Spinach and Bacon Pie
Creamed Spinach Delicately Flavored with Smokey Bacon and Topped with a Delightfully Tender Buttery Crust
Equipment
- medium microwave safe bowl to thaw the frozen spinach
- 2 cup (0.5L) jug to measure out the milk
- 10" (26 cm) non-stick skillet
- slotted spoon to scoop cooked bacon out of the skillet
- rubber spatula so you don't scratch your non-stick pan
- 2Qt (2L) oven safe dish
Ingredients
- 10 oz (285g) pie crust - store bought or home made rolled out to 1/8" (3mm) thick
- 16 oz (450g) frozen spinach thawed
- 8 oz (225g) smoked bacon cut crosswise into 3/4" (2cm) pieces (See headnotes above)
- 6 oz (about 1-1/2 cups) onion finely diced — about 1/4" (6mm)
- 2 Tsp minced garlic
- 1/4 cup (35g) all purpose (plain) flour
- 2 cups (450ml) milk
- 4 oz (115g) sheep's milk feta cheese crumbled
- 1/2 cup finely chopped dill optional
- 1/4 Tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Have ready your pie crust, either home made or store bought. (See headnotes above)
- Pre-heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and place the rack in the middle position.
- Place the frozen spinach in a microwave safe bowl, cover with a plate and thaw according to the package instructions.
- Fry the bacon in a 10" (26cm) non-stick skillet to your preferred doneness. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the bacon on to a paper towel lined plate. You should have about 1/4 cup (60ml) of rendered bacon fat remaining in the pan.
- Over medium heat fry the onions in the bacon fat for about 5 minutes until they are soft and translucent. They should not take on any color.
- Next, add the garlic and cook 30-60 seconds until it becomes fragrant.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir with a rubber spatula to make a roux. Cook, stirring continuously for a minute or two.
- Pour in about 1/2 of the milk and stir vigorously to blend in the roux. Bring to a simmer and as the mixture begins to thicken add the rest of the milk. Cook, stirring often for about 5-6 minutes.
- Season with 1/2 Tsp of salt, 1/4 Tsp of pepper. Stir in the 1/4 Tsp of nutmeg and optional 1/2 cup of dill.
- When the mixture returns to a simmer, add the spinach and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Gently stir in the crumbled feta cheese. Don't over mix; you want some little pockets of cheese in the mixture.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.
- Pour half the spinach mixture into a 2Qt (2L) oven safe dish and sprinkle the reserved bacon bits over.
- Spread the remaining spinach mixture over the bacon.
- Cover with the pie crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.
- Rest the pie 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
When preparing this dish (or any other for that matter) it helps to have all of your ingredients prepared in advance — what chefs call, Mise-en-place which literally means, Set Up in French. You will find it makes the process go more smoothly because everything is at your fingertips when you need it. You can further streamline the cooking process if you have all the ingredients lined up in the order you will need them.
Having the tools you need ready to hand also makes life at the stove go more smoothly. Nothing worse than searching in the drawer for your rubber spatula only to find it's in the dishwasher at the moment you need it.
Make ahead: You can make this pie several hours and up to a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. You should plan on adding an extra 10-15 minutes to the bake time, keeping in mind the filling is fully cooked so you just need the crust to cook and the filling to get hot.