st. patty's day brunch

There's no better way to start a day of parades, green beer and backyard parties with a big healthy brunch. Last year was our first time at Dallas' St. Patty's Day Parade and we started the long day with a last minute brunch before heading to Greenville. It was so much fun, we decided to make it a yearly routine. This year we were more organized, had a bigger spread and more friends — couldn't have asked for a better morning.

I made a quiche with bacon, spinach, cheese and caramelized onions last year. Despite this being a first attempt, it was delicious. Even thought it was good, I had few bumps in the road.... the onions took forever to caramelize, the quiche took way longer to cook than expected and to top things off, it overflowed, making a mess all over the oven.
This time around, the recipe was perfected and made lighter than last year's. I started early by caramelizing the onions and frying the bacon the night before. I also put my spinach in the fridge so it was thawed by the time it was ready to cook. This took about an hour of prep time the next morning, which is good because I love sleep. To make it healthier, I used turkey bacon, part egg whites, part egg and 1% milk over heavy cream.

It still took a while to cook, but with a big bowl of fresh berries and granola we had plenty to snack on before it was ready. Add a big pitcher of mimosas, a sunny patio and you've got a killer brunch. Who's in for next Saturday??

Caramelized Onion, Spinach & Turkey Bacon Quiche, serves 8

• 1 yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 4 slices turkey bacon, crumbled
• 5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/3 cup reduced fat white cheddar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup 1% milk
• 1 frozen pie crust

Heat a skillet over medium heat until butter and oil are hot. Add onions and toss to coat. Cover and let cook for 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir. Continue to cook over medium heat, partially covered, stirring often for about 45 minutes or until onions are caramelized.

In another skillet, fry turkey bacon. Cool and crumble.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix onions, turkey bacon, drained spinach and cheese in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper.

Pour onion, bacon, spinach mixture into the pie crust in an even layer. Pour egg and milk mixture on top and bake for 45-60 minutes until the quiche is set and browned on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve with fresh fruit and mimosas for a killer brunch.