When Eggland’s Best contacted me about hosting a brunch for the ones I love, obviously the answer was “yes!”. Between loving breakfast more than any other meal of the day (truly!) and all things with eggs, I was pumped for the opportunity. All too appropriately, Eggland’s Best supports heart health not only in February in recognition of National Heart Month, but always.
Eggs are a fun food to talk about in nutrition education. Years ago, eggs and the cholesterol-rich yolk were through to promote atherosclerosis and heart disease. We have since discovered that eggs can play a huge role in a healthy diet. The cholesterol found in eggs has little impact on blood cholesterol levels when consumed as a part of a balanced diet.
Eggs are a unique food in that they are consumed by many vegetarians and unlike other vegetarian proteins, contain all of the essential amino acids. Eggs are also affordable and versatile.
Nutrition-wise, eggs naturally contain a good source of Vitamin D. With 2/3rds of the US population consuming inadequate Vitamin D, eggs certainly have something to offer. Beyond Vitamin D, eggs contain Vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, choline, and so much more.
But Eggland’s Best eggs offer even more.
EB eggs contain 10x the amount of Vitamin E found in your average egg, as well as 2x the omega 3 and DHA. Nutrition aside, EB feeds all of their hens vegetarian diets, just as nature had intended.
And just for fun, some random, eggcellent facts! Did you know…
- Most eggs are laid between 7 and 11am
- Eggs contain choline which is an essential nutrient for fetal development
- An egg contains 70 calories, 34% of which are calories from protein
- A chef’s hat is said to have a pleat for each of the many ways an egg can be cooked
- The US produces 10% of the world’s eggs
With kind offerings of the most nutritious eggs available from Eggland’s Best, I thought long and hard about what to make. As much as I love a basic egg scramble or omelet, I wanted something special to serve at my “EB Mine” Brunch.
I ran across this recipe on Friday and knew immediately it had to be made as a part of the brunch. I think it was the pictures that did it, but the potato crust was sure intriguing, too.
Despite the 5-star looks of this quiche, it was very simple to make and required very few ingredients, all of which top nutritional charts. There was no butter or oil or flour…just wholesome, heart-healthy ingredients (with just a bit of creamy goat cheese for that extra special touch!).
But I have to say, even the nutrition stats floored me. For 124 calories and 6.5 grams of carbohydrate per slice, this is quite the treat and perfect for those seeking weight loss and/or a low-carbohydrate (carb-controlled) lifestyle.
Maybe I should also mention that Mr. Prevention LOVED this quiche. LOVED. 🙂
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Goat Cheese, Spinach, and Tomato Quiche adapted from Heather’s Dish
1 large Russet potato, sliced into very thin rounds
8 large eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Roma tomato, sliced
2 cups fresh baby spinach, tightly packed
3 oz goat cheese
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375.
Spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray. Layer the potato rounds on the bottom and sides of the pan in a single layer. With the remaining potato rounds, cover any holes in the potato layer (if you don’t cover all the holes, no worries). Bake the potatoes in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the eggs and milk until smooth. Add in the seasonings and whisk until well-combined. When the potatoes are done par-baking layer the spinach on top of the potatoes and the goat cheese on top of the spinach in small chunks. Gently pour the egg mixture over the top. Layer the tomatoes on top of the egg mixture. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.
If desired, broil the quiche for 1-2 minutes to brown the top slightly. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Yield: 8 slices (1/8th of a 9-inch quiche per serving).
Nutrition Information (per serving): 124 calories; 6.9 g. fat; 221 mg. cholesterol; 327 mg. sodium; 6.5 g. carbohydrate; 0.9 g. fiber; 8.8 g. protein
Result: Simple to make, healthy to boot, and absolutely delicious! Perfect for the protein-packed start to the day, or those seeking a low-carbohydrate and low-calorie meal. Furthermore, this quiche is gluten-free thanks to the thrifty use of potato for a crust. While I didn’t do a cost analysis on this recipe, the entire quiche was under $9 to make, despite the $4.99 price tag on the goat cheese! Delicious and pretty…enjoy!
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The kind people at Eggland’s Best would like to offer one lucky reader an “EB Mine” Giveaway package to include:
- 2 free EB dozen coupons (any variety- classic, cage-free, or organic)
- 1 free EB hard cooked and peeled variety coupon
- 1 Eggland’s Best apron, spatula, whisk, cutting board, mixing bowl, bowl scraper, coffee mug, plush egg, and tote bag
How to enter? Leave a comment with your favorite heart-healthy ingredient or food item that pairs well with eggs! This giveaway will end Tuesday, February 14th at 10pm EST. The winner will be contacted via email.
If a sweet breakfast is more your style…check back tomorrow to see what else this “EB Mine” Brunch included!
Be well,
horseradish – lots of flavor without adding tons of calories
Other than just eggs by themselves or in an omelet form, I’d have to go with whole grain or whole wheat bread to make some French toast!
My favorite & easy go-to heart healthy dinner is Eggs & Greens: http://chocolateandcarrots.com/2011/09/eggs-greens-lazy-healthy-dinner
Thank you for the giveaway! 😀
Caroline: That looks delicious 🙂
Yum – love recipes like this! I always like a little sriracha or tabasco splashed on my eggs.
I like to make my eggs “dippy style” with a side of whole wheat toast.
This looks delicious!
I like to make my eggs open faced on a whole wheat english muffin. A slice of cheese never hurt it either. 🙂
I like salsa with my eggs. I eat eggs for all three meals — though not in a single day 😉
I LOVE eggs! I think my favorite style is soft-boiled, something my grandmother made me all the time when I was growing up. The eggs only needed a little salt! But my new trick with them is to add a bunch of baby spinach to the bowl until the leaves wilt. Spinach is one of my favorite egg accompaniments!
ohhhh yum!! I’m a HUGE quiche fan (and I still don’t really understand the difference between quiche and fritatta)….. This looks fantastic. I’m also an EB fan, but I tend to stick to the Giant Eagle NAture’s Basket eggs, you know…I like to support GE!
I bet the goat cheese really adds some fantastic flavor to this. Yet another thing Nick won’t eat. What a poop.
Quiche! That is a route we need to go with our next champagne brunch… surprisingly it hasn’t happened yet…
I love spinach with my eggs. Sneaking the green in there… 🙂
I love to make over easy eggs and then serve them over toast that’s spread with a tiny bit of pesto – it’s amazing! I love using potatoes as a quiche crust, it’s pretty much the best thing ever. I’ve never used slices before, just shreds, so I’m totally pinning this!
I agree…so good! I have made potato crusts in the past, but the trick is par-baking them so they get crispy on the bottom! 🙂
I love my eggs over easy topped with sauteed mushrooms and onions!
Wow I haven’t eaten breakfast yet and that egg dish looks incredible! I’m an eggs and whole wheat toast kind of gal so not that ww bread is an ingredient but I cannot eat my eggs without it! At least the fiber makes it heart healthy!! 🙂
ps. So I just got a cannon rebel and still feel like my pictures suck. How do you get yours so clear?? Any advice?
Ahh! Yay! That’s so exciting 🙂 I am a total novice with my camera. It just takes practice, I think…and light. Lots of light. I wish I could always use natural light, and I do a lot of times, but a good artificial light is key in these winter months. I use an EGO light and love, love, love it! A great camera is a huge part of it, but I would say lighting is even more important. I love the book Plate to Pixel…I learned TONS and it’s so easy to understand. Keep at it 🙂
The way I feel about eggs is this. If we’ve been eating them for centuries, with no real ill effect…there’s just no way they could be bad for you. Ever. At all. The end.
I love this quiche. So many of my favorite ingredients in one place! Bookmarked.
I totally agree – 100% 🙂
I love my eggs with some sauteed mushrooms, topped with salsa!
I love eggs with steamed asparagus.
My mom has this spinach pie recipe with eggs that I’ve always loved. I need to make it soon. I love eggs.
I love avocado with my eggs, especially on an egg sandwich or with poached eggs on an english muffin.
I love eggs scrambled with some goat cheese or Laughing Cow. I used to be scared of eggs because of the calories. Then I realized how good they actually are for you and how filling they are. I eat eggs just about every day for breakfast!
I agree. They’re so filling…well worth every last calorie!
That quiche is gorgeous!!! And I loved the facts! Who knew?
My very favorite egg/heart healthy combo is egg and avocado! The two pair so well, and talk about health benefits!!! What an eggs-celllent giveaway!
I love the random egg facts! The quiche looks divine too! You pretty much included all the ingredients I think pair perfectly with eggs: goat cheese and spinach. Only thing I’d add: avocado!
I usually eat eggs with bacon and pancakes…not so healthy but good! I’d have to say my spinach quiche. It is awesome and I don’t use a lot of cheese with it so its more spinach if anything.
scrambled eggs with a ton of heart healthy vegetables and whole wheat toast on the side:) or….french toast oatmeal with egg whites whipped in! (i’m enjoying this right now!)
i am obsessed with eggs! i eat them with everything, but most recently i can’t get enough of eggs, salsa, and avocado! so good!
My family has a recipe for a (healthy) fried rice that’s made with scrambled eggs and chopped spinach. You could make it healthier by using brown rice instead of white. No soy sauce allowed!
That sounds delicious!
I’m not always a quiche fan, but this one looks particularly good. My favorite egg combo as of lately has been huevo rancheros!
I have really been enjoying breakfast burritos lately – I make mine with tons of veggies and a little cheese.
I just discovered avocado and eggs!
I love eggs with salsa. This quiche looks delicious! I’ll have to try it soon. Thanks for the giveaway!
I had quiche for dinner! Yours looks better though 🙂
I like to scramble eggs with brown rice and veggies. It is like fried rice from a restaurant but much healthier.
I love making scrambled eggs with asparagus. So delicious!
I love the idea of using a potato for the crust – did the potato stay soft or did it get crispy?
I love eggs with pasta or oatmeal – savory oatmeal is one of my faves!
Heather: Since the crust is par-baked it’s crispy! That’s why I loved it 🙂 I’ve potato crusts in the past that didn’t crisp up 🙁
Luv eggs w/ spinach!
Love eggs with hot sauce!
Also, I’ve always wondered… how do EB eggs have so much additional nutrition to them? What’s the process that makes them that way?
Ya know, that’s a great question! I am pretty sure it’s because of the diet the hens are fed. That’s how they get the added omega 3’s in there, anyways…so I’m going to assume the same goes for the other added nutrition 🙂
One of my favorite things to do with eggs is to pair with spinach and serve over a slice of whole wheat toast. Yum!
Eggs and zucchini is a favorite combination! Shredded zucchini makes eggs so fluffy and moist 🙂
I love adding spinach and feta cheese to my scrambled eggs! Awesome giveaway!
We can never have enough eggs at our house, and this recipe looks fabulous! I love the idea of using potatoes for the crust. I love pairing spinach and feta with eggs; baked eggs with tomatoes and herbs, and my yummy artichoke squares. Oh, and Spanish tortilla with lots of potatoes and onions sauteed in EVOO, then topped with eggs and baked in the oven. Fabulous!
I like to make breakfast burritos with lots of chopped veggies, a bit of shedded cheese, and then rolled up in a whole wheat wrap!! They freeze well too! Once heated an avacado goes well inside too!!
Egg dishes rock my world!! I love pairing my eggs with whole wheat toast or adding some spinach and tomatoes to make an omelet!
Great giveaway! My fav heart-healthy food that pairs well with eggs is spinach!
Is hot sauce heart healthy? Because I really love adding it to eggs. Actually, I cant remember the last time I ate eggs without hot sauce.
I love pairing eggs with the same ingredients in your quiche! Sometimes I change up my quiche recipe and use swiss chard and leeks instead of spinach and also add feta, parmesan, or fontina cheese 🙂
I like spinach, asparagus, and squash with eggs.
I love avocados with eggs!
I’m a big fan of eggs benedict, so in trying to keep it healthier, I use whole wheat english muffins, veggie/soy sausage patties topped with the poached eggs. Sometimes I add wilted spinach to kick up the nutritional value and make it more filling. I feel I don’t miss the butter-laden hollandaise sauce with the runny yolks and even though I’m not vegetarian, the soy sausage is a healthy and tasty alternative.
Love the look of this quiche…..especially the crispy edges…..num-num!
YUM!
It’s hard to think of what doesn’t pair well with eggs. I love doing a a wrap with eggs, beans, and salsa. 🙂
Eggs are one of my favorite things! This quiche looks AMAZING Nicole. Love the look of the potatoes around the edge all browned.
My favorite thing to pair with eggs is spinach or kale… They go together perfectly, especially when you throw in some sweet potato 🙂
Happy Monday!
I love eggs with sauteed onions & mushrooms. My husband makes the best omlets! 🙂
Like your recipe here, I love eggs with spinach!
My favorite thing to eat with eggs is cheese. Probably not the most heart healthy thing but oh well haha!
This quiche looks really good! Eggs are my breakfast staple – I absolutely love scrambled eggs topped with salsa and guac. So yummy!
I love eggs with whole wheat toast and a little sprinkle of cheese.
Mmm this looks so good! I can’t wait to make it! I also love eggs with sauteed mushrooms!
Eggs with southwestern style salsa (with black beans and corn) is my favorite!
I like eggs just scrambled up with some sauteed spinach and mushroom and a little cheese…feta or goat is great!
That looks delicious Nicole – when I make crustless quiches I sometimes use shredded potatoes or sliced potatoes – so good!
I love spicy salsa poured over eggs – and of course my beloved Tabasco! 😀
This looks delicious!! My favorite egg dish is an omelet with tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, and cheese and seasoned with some black pepper.
I love love love eggs and really love this quiche! I’ve made potato-crusted quiche before, but not quite like this. This seems lighter and perhaps even tastier. I look forward to trying it!
Love eggs. Can’t wait to try this quiche recipe. My favorite way to eat eggs is fried in a small amount of butter served with Canadian bacon on toast.
I like your mini frittata recipe, or quiches
I love eggs in all forms! One of my favorite things to make with eggs is tuna salad with chopped up hard-boiled eggs, a little different but so good.
I love, love, love kale with eggs! So good and so healthy!
I love to make quiche with all my leftover greens and cheese.
I love eggs. I try to buy the free range ones so they’re not exactly cheap, but they’re worth it.
I like a poached egg on top of a fritter or latke (like zucchini fritters or apple and sweet potato fritters). The runny yolk tastes so good with it.
Hi Nicole. I LOVE the idea of the potato crust. YUM. I’ve just boiled some eggs to use for the next few days. I see healthy egg salad in my future. Have a great week.
I love eggs stir-fried with an Asian vegetable blend (onion, broccoli. mushroom, snow peas, water chestnuts, and edamame) and seasoned with tamari and toasted sesame seeds. This is one of m favorite meals ever and it is high protein/fiber/nutrient and low-carb too! OK, now I am hungry! 🙂
Chives! Fresh or dried chives seriously jazz up scrambled eggs in an amazingly delicious way!
Any herb but basil is the hubs favorite
We’re going through eggs right and left in my house. Last night they were the necessary binder for my meatballs. And today there are a whole mess of them going into my cake!
I love my eggs scrambled with mushrooms and cheese..of course:)
I love eggs with saut
Huevo rancheros is the best! I’m vegetarian so I leave out the chorizo! I make fresh salsa with extra garlic and cilantro, I scramble that into eggs with black beans and top with queso fresco, serve with warm whole wheat tortillas, delicious
Spinach, you can’t go wrong with that and maybe a touch of garlic. Thanks!
I love eggs with whole wheat english muffins! Yum!
I love eggs with homemade pico de gallo.
I love the crust idea! I’m definitely going to try this with a sweet potato. Thanks for sharing!
Love boiled eggs with a few ounces of low fat cheese!
I’m going to have to second everyone who said spinach. Love eggs and greens!
Love tomato sauce with my eggs. Poaching them in it is the best!
One of my families favorite breakfasts is eggs and home cooked pinto beans. I use tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and cilantro to season the beans, sometimes serving them mashed, sometimes whole.
Loving your website, just found it on foodgawker. I like to do “breakfast nachos” with imitation crabmeat, tomatos and a lite shredded cheese blend. Dip with homemade tortilla pieces. Divine! Thanks!
Denise: Thank you so much! I really appreciate your sweet comment…and as for your breakfast nachos, well…those just sound fantastic! 🙂
I love spinach with my eggs!
Oops I just realized I was too late. Oh well.