Quiche Lorraine

Timeless Quiche Lorraine with smoky bacon, nutty Gruyere and caramelized onions in a buttery, flaky crust is fabulous for breakfast, brunch, lunch and even dinner! 

This Quiche Lorraine recipe is intoxicatingly creamy, cheesy, buttery, bacony, custardy perfection that will have everyone coming back for seconds! Best of all, you can prep the filling and crust ahead of time OR use a store-bought pie crust – so there’s no reason not to make this recipe today!  This velvety, savory Quiche Lorraine is loaded with salty bacon, creamy Gruyère cheese, rich caramelized onions and adept seasoning cocooned in a soft yet flaky, buttery, rich crust. It’s swoon worthy for any meal, every occasion and the best way to feed a crowd. This Quiche Lorraine recipe is easy yet impressive with step by step instructions for the best quiche of your life!

Savory breakfasts are always a win to start off the day or make a fun breakfast-for-dinner option.  Some must try breakfast winners include: ham and cheese quiche, sweet potato frittata, sausage breakfast casserole, ham and cheese breakfast enchiladas, eggs Benedict casserole  breakfast tacos, breakfast quesadillas, and now this Quiche Lorraine recipe!

How to make Quiche Lorraine Video

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What is quiche Lorraine?

Quiche Lorraine is considered the gold standard for quiche – and soon you’ll taste why.  Quiche Lorraine is a savory tart filled with a rich custard filling made of eggs, cream, Swiss cheese and smoky bacon cocooned in a buttery, flaky crust.  Modern adaptations, like the one I’m sharing with you today, also often include caramelized onions or shallots.

Where did Quiche Lorraine originate?

Contrary to popular belief, the French did not invent Quiche Lorraine, but they did improve upon it.  Quiche Lorraine originated in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, Germany, which the French took over after World War I, which they renamed Lorraine.  In fact, the word ‘quiche’ is from the German ‘Kuchen’, meaning cake.

Lorraine resides in what is considered the Aslace region of France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland.  It is one of the few areas not bombed during WWII with the most picturesque villages to this day.  I had the privilege of visiting there a few years ago which you can check on my IG highlights under Belgium-France (It appears halfway through, starting with Colmar).  Just like I was mesmerized by the charming Alsace region, you will be mesmerized by the deliciousness that is Quiche Lorraine!

The Evolution of Quiche Lorraine

The original Quiche Lorraine, dating back to medieval Germany, was made with bread dough filled with a simple filling of cream, custard and smoked bacon.  It wasn’t until later that Swiss cheese became a standard ingredient in the recipe.

Quiche Lorraine became popular in England sometime after World War II and in the U.S. during the 1950’s.  It wasn’t until the 1970s, however, that quiche gained the reputation of being a Ladies-Who-Lunch type of dish.  Quiche Lorraine gave birth to every variation of quiche imaginable from broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, ham, salmon, crab, mini quiche, crustless quiche etc. In fact, Southern Living magazine featured quiche in every single issue in the seventies! 

Still, there has never been a more popular version than the original Quiche Lorraine – I’m guessing it’s the bacon ;). It’s perfectly creamy, perfectly cheesy, perfectly salty, perfectly addicting.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUICHE AND QUICHE LORRAINE?

Quiche Lorraine is a type of quiche with very specific ingredients.  To be considered Quiche Lorraine, the quiche must be made with eggs, heavy cream, bacon, and Swiss cheese. Any quiche that strays from this formula with the omission of bacon or the addition of other ingredients such as ham, sausage, vegetables, etc. is considered quiche, not Quiche Lorraine.

As with many traditional dishes, however, it tends to evolve the farther it gets from home.  In this Quiche Lorraine recipe, I’ve kept the building blocks of traditional Quiche Lorraine but I’ve added caramelized onions for incredible savory flavory, garlic because it makes everything better, Parmesan for its nutty, salty richness and seasonings to make all the ingredients sing.

So basically, I break the rules of traditional Quiche Lorraine, and the French might call it blasphemy, but the flavor still rings of classic Quiche Lorraine – just better.   

QUICHE lorraine RECIPE

This Quiche Lorraine is rich, creamy, cheesy, custardy heaven. It may sound, look and taste fancy, but I’ll let you in on a little secret – it’s astonishingly easy to make!  If you use a prepared frozen pie crust it’s almost no effort or time at all. You simply cook the onions and bacon then combine them with the eggs, heavy cream and cheese and bake. 

If you choose the homemade quiche crust route, it’s also very easy to make with my 5 minute food processor pie crust dough, it just takes some planning ahead.  Homemade quiche crust requires 2 hours of chilling before rolling and another 45 minutes after being formed into the pie pan or quiche pan.  This means it’s ideal to make the day before and just pull out and fill OR you can use a store-bought pie shell.

No matter which crust you use, one thing is for certain, Quiche Lorraine is the perfect dish for just about any meal, not just breakfast or brunch!  We love it for lunch or dinner as well with a side salad.  It’s also fabulous for or on-the-go breakfasts, brunch (looking at you Mother’s Day), baby showers, bridal showers or potlucks (post pandemic).

You can also use this Quiche Lorraine recipe and customize it to suit your mood, preference or pantry by adding other meats (sausage, ham, sausage, shredded chicken, crab, etc.,) vegetables (tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.) or different cheeses or herbs.  Just be aware that once you swap ingredients, the savory custard pie is no longer Quiche Lorraine but just a fabulous quiche.

Why this is the best quiche Lorraine recipe

There are a few elements that elevate this Quiche Lorraine recipe above the rest:

• First, the filling is made with heavy cream instead of half and half and one extra egg yolk for the richest, most luxurious filling. 
• Second, this recipe doesn’t just call for Swiss cheese, which can be any number of sad American Swiss copycats, but for Gruyere Swiss cheese which is the consummate melting cheese with buttery, nutty fantastic flavor. 
• Third, I always like to use two cheeses in my quiche recipes for extra dimension, so for this quiche recipe, Parmesan adds unparalleled salty richness.  
• Fourth, this quiche recipe is adeptly seasoned with Italian herbs and hints of paprika and mustard that will make your taste buds sing without overwhelming the decedent yet delicate custard.  
• Lastly, 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!

quiche lorraine iNGREDIENTS

This Quiche Lorrainne recipe looks impressive, but uses pantry friendly ingredients!  Once the quiche crust is done, you can practically prep the filling with your eyes closed! Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this easy Quiche Lorraine recipe: 

• Quiche crust:  You will need one homemade pie crust recipe or you can use a 9-inch-deep dish store-bought crust.  More details to follow.
• Bacon:  Use thick cut bacon so the bacon doesn’t get lost.  You will need 8 ounces for the quiche filling but I like to cook up a little extra for garnish.
• Eggs: You will need 4 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk for extra richness. For best results, your eggs should be at room temperature. This ensures that the quiche filling bakes evenly in the oven. 
• Heavy Cream: Also called “heavy whipping cream” at the grocery store makes the quiche filling ultra velvety and rich. If you want to substitute with half and half, it will still work, but the quiche won’t be as luxurious – more of a frittata texture. 
• Gruyere:  Gruyere cheese is a Swiss cheese that is sweet, slightly salty, creamy, nutty – in short, it is AMAZING and elevates this quiche recipe. It boasts enough flavor to cut through the richness of the eggs/heavy cream and is the consummate melting cheese. Gruyere can be found with the specialty cheese (usually by the deli) in your grocery store.  Make sure to look for authentic Swiss-made Gruyère that has the AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) seal, which means it meets strict quality standards AKA it tastes the best! Americanized Swiss cheese is made from pasteurized milk and is significantly less flavorful than real Swiss cheese.
• Aromatics:  Onions and garlic awaken the entire flavor profile.  You may also use 2 shallots in place of the chopped onions.
• Seasonings: This Quiche Lorraine recipe is seasoned with a rainbow of dried parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, paprika, ground mustard, and pepper.  They season the quiche without overwhelming the bacon or creamy custard.

CAN YOU USE MILK INSTEAD OF HEAVY CREAM OR HALF AND HALF IN QUICHE?

No, please DO NOT use milk or your quiche will not set.

Do I need a quiche pan?

The pan you see featured in these photos is a quiche pan but a pie pan will work just fine.  The reason I love a quiche pan for both quiche and pie is 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.  This feature is amazing because:

• It allows you to easily transfer the quiche to a plate or cake stand for beautiful presentation
• The quiche is easier to slice, and more importantly, it’s easier to remove the slices from the pan without losing any crust
• It allows the quiche to cool to savory golden perfection out of the pan so the crust stays soft and flaky and doesn’t overcook

Do I need to make adjustments to the filling if using a different pie pan other than the one pictured here?

Nope!  This Quiche Lorraine recipe is written so it works perfectly with either a 9-inch quiche pan or a standard 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. The quiche pan has higher sides so you have a little more wiggle room if you want to add additional veggies or meat to the filling, otherwise, you’ll just have a little more crust above the filling as seen in these photos.  

About quiche crust

This quiche crust is the same shortcrust pastry used for traditional pies. Shortcrust pastry is a type of pastry made with equal amounts of butter and lard (shortening) that results in a crust that is gloriously buttery and flaky, holds together when slicing and transferring, yet soft enough so it cuts with barely any effort.  

Best of all, even if you’ve never made quiche crust before, you’ll find that it’s SO easy to make in your food processor. Just pulse flour, butter, shortening salt and water together, chill, then roll – the hardest part is hours hands-off chilling time! If you want to see exactly how to make it, make sure to check out the quiche video at the top of the post or in the recipe card.

For the best quiche crust, I used my homemade pie crust recipe which turns out perfectly every time. If making the homemade shortcut pastry, make sure to plan ahead! The dough needs to chill for at least 2 hours, so it’s handy to make it the night before you make the quiche, so all you have to do is roll and bake the next day. You can even bake the quiche crust up to three days in advance or further in advance and freeze it until you’re ready to bake your fabulous Quiche Lorraine. 

DO I HAVE TO USE HOMEMADE quiche CRUST?

Nope!  If you’re short on time, you can use a store-bought pie crust but if you do have the time, homemade is 100% worth the time and effort – it’s buttery and flaky in ways store-bought can only dream of.  

HOW TO USE STORE BOUGHT PIE CRUST

When buying frozen pie crust, make sure to purchase a 9-inch deep-dish pie crust, a regular pie crust will not work because it is not deep enough.  If you unpackage the pie crust and it’s cracked, make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water and use it to fill any cracks.  You can use this same trick if your crust cracks after pre-baking as well. Which brings me to my next point, you will still need to blind-bake store-bought pie crust to prevent a soggy bottom.  Here’s how:

• Remove the pie crust from the freezer and thaw for about 10 minutes or until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork.
• Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (about an inch apart to prevent crust from puffing up).
• Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. You do not need to fill store-bought pie crust with weights.

WHAT IS BLIND BAKING PIE CRUST?

This Quiche Lorraine recipe requires you to blind bake the homemade quiche crust first.  Blind baking might sound complicated but it simply means partially pre-baking the empty pastry before you add the filling. 

WHY YOU SHOULD BLIND BAKE THE QUICHE CRUST?

Blind baking is important to achieve a flaky crust verses a soggy crust. Blind baking allows the sides to set and the bottom to crisp up, something that can never happen if immediately filled and baked with a wet filling.

HOW TO MAKE quiche lorraine 

Don’t be intimidated by how beautiful this Quiche Lorraine looks! It’s easy to make, it just requires some hands-off dough chilling time.  Here’s a breakdown of the steps to make the best Quiche Lorraine at home: 

STEP 1: MAKE THE CRUST

• Make the pastry dough according to these recipe instructions. 
• Press the dough into an 8-inch disc, cover in plastic wrap, and let chill for at least 2 hours. 
• Once the dough has had time to chill, roll it out into a 12-inch circle. 
• Gently transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate or quiche pan.

STEP 2: how to BLIND BAKE THE PIE CRUST

• Chill your quiche shell before blind baking.  The quiche crust should be chilled for 45 minutes (or longer) after it’s transferred to the pan before blind baking. The colder the crust before baking, the crispier and flakier it will be.  You want the fat to be firm going into the oven so it melts in the oven – not on the counter – this creates pockets of steam resulting in flaky layers.  Equally as important, chilling the quiche crust lets the strands of gluten relax which helps prevent constricting and shrinking.  

• Use pie weights to prevent the quiche crust from shrinking.  As the pastry bakes, the fat melts and shrinks which causes the bottom to shrink and therefore the sides to slide down.  Melting fat also creates steam which causes the dough to puff up if not weighed down with a filling.   To remedy both of these problems, you need pie weights, rice, or beans – any oven proof weight – to fill the bottom of the quiche crust. Now your center won’t puff up and the sides won’t shrink as much (some shrinkage is normal).  

• Bake without pie weights to brown the bottom.  You’ll bake the quiche crust for 18 minutes with pie weights which bakes the edges and secures them in place but since the bottom was covered with parchment and weights, it doesn’t brown up.  To remedy this, you’ll simply remove the parchment and pie weights and bake an additional 10 minutes.
• “Dock” the quiche crust before popping it back into the oven. This means pricking holes in bottom of the quiche crust with a fork which will allows steam to escape.  And no, your filling will not seep through the holes!

STEP 3: MAKE THE QUICHE FILLING 

• While the pie crust is baking, whip up your filling. The filling can also be made ahead of time.
• Brown the chopped bacon in a large skillet.  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon then cook the onions in the bacon grease.   This gives the onions so much flavor!
• To make the custard, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until lightly beaten. Whisk in heavy cream and seasonings then stir in the bacon, onions and cheeses.
• Carefully pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust. Use the back of a spatula to smooth out the filling if needed. 

STEP 4: BAKE THE QUICHE 

• Bake until the center is just about set. 
• Do NOT overbake the Quiche Lorraine! The center will finish cooking and will set completely as it cools. Also note that the quiche may puff as it bakes and will fall and settle once it cools.

HOW TO TELL WHEN A QUICHE IS DONE 

It is important not to cover-cook your homemade quiche to achieve light, fluffy, creamy perfection. Cook the quiche until the cheese is melted and the center is set but jiggles ever so slightly. Your quiche center should be soft and custardy, this means it is mega creamy. If you cut into your crust and it’s liquidly, then simply pop it back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

WHAT TEMPERATURE SHOULD QUICHE BE BAKED TO?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), egg dishes are safe to eat at 160 degrees F.   At this point however, the quiche will still be liquid in the middle.  Instead, bake the quiche until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center registers between 170 and 175 F.  Above 180 and it is definitely overcooked and runs the risk of curdling.  If it’s under 160, continue baking it until it reaches 170 degrees F. 

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST QUICHE lorraine 

• Prep ahead. I suggest making your pastry dough or go one step further and blind bake the pastry shell a day ahead of time so all you have to do is pull it out of the fridge and fill when ready.
• Chill the crust! The quiche crust will shrink if you don’t chill it before blind baking. Chill for at least 45 minutes.
• Use high-fat dairy: If you’ve experienced dry quiche in the past, it has either been overcooked or did not use enough fat. For the most luscious, never-dry quiche, I highly recommend heavy cream.  Half and half can work but will not make the best Quiche Lorraine.
• Don’t overbeat the eggs: Beat the eggs just enough to blend the whites and yolks. You don’t want to beat the eggs too much or you will incorporate too much air into the eggs; this will cause the quiche to poof in the oven and fall into a dense, sad pile after cooling. Over-beaten eggs can also become tough and rubbery.
• Don’t skimp the herbs and aromatics:  Use onions and garlic to build the flavor base.  You can use yellow onions, red onions, shallots or green onions – but use plenty of them!   I also recommend 3-4 garlic cloves and plenty of Italian herbs to flavor the entire dish. The only seasoning you don’t need a lot of is salt, as the bacon and cheeses are already quite salty.
• Use enough cheese: Many Quiche Lorraine recipes don’t use enough cheese which means a less creamy, less tantalizing quiche.  Cheese not only is a great way to introduce more flavor throughout the entire quiche but amps up the creamy factor.
• Use freshly grated Parmesan.  Don’t even think about using pre-shredded Parmesan! Please only use freshly grated cheese as packaged cheeses contain anti-clumping chemicals which inhibits their melting ability.
• Keep an eye on the crust.  Don’t forget to keep an eye on the quiche as it bakes.  If the crust is becoming too dark, cover the outside ring of the crust with foil or I love my pie shield.
• Don’t over bake the quiche: For the creamiest quiche, don’t overcook or you’ll end up with dry spongy, rubbery, crumbly eggs!  A perfect Quiche Lorraine recipe should have a custard-like consistency. There are a variety of factors when it comes to baking times such as pan material, actual ingredients, actual oven temperature, etc. so it is important to keep an eye on your quiche the last few minutes of baking, especially if you have never made the recipe before. You will want to bake the quiche 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.

Can you use other fillings in Quiche Lorraine?

Quiche Lorraine is minimalistic made with bacon and cheese.  You can substitute or add ingredients such as sausage, ham, mushrooms, spinach, if desired, just don’t call it Quiche Lorraine!  Here are some recipe variations:

• Protein: Instead of using bacon, try crumbled or chopped sausage, ham, chopped or shredded chicken, salmon, crab, shrimp or corned beef.
• Vegetables: You’ll need to sauté the veggies first, otherwise they won’t cook in time and they’ll make the quiche filling watery and the middle won’t set properly. A few veggies you can add to this easy quiche recipe include: spinach, cherry tomatoes, potatoes (regular or sweet potatoes – I steam in the microwave first), mushrooms, bell peppers, artichokes broccoli and cauliflower.  You can also use leftover roasted veggies – yum!
• Cheeses: I like using a blend of cheeses in my quiche recipes for maximum flavor and texture. I recommend using at least one soft cheese so the filling is extra creamy!  Some other cheeses to experiment with are: Gouda, mozzarella, fontina, asiago, taleggio, provolone, goat cheese and feta. Some cheeses, such as mozzarella, aren’t as salty, so you will want to add a pinch of extra salt to the filling.
• Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs and savory, cheesy egg custard is a match made in heaven! Try adding fresh chives, basil, cilantro, or parsley to your quiche.  If swapping fresh herbs for the dried herbs in this recipe, you’ll need 3 to 1 fresh to dried.

Can You Make This a Crustless Quiche?

Crustless quiche is exactly that – quiche without a crust!  You can make a crustless Quiche Lorraine by following the recipe but adding one more egg and ¼ cup flour to the filling then pouring into a 9-inch pie dish generously greased with cooking spray.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 -40 minutes.

CAN I PREP QUICHE IN ADVANCE? 

Yes! You have a few options when it comes to making this quiche recipe in advance: 

• Pie crust: Make the quiche crust in advance and chill in the fridge for up to 5 days OR make further in advance and freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight and use. You can also partially pre-bake the crust in the pie plate up to 3 days in advance.  Let cool, cover and refrigerate.  
• Bacon and onions:  Can be cooked up to two days ahead of time and stored in separate airtight containers.
• Egg filling: You can whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, seasonings, onions and cheeses, cover, and store in an airtight container (NOT the pie shell) for up to 24 hours. Add the bacon and give the mixture a stir before using to.
• Whole quiche: You can assemble and bake the entire quiche before serving it. Quiche will last up to 4 days in the fridge, but it’s best within the first 24 hours of making it. It’s delicious served cold, room temperature, or warm, but I’m partial to warm.

HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT QUICHE

Quiche reheats very well so it’s fabulous to make ahead.

• To store: Let the quiche cool to room temperature on your countertop before covering it with foil and refrigerating it. It will last up to 4 days in the fridge. 
• To reheat in the microwave: Warm individual servings on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave for about a minute or until warmed through. I like to cut my slice in half before microwaving so it warms evenly.
• To reheat in the oven: Transfer whole quiche to the oven and reheat for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F or until heated through.  For quiche slices, transfer them to an oven-safe baking dish, then cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
• From frozen:  Thaw a slice for 2 minutes on high in the microwave then bake for 10 minutes.

CAN YOU FREEZE QUICHE? 

Yes! This Quiche Lorraine freezes like a dream! Here’s how to freeze a quiche: 

• For slices:  Wrap each slice in plastic wrap then seal inside a freezer-safe plastic bag. 
• For whole quiche:  Wrap quiche in a double layer of plastic wrap followed by a double layer of foil. 
• Freeze for up to 3 months. 
• When ready to eat, you can reheat quiche slices from frozen per method above but it is best to thaw a whole quiche in the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating. Reheat for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F or until heated through. 

WHAT TO SERVE WITH QUICHE Lorraine? 

Quiche Lorraine is typically served as a main dish for breakfast or brunch. It’s already a very hearty dish, so I like to keep the sides simple. A few ideas of what to serve with quiche include: 

• Fruit: Oranges, bananas, cantaloupe, strawberries, acai bowls, fruit salad, winter fruit salad, cranberry ambrosia salad, yogurt fruit salad. 
• Bread: Simple toast, or avocado toast, cinnamon roll monkey bread, sweet orange roll bread twists, lemon bread.
• Muffins: French toast muffins, blueberry muffins, cornbread muffins, chocolate zucchini muffins, pumpkin muffins, Nutella snickerdoodle muffins.

HOW TO MAKE MINI QUICHE

This quiche recipe will work great to make mini quiche as well but you will need TWO pie crusts (double the homemade pie crust recipe):

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray two nonstick 24-cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray.
• Working with 1 chilled pie dough at a time (store-bought or homemade), roll out onto a floured surface into a 12-inch circle.  Using a 2.5-inch cookie cutter, cut out 24 circles, rerolling the scraps as needed.  Work quickly as the dough becomes more delicate and tears more easily the longer it’s at room temperature. Repeat with 2nd chilled pie dough for a total of about 48.
• Transfer the dough rounds into greased pans and press the dough flat into the bottom and up the sides. Evenly pour filling into each unbaked crust.
• Bake mini quiches until the center is just about set and edges are lightly browned, about 25-28 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES FOR A CROWD: 

• The Best Frittata 
• Eggs Benedict Casserole 
• Breakfast Enchiladas 
• Breakfast Pot Pie 
• Sausage Breakfast Casserole 
• Pecan Praline French Toast Bake
• Breakfast Tacos
• Breakfast Burritos 

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