A classic traditional Quiche Lorraine recipe, with bacon, onion and Gruyere cheese, cooked up in a rich cream and egg custard. Great brunch dish!
With Easter just a few weeks away, I thought I’d share my favourite thing to grace the Easter Brunch table – classic Quiche Lorraine.
I think Quiche Lorraine is the queen of quiche. It’s starts with a cream-based and egg custard and is studded with bacon and browned onion. Then of course, there is the cheese. Nutty Gruyere cheese is such a great flavour and pairs so perfectly with the bacon and onion. It’s a simple combination, but simply perfect.
I never mess with Quiche Lorraine. Yes, it’s an indulgence, but an ever-so-worthy one! I always use the heavy cream and all the eggs and cheese and bacon. I’d always rather eat less of a great quiche, than more of a mediocre one :)
How to Make Classic Quiche Lorraine
The hardest part of making Quiche Lorraine is the pastry. I’ve included a pastry recipe below if you need one and want to make your own (or use your favourite pastry recipe). Don’t feel you need to make your own pastry, if you would rather not. Store-bought pie shells work just fine.
I prefer a shortening-based pastry for quiche rather than a butter one, if you have a choice when buying. Quiche Lorraine is rich enough :) Be sure to use regular pie shells and not deep dish, as there won’t be enough filling to fill two deep dish quiche and quiche is usually on the thinner side, anyway.
After the pastry, it’s simply cook the bacon and onions, add the shredded cheese, then pour over the cream/egg mixture. Couldn’t be easier!
Recipe Tips
- You can make your own pastry from your favourite recipe or use the one below. Alternately, you can use store-bought pie shells.
- Be sure to cook the bacon/onion mixture until well done, to avoid limp bacon in your quiche.
- Be sure to allow the bacon/onion mixture to cool before putting into your pie shell, so there is not heat to warm up the pastry before it hits the oven.
- Gruyere cheese is the best for a classic Quiche Lorraine and I highly recommend using it if you can. Alternately, Swiss, Emmental or Jarlsberg cheese would be a decent substitute.
- This recipe will make 2 regular (not deep dish) quiches or one 12-inch tart-style quiche. A tart tin with a removable bottom is recommended, just to make it all nice and easy.
Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing
This quiche is best enjoyed freshly baked. You can fill the quiche, cover and refrigerate, to bake off later. Refrigerate unbaked quiche up to 8 hours. Baked quiche can be refrigerated, well wrapped, for 2-3 days.
You can also pre-bake the quiche and re-heat. To reheat, cover it with foil and bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes, until just heated through.
Quiche also freezes well, either unbaked or baked. Freeze up to 3 months.
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Get the Recipe: Classic Quiche Lorraine
Ingredients
Pastry: (for two 9-inch standard (not deep dish) pie shells or one 12-inch tart)
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 4-5 Tablespoons ice water
Filling:
- 6 slices bacon, diced
- 1 1/2 cups onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 4oz/110g)
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 6 large eggs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the pastry: Mix the flour, salt and shortening until it resembles coarse meal. Using a fork, mix in water, one Tablespoon at a time, until dough clings together and cleans easily from the bowl. You do not need to use all the water. Use just enough to make a dough. Gather it into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Divide dough in two if making two quiches, or leave as one ball if making a 12-inch tart. Flour a work surface and roll dough into circle about 2-inches larger than your pie or tart pan. Dough should be about 1/8" thick. Lightly grease the pie plate, then flip the dough onto rolling pin and transfer to pie plate(s). Refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Make the filling: In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon for 3-4 minutes or until the point where the fat has cooked off, but before it is starting to brown. Add the diced onion and cook together with the bacon, stirring regularly, until bacon is just crisp and onions are browned. Remove from heat. Spoon of the fat and discard (Just tilt the pan and the fat will run to the low point, where you can easily spoon it off). Put the bacon/onion mixture into a bowl to cooled to room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 375F. (regular bake setting/not fan assisted)
- Prepare custard by combining cream and eggs together in a large measuring cup or similar with a spout for pouring. Whisk together well with a whisk or fork. Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that there will be some salt from the bacon already in the mix, so you don't want to add too much salt.
- When bacon/onion mixture is cooled, scatter over bottom of pie/tart shell (dividing between the two if making two regular pies). Top with shredded cheese (again, dividing between two, if making two). Pour custard over-top (dividing, if necessary). Custard may only come about 1/2-2/3 up the pastry side. Don't worry, it will puff up as it bakes.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until set and quite golden in spots. Remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes, before slicing and serving.
Notes
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Can I use dairy free half and half?
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tested it, but I would think so. It’s the eggs that are responsible for the structure.