Quiche
Flaky, tender, crust with a delicious silky filling that has endless flavor variations.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked pie crust (regular or gluten free)
- 4 large eggs
- 118 milliliters milk (4 ounces or ½ cup)
- 177 milliliters heavy cream (6 ounces or ¾ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon salt*
- 120 grams cheese, shredded or crumbled (4 ounces or 1 cup)
- 1-2 cups add-ins**
Instructions
Crust
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Make the pie dough ahead of time/the night before, because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out and blind baking (next step).
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Roll out the chilled dough on a floured work surface. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls, until you have a circle 12-13 inches in diameter. Roll and wrap dough around a rolling pin, then transfer to a 9 to 9½-inch, deep-dish pie pan.
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Unroll dough into pan, then shape into pan. Trim uneven edges while leaving about 1-inch overhang; tuck overhang underneath. Decorate edges as desired.
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Freeze dough for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Cover the pie crust with plastic wrap if chilling for longer than 30 minutes.
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While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
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Partially blind bake your crust. Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper, heavy duty plastic wrap or foil. Fill with pie weights, un-popped popcorn or dried beans. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. If using plastic wrap, make sure to pull the excess into the middle, covering the beans and making sure it doesn't touch the pan or it will melt.
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Bake about 13-15 minutes, until the edges of the crust are barely starting to brown. Remove pie from the oven, and carefully lift the parchment paper (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick all around the bottom crust with a fork. Return the pie crust to the oven. Bake an additional 7-8 minutes, until the bottom crust is just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven, and set aside. (Crust can still be warm when you pour in the filling. You can partially pre-bake the crust up to three days ahead of time.) Cover cooled crust tightly, and refrigerate until ready to fill.
Filling
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In a large bowl with a whisk or handheld mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt and any herbs or spices together until completely combined, about a minute.
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Starting with your cheese, add the mix-ins, alternating between cheese and whatever else you are using. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the top, and let it settle evenly.
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Bake the quiche about 45-555 minutes, until the center is just about set. Don’t overbake. Use a pie crust shield to prevent the pie crust edges from over-browning. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. You can also cool the quiche completely before serving. It’s delicious at room temperature. (My personal favorite way to enjoy it!)
Recipe Notes
*Add-Ins
- Whole Milk & Heavy Cream: Use this combination for the best texture. If desired, you can use one cup of half-and-half instead.
- Cheese: Really anything you like -- cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, gruyere, smoked gouda, goat cheese and feta cheese.
- Cooked Meat: Bacon, chicken, turkey, breakfast sausage, Italian sausage, chorizo, salami, pastrami, smoked salmon or cooked crab meat.
- Veggies: Corn, mushrooms, grape tomatoes (or sun-dried), bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, olives, kale, spinach, radicchio, arugula, peas, potatoes, zucchini, butternut squash, caramelized onion or shallot. Note that the vegetables should be cooked beforehand by sautéing, steaming or roasting, and any excess water should be drained or dried off.
- Herbs & Spices: Basil, parsley, chives, tarragon, dill, thyme, marjoram, chervil, oregano, herbs de Provence, red pepper flakes, paprika, a tiny bit of nutmeg, hot sauce...whatever you love.