Elegant, delicious, and versatile, a quiche is a French tart made with a buttery pie crust filled with a savory custard mixed with an assortment of vegetables and meat. The most popular variation is the quiche Lorraine, named after the Lorraine region of France, which uses bacon and cheese.
I love making this easy quiche recipe because it’s perfect for a crowd and busy mealtimes. Once it’s in the oven, you’ve got your hands free to do whatever you want. This recipe makes for a great base, the variations are endless, and you can add whatever you’re craving into the filling. Perfect for feeding a crowd or making ahead of time, this quiche is so flavorful and easy to make. Want another delicious dish to add to your breakfast spread? Try my Easy French Toast Casserole or Blueberry Scones Recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Pie crust — while you can use store-bought pie crust for this quiche recipe, I love using my homemade buttery pie crust. It’s so flakey, and I prefer it to store-bought! Either way, make sure to thaw the crusts before using them so they can roll out easily.
Eggs — you’ll need four eggs for this quiche, so make sure you’re well-stocked before starting.
Bacon — the bacon needs to be pre-cooked before adding it to your egg mixture. You can buy pre-cooked bacon or do it yourself. Bake the bacon in a single layer for 20 minutes at 400F. If you don’t have bacon, you can try ham for a ham and cheese quiche.
Cheddar cheese — I recommend shredding cheese from a block. Pre-shredded cheese sold at stores tends to have a coating on them that prevents them from clumping. The coating prevents the cheese from melting correctly.
How to Make Quiche
1. Line a deep 9-inch pie dish with pie dough, pressing into the bottom and up the sides. Tuck the excess dough around the edges under, and crimp as desired.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper. Stir in ¾ cup cheese, ½ cup bacon, and green onion.
3. Pour egg mixture into the prepared crust. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
4. Bake in the lower third for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the filling with the remaining ¼ cheese and remaining ¼ cup bacon. Continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes more or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with additional green onion, if desired.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Avoid over-beating the eggs, or you’ll incorporate too much air into the mixture. Once in the oven, it’ll cause the quiche to puff up excessively and yield a quiche that’s dry with a spongy texture.
- I recommend sticking to full-fat dairy for the egg filling, so the center is creamy and custardy. Low-fat dairy may lead to the center being dry. If you do not have full-fat heavy cream, whole milk or half-and-half can work in a pinch.
- Avoid trying to cut down on the baking time by increasing the temperature. The quiche needs to be baked low and slow to achieve that creamy custard texture.
- Pre-cooking toppings, such as bacon, lowers the risk of getting a soggy crust. Raw toppings will release water as they bake and add moisture to the dish.
- Allowing the quiche to cool before serving gives the filling more time to set up. It allows the slices to come out cleanly as well.
- Avoid adding too many toppings to this quiche, as it will cause the filling to be dense.
- The eggs should be at room temperature to ensure they bake evenly. If you forgot to take your egg out of the fridge ahead of time, you could quickly bring it to room temperature by placing it in a large bowl and covering it with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
- If using a homemade pie dough (which I suggest!), I recommend blind baking it before adding the filling. Store-bought refrigerated pie crusts are made differently and often burn if blind-baked, but homemade doughs filled with delicious butter can be soggy if they aren’t blind-baked before adding the filling. Once you’ve crimped and frozen the crust, line it with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake at 425F for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the weights and add the filling. Continue baking as directed for a delicious quiche and no soggy bottom!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between this and a frittata?
Both are delicious egg-based breakfast dishes, but quiches are baked slowly in a pie crust, whereas frittatas do not have a crust and are started on the stovetop then finished in the oven. Quiches are also more sturdy and richer than frittatas.
How do I store leftovers?
To store this leftover bacon quiche recipe, allow it to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can serve leftovers chilled or reheated in the oven or microwave.
How do I make this ahead of time?
To make this quiche recipe into a freezer meal, you can put the quiche in the freezer unbaked and then bake it directly from the freezer into the oven. Alternatively, you can bake the breakfast quiche ahead of time, then wrap it up in a layer of plastic wrap and tin foil before putting it in the freezer once cooled. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter when ready to eat, then bake at 350F until warmed through.
What are other add-ins?
You can add whatever vegetables or cheeses you have available to your quiche! Here are some of my other favorite add-ins:
- Mushrooms
- Asparagus
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Peas
- Leeks
- Fresh herbs
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Bell peppers
- Swiss cheese
- Gruyere cheese
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Quiche recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Quiche Recipe
Equipment
- 9 inch pie dish
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cup heavy cream (300mL)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided (112g)
- ¾ cup cooked crumbled bacon, divided (about 6 slices)
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion plus additional for garnish
Instructions
- Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll pie dough into a 12-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie dish with the dough, pressing into the bottom and up the sides. Tuck the excess dough around the edges under, and crimp as desired.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, and pepper. Stir in ¾ cup cheese, ½ cup bacon, and green onion. Pour egg mixture into the prepared crust. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake in the lower third for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the filling with the remaining ¼ cheese and remaining ¼ cup bacon. Continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes more or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with additional green onion, if desired.
Video
Notes
- Avoid overbeating the eggs, or you’ll incorporate too much air into the mixture. Once in the oven, it’ll cause the quiche to puff up excessively and yield a quiche that’s dry with a spongy texture.
- I recommend sticking to full-fat dairy for the egg filling, so the center is creamy and custardy. Low-fat dairy may lead to the center being dry. If you do not have full-fat heavy cream, whole milk or half-and-half can work in a pinch.
- Avoid trying to cut down on the baking time by increasing the temperature. The quiche needs to be baked low and slow to achieve that creamy custard texture.
- Pre-cooking toppings, such as bacon, lowers the risk of getting a soggy crust. Raw toppings will release water as it bakes and add moisture to the dish.
- Allowing the dish to cool before serving gives the filling more time to set up. It allows the slices to come out cleanly as well.
- Avoid adding too many toppings to this quiche, as it will cause the filling to be dense.
- The eggs should be at room temperature to ensure they bake evenly. If you forgot to take your egg out of the fridge ahead of time, you could quickly bring it to room temperature by placing it in a large bowl and covering it with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
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