Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine combines savory egg custard with crisp, flaky pie crust. My recipe is made with bacon, onions, and cheese for the BEST flavor! Feel free to customize with your favorite add-ins. Recipe includes a step-by-step how-to video.

The BEST Quiche Recipe

This quiche Lorraine recipe comes to you by email request from reader Mary Jo G.! I always appreciate your recipe requests and try to make them as I am able, so please keep sending them in. This was a fun one!

Why you should try it:

• Smooth, almost custardy texture thanks to a combination of eggs and heavy cream (I do include instructions for substituting some milk though!). The filling is rich and creamy without being cloying or too heavy on your stomach.
• Customizable; add your favorite protein, veggies, and cheeses. A handful of wilted spinach would be a great addition, and a wonderful way to add some green into your diet.
• Nice textural contrast between the buttery, flaky crust and creamy filling. I recommend using my homemade pie crust rather than store-bought so that you can skip the preservatives and maximize on flavor.
• Can be made in advance, so it’s perfect for holiday breakfasts or brunch (alongside some cinnamon rolls or coffee cake).

Before we get started with the recipe, I wanted to cover my bases and get into the nitty gritty about what a quiche Lorraine traditionally is and why my recipe varies from the strictest norms.

A Note on Traditional Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine originated in the Lorraine region of France as a simple, no-fuss recipe. It was originally made with bread dough, cream, eggs, and bacon. Besides using pie crust instead of bread dough, you’ll also notice that I add cheese to my recipe (and a few other flavor boosters!). Some purists will likely find an issue with this, so let me explain before anyone starts sounding off in the comments 😉.

Just as I stated with my fettuccine alfredo recipe, I want remind steadfast purists that I don’t aim to give you skeletally authentic recipes; my goal is to give you the best, tastiest versions of these recipes. Otherwise, I’d just be regurgitating the originals, and no one really needs me to do that!

So what follows below is my version, and it uses cheese because, well, cheese is delicious and it simply just does improve the dish. Traditionalists, you will just have seek your authentic recipes elsewhere. I’m sorry you’ll miss out! 🤪

What You Need

While my recipe is not necessarily traditional, it is the BEST quiche Lorraine I’ve ever had. As a result, you will see some ingredients listed below that aren’t conventional (but they add lots of flavor!).

• Pie crust. Shortcrust is commonly used for quiche, but I personally much prefer to use my favorite easy pie crust. Alternatively you could use a store-bought crust. 
• Bacon. Drain all but one tablespoon of the grease, which we will use to cook our onion and garlic. This adds such a nice flavor to our quiche Lorraine!
• Tabasco. A few dashes of hot sauce add a subtle depth of flavor. Cayenne pepper would also work if you don’t keep Tabasco on hand.
• Nutmeg. A pinch of nutmeg is traditional in quiche Lorraine, but you can always leave this out if you aren’t a fan of nutmeg.
• Cheese. Not traditional, but totally necessary in my book! Gruyere and parmesan are my favorites here, but cheddar or Swiss cheese would be great options too. Pick a hard cheese that you like eating, and make sure to grate it yourself for best results.

You will also need a baking pan! I use a 9.5″ quiche pan (linked below). A standard 9-9.5″ pie plate will work here, or you can use a 1.5″ deep tart pan. Most tart pans won’t be big enough for all the filling this recipe makes, so you will have extra if yours isn’t 1.5″ deep.

SAM’S TIP: For easy transferring in/out of the oven, place your quiche pan on a foil lined baking sheet. This also will catch any spills so your oven stays clean!

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Quiche Lorraine

Crust

1. Chill + first bake – Form your pie crust in your pan, then place in the freezer to chill while your oven preheats to 400F. Once your oven is ready, line your crust with parchment paper, add pie weights, and bake for 15 minutes.
2. Remove the parchment paper and pie weights, then dock the bottom crust with a fork (you can see I missed that step here, whoops!) and brush with egg wash.
3. Bake the crust for another 8-10 minutes or until the bottom turns a light brown color. Reduce the oven heat to 375F and let the crust cool while you prepare your filling.

Filling

1. Cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, then remove to a paper towel lined plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.
2. Add the onion to the remaining bacon grease and cook over medium heat until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat.
3. Whisk together the eggs, cream, tabasco, salt, and spices in a large measuring cup.
4. Add the cheese, bacon, onions, and garlic to your prepared crust, then evenly pour the filling mixture overtop.

5. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes or until set. Your quiche Lorraine is done when the edges are set but the center is still a bit jiggly–this yields that perfect, borderline custardy texture. To test for doneness, insert a sharp knife into the center of the quiche; if it comes out clean, it’s ready!

SAM’S TIP: If you struggle with your crust burning (I haven’t) you can cover the edges of the crust with foil or use a pie shield.

Frequently Asked Questions

What recipe would you like to see next? Let me know in the comments below!

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine combines savory egg custard with crisp, flaky pie crust. My recipe is made with bacon, onions, and cheese for the BEST flavor. Feel free to customize with your favorite add-ins!

Recipe includes a how-to video!

5 from 9 votes

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Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Course: Breakfast, lunch

Cuisine: American, French

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 311kcal

Author: Sam Merritt

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pie dough unbaked

Egg wash

• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon water

Filling

• ▢ 4 pieces bacon
• ▢ ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 1 ½ cup (354 ml) heavy cream see note
• ▢ ½ teaspoon table salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 3-5 drops Tabasco sauce
• ▢ 4 oz (113 g) shredded cheese – I do mostly gruyere with a bit of parmesan

Recommended Equipment

• ▢
  9” quiche pan (see note)
• ▢
  Pie weights
• ▢
  Mixing bowls

Instructions

Blind-bake the crust

• Form pie dough into quiche pan. Flute the edges. Place pan in freezer and preheat oven to 400F (200C). Allow crust to chill while oven preheats.
  1 pie dough
• Once oven is preheated, remove quiche pan from freezer, line with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights. Transfer to center rack of oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• While crust cooks, prepare egg wash by whisking together 1 egg with a teaspoon of water.
  1 egg, 1 teaspoon water
• Remove from oven, carefully remove pie weights, and brush the sides and bottom of the crust with your egg wash. Prick the bottom of the quiche crust all over with a fork.
• Return quiche pan to the oven and continue to bake another 8-10 minutes longer or until bottom is beginning to lightly brown. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 375F (190C). Allow crust to cool while you prepare filling.

Filling

• Place bacon in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat and cook until crisp and deep golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
  4 pieces bacon
• Drain all but 1 Tbsp of the grease from the pan. Add onion and cook until softened (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Remove from heat.
  ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• In a large measuring cup, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and Tabasco sauce.
  4 large eggs, 1 ½ cup (354 ml) heavy cream, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 3-5 drops Tabasco sauce
• Crumble bacon evenly over the quiche crust and scatter cheese, onions, and garlic evenly overtop. Pour egg mixture evenly over the crust. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (in case of spills) and transfer to center rack of 375F (190C) oven. Bake for 35 minutes or until edges are set but the center still slightly jiggles. A sharp knife inserted in the center of the quiche should come out clean.
  4 oz (113 g) shredded cheese – I do mostly gruyere with a bit of parmesan
• Allow to cool about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Quiche pan

A quiche pan is deeper than a tart pan. Here is a quiche pan that I use. Not all of the filling will fit if you opt to use a tart pan. If you don’t have a quiche pan, you could instead use a 9 or 9 ½” pie plate, instead.

Heavy cream/milk

You may substitute ½ cup of the heavy cream with whole milk, if desired. This will make the tart a bit less creamy.

Cheese

Gruyere is a classic choice, I like to use mostly gruyere with a bit of parmesan. Sharp cheddar would also work. For best results, buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself.

Tabasco

May omit or substitute a dash of cayenne pepper instead.

Storing

Allow quiche to cool after baking then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Freezing

Wrap quiche in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. After thawing, reheat in a 350F oven for 15-20 minutes, until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 738IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

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