Once you know these tips and tricks for creating the most fabulous quiche, you’re going to want to make quiche all the time! It’s so easy to customize this classic quiche recipe with your own add-ins because this is the ultimate base recipe.
It’s inexpensive, filling, and perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner – and certainly beautiful enough to serve for parties!
Crust or crustless, vegetarian or a meat lover’s dream come true, fresh or frozen… quiche is one of the most flexible ways to personalize eggs!
This is a rich, creamy and versatile quiche with a flaky buttery crust. This easy quiche recipe is made with cream and eggs along with your favorite flavor pairings – the options are endless.
Use your favorite cheeses, herbs, spices, seafoods and meat to create a memorable breakfast or brunch dish including gruyere, Quiche Lorraine, Spinach and Feta Quiche, caramelized onion (see my Cheese and Onion Quiche for another fun variation), bacon and more!
For additional quiche filling ideas, see more flavor variations below. And for more of my favorite Easy Breakfast Ideas, head over to this incredible roundup!
Once you know the keys to creating a fabulous base quiche recipe, it opens up a world of possibilities for brunch and beyond!
If your family loves eggs as much as ours, don’t skip this Chorizo Burrito Casserole, Incredible Cheddar Cheese Tarts, and this Perfectly Portioned Egg Strata Recipe.
What is Quiche?
Quicheis very simply a baked egg custard… savory, not sweet, poured and baked into a flaky pie crust base. A quichefilling is most often made with milk, cream, and eggs.
Of course, the fun and flexibility comes from the add-ins, which vary and can include fresh herbs and spices, meats, seafood, any kind of cheese and veggies.
It’s often referred to as an egg pie, custard pie or savory pie. A quiche is incredibly moist, silky and delicate from the addition of heavy cream, and it truly melts-in-your-mouth.
What’s the difference between a quiche and frittata?
- The most noticeable difference is that quiche generally has a crust and a frittata doesn’t. Quiches are generally baked in a pie crust and pie dish, whereas frittatas are a little closer to an omelet because they are often created in a cast iron pan.
- Frittatas are made on the stovetop and finished in the oven, whereas quiches are baked in the oven.
- A frittata uses only eggs, while a quiche is made with both cream (or milk) and eggs.
As a former caterer, quiche was one of our most popular items. It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, holidays, and showers. It’s easy enough for everyday, but elegant for entertaining.
With this basic quiche recipe, you can please even the pickiest of palates because it’s so versatile! You can make it with a homemade quiche crust, store-bought crust, cream cheese pie crust, hollowed peppers or crustless.
Make it in a tart pan, pie dish, cheesecake pan or use phyllo shells to make mini quiches! No matter how you make it, it’s simple and flavorful.
Why You’ll Love this Classic Quiche Recipe
- Versatile – Add in your favorite cheeses, spices, herbs and meats. You can make it with a store-bought or homemade crust
- Beautiful – It’s effortlessly beautiful and elegant, perfect to serve for Easter or Mother’s Day brunch, a baby or bridal shower and more!
- Keeps Incredibly Well – Make now and enjoy later! Quiche freezes well.
Quiche Ingredients
Quiche is made with just a few ingredients and your favorite add ins.
- Quiche Crust – Store-bought or homemade pastry crust.
- Eggs – Large eggs blended with cream make the custard which serves as the foundation for this quintessential breakfast and brunch dish. The best egg to cream ratio is 4 eggs to 1 cup of milk or heavy cream to achieve the best consistency.
- Heavy Cream – For the richest, most flavorful quiche, use heavy cream. You can substitute half or all of it for whole milk to lighten it up and maintain the creamy flavor. While quiche is typically made with milk, you can make it dairy free using soy or almond milk or even water.
- Add Ins – Up to one and a half cups of your choice of cheeses, vegetables, herbs, spices and or meats.
Optional Add Ins
- Cheese – Crumbled or shredded cheese. Gruyere, Swiss, cheddar, parmesan, feta, goat cheese.
- Vegetables – Caramelized onions, shallots, bell peppers, sautéed mushrooms, sautéed asparagus, roasted artichokes.
- Meat / Seafood – Guanicale, ham, bacon, pancetta, prosciutto, sausage, crab, shrimp, lobster.
- Spices / Seasonings – Salt, pepper, nutmeg.
- Herbs – Thyme, chives, rosemary, basil, parsley or oregano.
How to Blind Bake Crust
It is essential to partially bake the Quiche Crust (known as blind baking) before filling to seal the surface and prevent it from getting soggy while baking. This ensures a crisp, flaky crust and that the custard and crust are baked evenly.
It’s really simple – you can learn how to do it step by step below.
Blind baking your crust is necessary no matter which type of crust you use – whether it’s homemade, refrigerated or frozen.
To blind bake the crust, you will need parchment paper and pie weights. You can use store-bought pie weights or dried beans, lentils or rice.
This weighs the dough down to prevent the crust from shrinking, bubbling or buckling. Pie weights evenly transfer heat.
- Prep – Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roll dough and place your crust in an ungreased tart pan or pie dish and overlapping the edge evenly. Trim the edges and crimp.
- Line the Crust – Gently press a sheet of parchment paper along the edges of the pie dish snug to the crust. Add pie weights to fill the entire bottom.
- Bake Until Slightly Golden – Bake crust 12 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Remove the crust from oven. Remove pie weights and parchment.
- Bake Unlined – Return crust to oven and bake 5 minutes or until bottom appears dry and lightly golden. Remove from oven until ready to fill.
Crustless Quiche
You can make a crustless quiche by simply coating your baking dish and pouring your quiche mixture directly into the dish to bake.
It’s a delicious gluten-free option!
To make it keto, use keto friendly ingredients and to make it vegetarian, simply use a combination of your favorite veggies!
Classic Quiche Recipes
- Onion Quiche – 2 caramelized onions drained, 1 cup of cheese.
- Quiche Lorraine – Add 9 ounces of Swiss and a pound of bacon.
- Florentine – 8 ounces shredded jack cheese and 3 cups fresh spinach.
- Spinach and Feta Quiche – 1 small chopped onion, 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, 6 ounces of feta cheese.
- Salmon – A tablespoon of minced garlic, 7 ounces of smoked salmon, 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Crab – 8 ounces flaked crabmeat, 1/4 cup chopped green onions, 1 cup shredded swiss or gruyere, dash of hot sauce.
- Asparagus and Tomato – 1 cup shredded swiss or gruyere, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, 1 cup sautéed asparagus, drained, fill and top with 1 cup of cherry tomatoes.
- Broccoli – 1 cup of shredded cheddar, swiss, gruyere or mozzarella, 2 cups of broccoli steamed and drained, 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
- Ham and Cheese – 1 cup of shredded cheddar or swiss, 1 cup of ham (cubed) and 3 tablespoons chives or green onions, chopped.
Tip: Sauté vegetables that have a high moisture content and drain to prevent your quiche from being watery.
How to Make Quiche in Four Steps
- Prep – Do not grease baking dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Blind Bake Crust – as noted above, bake your crust for 11 minutes at 375 until slightly golden.
- Combine and Fill – Blend egg and heavy cream until well combined. Add up to one and a half cups of your favorite cheese, veggies, meats, herbs and spices. Pour into crust.
- Bake – Up to 45 minutes until edges are set, but center is slightly jiggly when dish is tapped. This will give you the best texture.
How to Know When a Quiche is Done
Bake until edges are set, but center slightly jiggles when dish is tapped or gently shaken. A toothpick or a knife inserted 1″ from the center should come out clean. Ideally, you should let quiche stand 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Serving Suggestions
Quiche serves beautifully with a variety of side dishes from salads, to fruit, and sweet breakfast treats.
- Fruit Salad or Fresh Fruit Skewers
- Endive Salad, Roasted Beet Salad, Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Orange Rolls, Caramel Rolls, Cinnamon Rolls
- Strawberry Muffins, Blueberry Muffins, Banana Muffins
Tips
- Blind Bake Crust – This makes the crust crisp and flaky. If you skip this step, custard will seep into the crust making it soggy.
- Protect Crust – Use a pie crust shield to prevent over browning.
- Minimal Water Content – Drain liquids from your add-ins like spinach or caramelized onions so that the quiche sets properly.
- Bake Just Until Edges are Set – Quiche should be slightly under baked and jiggly in the center. This will give it a luxuriously creamy consistency.
Shortcuts
- Store Bought Crust – Use a deep dish pie crust.
- Use Pre-Shredded or Crumbled Cheese – While it won’t result in the creamiest texture, it’s quick and easy.
- Use Cooked Ingredients – Use leftovers or pre-cooked ham, etc to save prep time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cheese to use for quiche?
While the easy answer is that any kind of cheese is great for quiche, a few of our favorites are swiss, gruyere, and cheddar.
Are quiches healthy?
Quiche is packed with healthy proteins from the eggs, meats, cheeses and veggies that are typically used as add-ins. While the crust is not a low carbohydrate option, quiche is generally considered a balanced, wholesome meal.
Can you make quiche ahead?
Yes, quiche can be made ahead of time and then reheated. There are several ways to do this. One is to simply put your quiche together as directed, and bake from refrigeration when you’re ready. You do run the risk of a soggy crust with this method, though.
Another option is to bake your quiche fully, then let it cool before refrigerating or freezing and reheat to serve. You can also blind bake your crust and prep your filling and store them separately in the fridge, combining to bake when you’re ready.
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – quiche can sit on your counter for no longer than two hours during serving.
- Refrigerate – Wrap in an airtight container and store for up to three days.
- Freeze – In an airtight container, quiche can be frozen for up to three months. While it may last longer, it will begin to lose its fresh flavor after that point.
More Easy Brunch Recipes
- Egg Strata
- Crème Brûlée French Toast
- Orange Rolls
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Mexican Breakfast Casserole
5 from 4 votes
Quiche
By Julie Blanner
It's so easy to customize this classic quiche recipe with your own add-ins because this is the ultimate base recipe.
Prep: 20 minutes mins
Cook: 40 minutes mins
Total: 1 hour hr
Servings: 8
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Ingredients
- 1 crust quiche crust, pie crust or cream cheese pie crust
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream half and half or whole milk
- 1 cup cheese freshly grated
Instructions
Crust
Prepare a homemade or store-bought crust in advance so it can be chilled and partially baked (up to 3 days in advance).
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Place crust in ungreased quiche, pie or tart dish.
Cover with parchment paper to fill mold. Fill dish with pie weights (or beans).
Bake 15 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Remove parchment and pie weights. Using a fork, prick holes and bake 7 minutes and bottom of crust appears set and no longer wet. Remove from oven and allow to cool (or cover and refrigerate if making ahead) before filling.
Quiche
Reduce oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs, cream, salt and pepper and add ins 1 minute on high or until well combined.
Pour filling into crust. Tent or use a pie crust shield to prevent over browning. Bake 35-40 minutes or until edges are set. Center should be slightly jiggly when you tap on the edge of the dish. Do not overbake.
Allow to cool 10-15 minutes before slicing to serve. Optional: Garnish with herbs, cheeses, etc. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Julie’s Tips
Classic Quiche Fillings
- Onion Quiche – 2 caramelized onions drained, 1 cup of cheese.
- Quiche Lorraine – Add 9 ounces of Swiss and a pound of bacon.
- Florentine – 8 ounces shredded jack cheese and 3 cups fresh spinach.
- Spinach and Feta Quiche – 1 small chopped onion, 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, 6 ounces of feta cheese.
- Salmon – A tablespoon of minced garlic, 7 ounces of smoked salmon, 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Crab – 8 ounces flaked crabmeat, 1/4 cup chopped green onions, 1 cup shredded swiss or gruyere, dash of hot sauce.
- Asparagus and Tomato – 1 cup shredded swiss or gruyere, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, 1 cup sautéed asparagus, drained, fill and top with 1 cup of cherry tomatoes.
- Broccoli – 1 cup of shredded cheddar, swiss, gruyere or mozzarella, 2 cups of broccoli steamed and drained, 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
- Ham and Cheese – 1 cup of shredded cheddar or swiss, 1 cup of ham (cubed) and 3 tablespoons chives or green onions, chopped.
Mini Quiche– Use a large cookie cutter to cut pie dough to fill muffin tin or phyllo shells on a sheet pan. Fill with custard and toppings. Bake 25 minutes or until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly.
Make Ahead – Quiche can be made ahead of time and then reheated. You can simply put your quiche together as directed, and bake from refrigeration when you’re ready. You do run the risk of a soggy crust with this method, though.
Another option is to bake your quiche fully, then let it cool before refrigerating or freezing and reheat to serve. You can also blind bake your crust and prep your filling and store them separately in the fridge, combining to bake when you’re ready.
To Store
- At Room Temperature – Quiche remain at room temperature no more than two hours during serving.
- Refrigerate – Wrap in an airtight container and store for up to three days.
- Freeze – In an airtight container, quiche can be frozen for up to three months. While it may last longer, it will begin to lose its fresh flavor after that point.
Video
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 704IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 1mg
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
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