bought refrigerated or frozen pie crust (standard size pie shell, not deep dish - you could also make your own classic pie crust)
- 2 slices turkey bacon
- 3 whole large eggs
- ¾ cup liquid egg whites
- 1 cup 2% cottage cheese (don’t use fat-free—it won’t be as creamy)
- ¾ cup shredded lite cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- Dash of salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
- 2 slices Gouda, torn or chopped
- Handful of fresh spinach (baby spinach or mature spinach)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Turn the oven on and preheat it to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the turkey bacon: Cook the turkey bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from the pan and let cool. Crumble the bacon once it’s cooled to the touch.
- Prep the pie crust: Let the store-bought crust sit at room temperature for a few minutes (about 10), then transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate (unless you purchased the kind of crust that’s already in a pan).
- Blend the egg mixture: Add the eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese to a large bowl or blender. Use an immersion blender or high-speed blender to blend the mixture until smooth.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust: Pour the blended egg mixture into the prepared pie crust.
- Add the turkey bacon, spinach, and cheese: Sprinkle the turkey bacon, spinach, and Gouda pieces evenly across the egg mixture in the pie dish. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese over the top of the quiche.
- Bake the quiche: Place a clean baking sheet on the oven rack below the rack you’ll put the quiche on, in case anything spills. Transfer the quiche to the preheated oven and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the center of the quiche is set and the top is golden brown. Make sure that you test with a knife to make sure that it comes out clean.
- Let the quiche cool: Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool on the stovetop or a wire rack for about 10 minutes before slicing it. Serve it warm or chill it first in the fridge and serve cold. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
246Fat
15 gCarbs
10 gProtein
16 gNutrition info is based off of estimates. They are calculated by taking the ingredients in this recipe and dividing them by the number of servings.
