Quiche Lorraine

There’s a whole lot to love about this Quiche Lorraine recipe. It has the best flavor, can be prepared ahead of time, and leftovers store well. This is definitely a recipe you want in your arsenal for a last-minute meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner!). It also makes a classy addition to your breakfast spread, especially when you’re hosting guests. It’s my go-to for Easter or Christmas brunch! For the ultimate brunch, serve this alongside the very popular Cinnamon Roll Casserole, an easy coffee cake or these Carrot Muffins.

I will never make any other quiche lorraine recipe. It was super delicious!

— Rosa

Ingredients needed

Because Quiche Lorraine is made with simple ingredients, be sure to use the freshest ingredients you can find. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Pie crust. Use this flaky, delicious homemade pie crust or this very simple pie crust recipe that uses oil instead of butter or shortening, yet is super flaky too. Both are easy to make and create a beautiful crust. Or just buy a frozen crust! No judgement here, use what you feel like.
• Bacon. You will need 8 slices of chopped bacon for the quiche filling. We like to use thick cut bacon.
• Shallot. It’s an extra step to caramelize the finely diced shallot, but well worth it to awaken the entire flavor profile. Sub with onion, if you’d like.
• Eggs. We’re using 3 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks to make the custard. Using the extra yolks guarantees the richest, most luxurious filling. 
• Heavy cream. To create an ultra velvety and rich filling, make the custard with heavy cream (heavy whipping cream). You can substitute with half and half, but the filling won’t be as creamy.
• Flavor makers. A blend of fresh thyme, salt and black pepper add amazing taste without overwhelming the flavor. Feel free to mix in a dash of nutmeg, if you’d like.
• Cheese. You can use any Swiss cheese, but we highly recommend freshly grated Gruyere cheese. It melts beautifully and has a buttery, nutty, incredible flavor.

What pan to use

This recipe is written so it works perfectly with either a 9-inch quiche pan or a deep dish 9-inch pie plate. The quiche pan is great because it has a removable bottom. This allows you to bake the quiche, then push up the bottom and the sides drop away from the pan, allowing for easy transfer to a plate or cake stand for beautiful presentation. It’s also easier to remove the slices from the pan without losing any crust.

Blind bake the crust

If you’ve ever had a quiche with a soggy crust, it’s probably because it wasn’t blind baked first. Blind baking is the process of pre-baking a pie crust (or pastry crust) first without the filling. It’s necessary to blind bake the crust when it’s going to be filled with an unbaked filling. A baked crust has a firmer texture that won’t soak up the liquid filling.

If you make a homemade crust, you’ll need to cover the bottom crust with parchment paper and then pie weights or dried beans, but when using a frozen pre-made pie crust, it’s fine to bake without the weights.

1. Prep crust. Preheat oven to 425°F. Make pie crust according to recipe and place in a deep dish pie pan. If using frozen, pull out of freezer and let thaw for about 10 minutes. Poke holes all around inside edges and bottom of pie crust with a fork.
2. Bake crust. Place pie pan on a rimmed baking sheet for easy transport. Blind bake (pre-bake) pie crust for 12 minutes. Once removed, reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

How to make this recipe

Whether you’re looking for an easy brunch recipe or a light lunch, this Quiche Lorraine recipe is definitely the way to go. It looks like there are quite a few steps, but it’s really very easy to put together. Here’s how:

Full, printable recipe at the bottom of the page.

1. Cook bacon. Meanwhile, with a pair of scissors, cut bacon into 1-inch pieces and fry in a large skillet until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon from pan and place on paper towel lined plate.
2. Sauté shallots. Remove (or drain) most of the bacon grease from pan using a paper towel or discard into a dish and save for a later recipe. Add diced shallot to pan and cook low and slow to caramelize them (about 15 minutes).

5. Make egg custard. Crack eggs and yolks into a medium bowl and whisk just until combined. Whisk in half & half, thyme, salt and pepper.

6. Assemble. In bottom of pie crust, layer half of the bacon, shallots, and cheese. Gently pour or ladle in egg mixture over top. Then, sprinkle in the remaining bacon, shallots and cheese.

6. Bake. Place in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked through. You will want to bake this until the edges are set and the center jiggles just a little when the pan is moved. The center will continue to cook and firm up once removed from the oven, so you don’t want it completely done.
7. Cool & serve. Allow to cool about 10 minutes on a wire rack before slicing and serving. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Expert tips

• Blind baking crust. Whether you choose to use homemade or store-bought crust, this recipe uses the technique of “blind baking” which simply means partially baking the pie crust before adding the filling. This ensures the crust stays buttery and flaky even on the bottom – no soggy crust here!
• Gluten free. Use a homemade gluten-free pie crust (or store-bought) to make this quiche gluten free.
• Milk. For best results, use only heavy cream or half & half for the custard. We do NOT recommend the use of whole milk or any other milk variety or you may have trouble with your quiche setting.
• Keep an eye on the crust. Be sure to watch the crust as it bakes. If it is becoming too dark, cover the outside ring of the crust with foil or use a pie shield.
• Don’t over bake. For the creamiest results, it is important to keep an eye on your quiche in the last few minutes of baking. You will want to bake this until the edges are set and the center jiggles just a little when the pan is moved. The center will continue to cook and firm up once removed from the oven, so you don’t want it completely done.

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

Quiche Lorraine is typically served as a main dish for breakfast or brunch. It’s already a very hearty dish, so we like to keep the sides simple. It can be served warm or at room temperature – we prefer it warm. Here are a few ideas: 

• Fruit. If I’m enjoying this for breakfast or brunch, I’ll pair it with some fruit, like sliced oranges, bananas, cantaloupe, grapes, pineapple, strawberries and/or blueberries. It would also go great with a simple fruit salad.
• Bread. Simple piece of toast, a blueberry muffin, slice of lemon bread or zucchini bread.
• Salad. When I make this for lunch or dinner, I usually have a small green salad on the side. For a green salad, simply toss mixed greens with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Feel free to add toppings to your salad such as red onion, cherry tomatoes, avocado or croutons.

Storage tips

• Storing leftovers. Place any leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• To freeze. Make sure the quiche is cooled completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place in a freezer safe, airtight container. It will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheating. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and place it in the oven at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, you can reheat individual servings in the toaster oven for about 10 minutes or in the microwave for about 1 minute until heated through.

If you try this, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves this recipe as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Also, tag @kimscravings on Instagram with a picture of your creation. Be sure to subscribe to our mailing list to receive more healthy delicious recipes straight to your inbox.