This is a great quiche base and is baked in a homemade pie crust. There are a variety of flavors that can be added to this base to make any flavor you want. My family’s Favorites include bacon, ham, cheese, spinach, and asparagus. As an easy, quick, on-the-go meal, I will make mini quiches in a regular muffin tin or appetizer size in a mini muffin tin.
Quiche is often overlooked but is great for breakfast, brunch, Easter, baby showers, bridal showers, and potlucks. When I need a quick breakfast, that’s what I go for, or an easy supper meal that’s delicious, can feed a good number of people, and can be customized to what I have on hand.
What is quiche?
- Quiche is a delicious egg custard and is usually baked and cooked in a pie crust. The filling is made up of milk, cream, and eggs. variety of ingredients, such as meats, seafood, different cheeses, vegetables, and spices. This recipe will show you how to make the ideal quiche with ingredients you already have.
- Most people believe that quiche comes from France, but it actually originates from Germany where it is called kuchen. It’s a little bit different than the quiche you are used to. It’s made with eggs, bacon, and instead of pie crust, it’s made with brioche and then baked.
- The French variation is called Quiche Lorraine. It’s a custard combined with gruyere, bacon, and always just a touch of nutmeg. Many also have broccoli and cheddar or ham, cheese, and mushrooms. There are some newer varieties that steer away from the more traditional flavors, such as green onions, hot and sweet peppers, goat cheese, or salmon.
Texture of great quiche
The ideal quiche is creamy and soft, with a contrast of ham, crispy bacon, or spring vegetables such as asparagus and green onions. It can be both rich and light at the same time, thanks to the high protein content of milk, eggs, bacon, ham, and cheese.
Quiche recipe ingredients
- Pie crust: the first step is to have a buttery flakey crust. You don’t want to skimp on it I like to always have pie dough in the freezer ready to be used, whether that means a store-bought one or using a great pie crust recipe and having it in the freezer ready to go.
- Eggs: I like to use large eggs, and being on a farm, I always have an abundance of eggs. You can use any size egg, and if you want you can always add a couple more to the mixture.
- Milk & Cream: for the best texture and taste, use the combination of milk and cream. If you only use cream, you will have a thicker filling. Milk is great too but the combination of both gives you such a soft and smooth texture.
- Salt & Pepper: I suggest only adding salt if you are not adding salty items like cheese or ham, but if you are just making a basic quiche, then add in salt and pepper.1
Add-ins
I like to add in items that have already been cooked, so all that is required when you add them is a little bit of warming up, which is done when cooked in the oven. For example, if you are going to add a watery vegetable like spinach or mushrooms, look them first so that the water doesn’t release into your quiche and make it a watery quiche. Here are a few ideas for additional add-ins
- Caramelized onions
- Cooked Ham cubed
- Asparagus
- Goat Cheese
- Bacon
- Peppers
- Seafood
- Sundried tomato
I suggest 1-1/2 cups of cheese and around 2 cups of vegetables and meat add-in’s.
How to make quiche step by step
- Step 1 Blind bake crust: This guarantees a flaky, non-soggy crust. Preparing the pie crust in a pan, spreading a sheet of parchment paper inside, and filling it with weights is an easy procedure. This helps the dough maintain its shape while baking. If you don’t have any pie weights on hand, fill the inside with dry beans instead. Just remember to put those beans away when you’re through because you won’t be able to cook them. You can, however, save them to use as weights.
- Step 2 Add eggs to measuring cup: To get that great quiche flavor, it’s important to have the right eggs and milk/cream percentage. For every egg, you will need 1 cup of liquid. I find the best way to do this is in a large measuring cup.
- Step 3 Pour in milk and cream together: For this recipe, I used 5 eggs, and you will want a total of 2-1/2 cups of liquid. You will want to combine the egg, milk, and cream together. You don’t want it frothy because it will create a lot of air in the quiche and we don’t want that. We want a nice smooth mixture.
- Step 4 pour mixture over filling: This is where you want to choose your filling, or if you want to leave it as a basic quiche, skip this step. You want to add around 2 cups of filling, such as cheese and meat or cheese and vegetables. Layer that in the bottom of your blind baked crust, then gently pour the egg mixture on top, being careful not to disturb the filling too much. Bake for 45–50 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature before serving and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make a quiche ahead of time?
Yes, I bake my crust a few days ahead of time and leave it covered at room temperature. What I enjoy most about this recipe is that you can bake the quiche and keep it covered and refrigerated for three days.
What is the best way to reheat quiche?
Cover with foil and bake at 325°F for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Can this quiche be frozen?
Yes! Allow it to cool completely before covering it with plastic wrap. Or wrap it in two layers of foil. Remove from the freezer, peel off the plastic, cover with foil, and bake at 350 °F for about 20 minutes, or until warmed through.
Can I make this quiche crustless?
Keep the ratios of eggs to milk and cream and add the fillings to an empty dish. Then pour the egg mixture over the fillings. Bake for about 45–50 minutes until the quiche is cooked through and just slightly wobbly in the very center.
Basic Quiche Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pie pan
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream or whipping cream
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- fillings of choice
Instructions
- Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll pie crust out and fit into 9 inch pie dish. Trim any excess crust and flute the edges.
- Blind Bake Crust: Line the inside of the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake the crust for about 20 minutes. Remove the weights and then bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. The crust will be golden.
- Prepare the egg mixture: add the eggs to a large measuring cup. Add the heavy cream, then add the milk, the total measurement of the eggs, cream and milk should come to 2 and 1/2 cups. Add the salt and pepper.
- Mix: using a whisk until combine you don't want to make it to frothy by using a hand mixer you just want to make sure the eggs, milk and cream are combined
- Add Fillings: Spread the desired fillings on the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the egg mixture on top.
- Bake: Bake the quiche at 350℉ degrees for about 45-50 minutes. The quiche will be slightly wobbly in just the center.
- Cool: Allow to cool for about 20 minutes to room temperature. Quiche can be served warm, cold, or room temperature.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram or Facebook #tiannaskitchen
Oh so many great add in ideas! Definitely going to try this and surely impress my family! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
This looks and sounds amazing and a bit easier than I would have thought! I like the idea of goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes.