Quiche Lorraine

This quiche Lorraine recipe is an easy make-ahead breakfast, brunch, or lunch made of creamy egg custard, bacon, and cheese filling.

A custardy quiche nestled into a flaky, buttery crust is the stuff brunch dreams are made of. I have several great quiche recipes, like my ham and broccoli quiche, my smoked salmon and goat cheese quiche, and even a deep-dish spinach, leek, and bacon quiche. However, it doesn’t get much more classic than this quiche Lorraine. It’s essentially the French version of your classic American breakfast of bacon and eggs, only whisked into a dreamy, silky custard that’s baked in a sublimely flaky, homemade, all-butter crust. What’s not to love?

Why You’ll Love It

• This quiche Lorraine is an easy one-pan dish you can whip up rather quickly, with enough to serve the whole party or make for meal prepping breakfast and lunches.
• It’s versatile. This quiche Lorraine doesn’t have to be limited to fancy brunches. Quiche can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner with a simple side salad.
• My quiche calls for half-and-half and whole eggs to make a tender egg filling that isn’t too filling but just the right amount of butterfat to make that velvety bite.

see more: 20 Make-Ahead Holiday Breakfasts

Quiche Lorraine Ingredients List

The traditional quiche Lorraine recipe is made with a pâte brisée crust filled with a creamy egg custard, and studded with crispy lardons. and white cheese (Swiss or gruyere).

• Eggs—Eggs are the central ingredient in quiches and they give this custard body. Use the best, freshest ones you can find, and be sure to use large eggs
• Bacon—I like using thick-cut, applewood smoked bacon for this quiche Lorraine
• Swiss cheese—You could use an aged Swiss or even Gruyere (just be sure not to buy pre-shredded cheese)
• Onion—Onion lends a nice savory flavor to the quiche
• Half-and-half—This gives the custard a lovely richness and also helps thicken it (you could also use a combination of cream and whole milk)
• Nutmeg—Just a pinch, to add warmth to the custard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—for a well-rounded flavor
• My favorite all-butter pie shell —for the best, buttery, flaky crust (or a great quality store-bought brand)

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Blind Bake (Prebake) the Quiche Crust

You’ll need to pre-bake or “blind-bake” your pie crust. Blind-baking is simply pre-baking a single-layer pie crust with pie weights, before filling it. This ensures it’s flaky and thoroughly cooked instead of soggy or underdone. One casualty of blind baking an empty pie crust is sides that slump and slide into the middle of the pie tin, which is why weights are important. Here’s how to blind-bake:

• Preheat your oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Fill with pie weights. Take the pie crust from the freezer and line the dough with heavy-duty aluminum foil, pressing into the edges so it’s flush with the pie shell. Add enough weights to come up to the crust’s lip (you can use ceramic pie weights, dry beans, or sugar.
• Ready, set, (pre) bake. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and let cool for a few minutes before adding your quiche filling. Adding the filling to a piping-hot crust will cause the butter in the dough to melt prematurely.

see more: 14 Days of Healthy Breakfast Recipe Ideas

How to Make Quiche Lorraine

Once you’ve mastered my all-butter pie crust it’s all about the delicious egg custard and filling, which is the hallmark of any great quiche.

Here’s how to make it:

• Build your quiche. After you blind-baked your crust, layer the shredded cheese, crumbled bacon, and sautéed onion in the still-warm (but not hot!) crust.
• Whisk your custard. Whisk the egg and half-and-half mixture in a bowl, then slowly pour over the bacon mixture, but do not stir or fold to mix. Resist the urge to add more cheese to the top of the quiche. This is quiche, not lasagna and more doesn’t always mean better.

Bake the Quiche Lorraine

• Get ready to bake. Before baking, increase the oven temperature to 375°F. Place your quiche on a sheet pan. I find it’s much easier to transfer it in and out of the oven this way, plus the sheet pan helps catch any potential drippage.
• Top and bake.  I like to save a few big chunks of bacon to gently place on top of the quiche Lorraine before baking for presentation. If they sink to the bottom, that’s okay too. Bake the quiche for 30-35 minutes or until the top puffs and begins to brown. The top and sides should be set, but the center should still have a little jiggle. Keep in mind the quiche will continue to set as it cools.
• Cool and set. Let the quiche rest on a cooling rack before cutting and serving, when it will be easiest to cut and not fall apart. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Note: The quiche will puff as it bakes and will fall and settle once it cools (this is normal!).

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Make it crustless
• Swap the pork bacon for chopped ham, pancetta, or turkey bacon
• For an even richer custard, use heavy cream
• You can add more ingredients to your quiche, though I don’t recommend adding too many mix-ins. Otherwise, your quiche may overflow in the oven. Chopped asparagus, leeks, mushrooms, and spinach would all be delicious additions.

FAQ and Recipe Tips:

• Why is it called Quiche Lorraine? This quiche gets its name from the Lorraine region of France. The region was previously German, and the word quiche comes from the German word “kuchen,” which translates to flan or torte.
• Use a glass or foil pie dish. These conduct heat far better than ceramic pie dishes. I like glass pie dishes like this one, because it allows me to see the bottom when I check for color and doneness.
• Ratio matters. To achieve the creamiest quiche texture, the secret (besides not overbaking) is using the right ratio of eggs to dairy. Also, avoid overfilling the quiche with too many mix-ins so the eggs have space to set. How you layer the ingredients, and how much you add, helps keep the quiche creamy.
• Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. For the best texture and flavor, buy a block of Swiss or Gruyere and shred it yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses are often coated in cornstarch to prevent them from forming clumps, which can alter the texture of your quiche Lorraine.

• Can I use a store-bought pie crust? You can use a high-quality store-bought crust, though I prefer making my pie crust for this easy quiche recipe. Note that you’ll still need to blind-bake the crust even if it’s store-bought.
• Can I add other mix-ins to the filling? Yes, but you don’t want to add too many additional mix-ins otherwise your quiche may overflow in the oven. Chopped asparagus, leeks, mushrooms, and spinach would all be delicious additions.
• Can I freeze quiche Lorraine? Yes, very easily. You can freeze the entire quiche or freeze single slices. Just wrap well in a few layers of foil before freezing.

How to Reheat Quiche

You can reheat a whole quiche Lorraine in the oven or single slices in the microwave. Here’s how I like to reheat quiche:

• First, take the chill off. Let the refrigerated quiche sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes.
• To reheat in the oven: Tent the quiche with aluminum foil and place the quiche in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes. Test for temperature and warm longer if desired.
• To reheat in the microwave: Set the power at 50% and microwave for 2 minutes, then in 30-second increments until you reach your desired temp.

Storage Tips

Quiche Lorraine will keep covered with foil or plastic wrap (or stored in Tupperware) in the refrigerator for up to five days. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

What to Serve with Quiche Lorraine

• Cantaloupe and Mozzarella Caprese Salad
• Berry Delicious Fruit Salad
• The Best Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes
• Strawberry Arugula Salad with Watermelon and Feta
• Roasted Asparagus Recipe
• Summer Melon Cous Cous Salad with Avocado, Grapes and Mint

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

4.28 from 37 votes

Easy Quiche Lorraine

A combination of half and half and whole eggs creates a tender custard for bacon, cheese, and sautéed onions. Use a meltable, shredded, white cheese like Swiss or gruyere for the best custard feel.

Print SaveSaved!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine French

Keyword quiche

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Pre-bake Crust 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 437kcal

Ingredients 

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• 1 all-butter 9-inch single crust pie shell
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 cup Swiss or gruyere cheese
• 12 ounces bacon , sliced in half
• ⅓ cup diced yellow onion

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pre-bake frozen pie shell for 40 minutes as directed in my all-butter pie crust recipe.
• While the pie shell is baking, whisk the half and half, eggs and white pepper in a bowl or 4-cup measuring cup and set aside.
• Fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, then slice or break into ½-inch chunks. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the clear, rendered bacon fat, discard the rest, and carefully wipe out the warm skillet.
• Add the bacon fat back to the skillet and cook the onion over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until tender, and set aside.
• Once the pie shell has been pre-baked, remove it from the oven, set it aside to cool for a few minutes, and raise the oven temperature to 375°F.
• Place your quiche on a sheet pan (I find it's much easier to transfer it in and out of the oven this way, plus the sheet pan helps catch any potential drippage. Scatter the cheese on the pre-baked pie shell then top with the bacon and onion. Slowly pour in the custard mixture over the bacon mixture.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top of the quiche puffs and begins to brown and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean while the center may still be somewhat jiggly.
• Transfer to a cooking rack where the egg will continue to set. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature. If making ahead, bring to room temperature for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 450mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 460IU | Vitamin C: 0.6mg | Calcium: 189mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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