We keep getting such gorgeous kale with our co-op shares and I haven’t quite figured out all the things to do with it yet besides salads…  It was a huge game-changer when I read somewhere online that kale cooks similar to spinach and can be substituted in some instances as such.  :: Mind Blown ::

This opens up an entire new world of recipes for me and the Mr.  This week we got a bunch of lovely green kale and since I’ve been doing more and more breakfast-y things for a grab-and-go kind of morning, I thought a kale & bacon quiche might be nice.  The recipe called for spinach, but the kale is absolutely phenomenal in it and pretty hearty too.  I can’t imagine spinach standing up this well and still remaining this brawny and green.

I would also like to note that, while I could make my own crust, I still work full-time and like to get about 30-60 minutes of exercise in a day.  So, often I don’t always have time to make every little bit homemade.

Ingredients:
1 rolled, refrigerated, unbaked pie crust
1/2 c. chopped onion (1 sm)
6 slices of bacon, chopped
8 (large) eggs, beaten (6 if using extra-large/jumbo eggs)
1/2 c. dairy sour cream
1/2 c. light cream or milk (you can use skim milk here, but it’s rarely advised for textural reasons)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3 c. chopped kale (no woody stems)
2/3 c. (about 3 oz) shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. shredded Emmentaler

Instructions:
1) Unroll and fit pie crust into a 9in pie plate.  Crimp/mold the edges as desired.  Prick the crust face at intervals with a fork.  Bake in a 450° oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 325°.
2) While your crust is baking, saute onion and bacon in a large skillet until onion is translucent and bacon is slightly crispy.   Drain onion mixture on paper towels and set aside to cool slightly.
3)  In a medium/large bowl whisk your eggs and add sour cream, light cream/milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Stir in kale and cheeses and mix well.  Add onion mixture when it has cooled slightly.  If you put it in too soon, you risk cooking the eggs.
4) Pour your filling into your warm pie crust and spread evenly.  Bake for 45-50 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.  Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.