I adore Greek flavors as well as spinach in most any form, so this Greek-Inspired Slow Cooker Spinach Pie was a “must do” for me. We will eat slow cooker quiches, frittatas and egg bakes for any meal, but I think it makes an especially lovely brunch dish or light supper. Consider serving it with a fruit salad.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to call this dish. It’s more hearty than a frittata, but lacks a crust, so it’s also not quite a quiche (thought crustless quiche is certainly a thing — still, this is packed with more veggies than a typical quiche). Anyway, no matter what you call it, I think you’ll love that it’s loaded with spinach and leeks and gets a tangy saltiness from the feta cheese and Kalamata olives.
A little bit of cottage cheese helps with the texture and adds a little more protein, too.
I don’t mind serving this spinach pie right from the slow cooker — the fewer dishes to do, the better. Be aware, however, that like a regular pie, the first piece likely won’t come out picture perfect. If you’d rather remove the whole pie in one piece and place it on a serving platter, simply line the slow cooker with some parchment paper before adding the egg and spinach mixture. And be sure to leave some parchment sticking up past the egg mixture. When it’s fully cooked, use the parchment to lift the whole thing out of the cooker. I’ve seen fancy photos where something like this is then placed right on a serving tray or platter, even with the parchment left underneath, so maybe give that a try.
If you’re wanting to make some alterations to this, feel free to do so — recipes like this are very flexible. So go ahead, indulge your culinary whim or use up those leftovers. Feel free to leave out the tomatoes, or use some chopped kale in place of some of the spinach, or switch out the Kalamata olives for regular black olives (or a mix of black and green), or add in a little bit of cubed, cooked chicken — it’s up to you! Note that I did not call for salt in this recipe, since the feta and olives are plenty salt. I suggest trying a bit of the pie before deciding if you want to sprinkle on any salt.
Greek-Inspired Slow Cooker Spinach Pie
Serves 6
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 8 eggs, beaten
- 2 10-ounce packages frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup low fat cottage cheese
- 1 leek, washed well, and sliced thinly (white/light green parts only)
- ¼ cup sliced Kalamata olives
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup halved grape tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Coat the slow cooker crock with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients except for the grape tomatoes and Parmesan, if using. Add the mixture to the crock, spreading it evenly to the edges. Top with the halved tomatoes, placing them cut side down on the spinach mixture.
- Cover and cook 3 hours on low. Do not overcook or the pie will be dry. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Let spinach pie sit for 10 minutes uncovered before cutting.
