Chicken Spinach Quiche

Chicken Spinach Quiche is a delicious way to use leftover chicken. Especially using leftovers from the Spiced Roast Chicken recipe. Chicken Spinach Quiche is an easy chicken recipes that is a delicious choice for a brunch or for dinner. This recipe for chicken using leftover chicken may look difficult, but it's not.

For the pastry:

• 1 1/2 c.flour
• dash of salt
• dash of sugar
• 7 tbsp. chilled butter, cut up
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. ice wated

For the filling:

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 3 leeks, white part only, sliced
• 1 lb. spinach, rinsed, stemmed, or 1 - 10 oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 c. diced cooked chicken
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 3/4 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
• 4 whole eggs
• 3 yolks
• 2 c. half-and-half
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Pinch nutmeg

1. To make the pastry for Chicken Spinach Quiche, in a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar and pulse briefly to mix. Top with the butter and process until crumbly.
2. Mix the egg and ice in a measuring cup with a spout. With the motor running, pour the egg mixture into the processor and run until the mixture comes together in a rough mass. Stop the machine immediately.
3. Gather the dough onto a big piece of waxed paper. Flatten as much as you, wrap up, and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350° F. Roll out the cold dough into an 1" round and fit into a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom and 2" sides. Trim the edges and prick the pastry in several places with the tines of a fork. Line the dough with the same waxed paper you used to wrap it and wight it down with a lay of raw rice, macaroni or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes, until pale. Remove from oven.
5. Pull up on the waxed paper to light of the weights. Increase the oven temperature to 450° F. Let crust cool slightly.
6. While the crust is cooling, make the filling; melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
7. Meanwhile, if using fresh spinach, add it wet to a very hot wok or Dutch oven. Stir quickly until partially wilted, abut 2 minutes. Drain and press out the water. If using frozen spinach, press out excess moisture.
8. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over high heat. Add the wilted or thawed spinach and saute for 30 seconds. Add the chicken and garlic, stir a few times and remove from the heat.
9. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the bottom of the partially baked crust. Top with the cooked leeks and then the spinach-chicken mixture.
10. In a bowl, whisk together the whole eggs. egg yolks, half-and-half, salt, a generous amount of pepper and the nutmeg. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the spinach-chicken mixture, allowing it to soak in.
11. Set the tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake until a knife inserted halfway between the center and the edge comes out clean, 70 to 80 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Don't let the length of the list and directions frighten you off from trying this chicken recipe. Once you make Chicken Spinach Quiche the first time, every time after that will be quite simple.