Spinach and Gouda Mini Quiches

Ingredients:

Cooking spray (like Pam or Market Pantry brand)

2 premade, rolled up pie crusts, thawed and brought to near room temp (Pillsbury brand comes 2 to a box)

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

4 tables spoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 (10 ounce) box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed out

2 cups half-and-half

4 ounces grated smoke Gouda cheese (about 1 cup)

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt (plus more for right before serving)

1/4 tsp pepper

4 chopped green onions (white and green)

4 sun dried tomatoes, cut in half and then lengthwise into 1/4 to 1/8 inch slices

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 2 muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a blender mix the half-and-half, eggs (beat in a separate bowl first), smoked Gouda, nutmeg, green onions, spinach, salt, and pepper. Blend for about 30 seconds. Then roll out the first pie crust (if it cracks, it may still be too cold, so just let it rest another 5 minutes or so). Roll out the dough so it is all the same thickness. Using a drinking glass or cookie cutter with a 3 1/2 inch diameter, cut circles in the dough. Then, carefull peel them, one by one, from your work surface (I worked on a silpat mat), and fit them into each muffin cup. They won't fill the entire cup. Then take the left over scraps, roll it up into a ball, nead it a few times, and then roll it out to make more.

After you have a pan filled, take a spoon and fill the pie crust cups. You can fill it to the top of the pie crust. Then, top with first grated cheese and then a piece of sun dried tomato. Then, bake for 20 to 25 minutes. You know they are done when the crusts are done on the bottom, so just use a fork to flip one up and see if it is still translucent or if it's gotten slighly golden. It should be golden.

Repeat with other pie crust.

Serve heated or at room temperature. Sprinkle a little salt on before serving. Immediately after I reheat these for serving, I plan to top them with a mixture of shredded Gouda, grated Parmesan, salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg.

Variation: Instead of pie crusts, you could substitute puff pastry sheets. Also, you could cut out large squares and let the edges overflow from the cup.