If memory serves me correctly, Julia Child discovered the magical ratio of a half cup milk or cream to every egg for quiche. Her ratio produces the perfect custardy quiche every time. You end up with a not too runny and not too eggy, delicious pie. Add your favorite fillings, any veggies, protein, such as ham or sausage or bacon, and finish it off with your favorite cheese and there are as many variations of quiche as there are flavors of ice cream, maybe more.
We have a small locally owned French bakery here in town that serves up some of the creamiest quiche I have ever eaten. Their custard filling is silky smooth and creamy, and utterly delectable! I’ve been on a mission to recreate that same creamy, silky smooth texture in my quiches. I wasn’t getting the same consistency using Julia Child’s eggs to cream ratio. I did some research and after a few tries I finally nailed it. Not only is the filling phenomenal, but the crust is flakey and buttery, the perfect flakey vessel to hold the filling. Today is your lucky day. I’m sharing how you can easily make it at home too. You’re going to love this recipe…guaranteed!
The secret ingredient that makes this quiche so utterly creamy and delectably smooth is using Crème Fraîche instead of milk or cream in the filling. Yes, this recipe turns Julia Child’s quiche ratio of milk to eggs, on its head. You may not be familiar with Crème Fraîche. It’s commonly used in French cuisine and strictly regulated prohibiting the addition of any stabilizers, bulking agents, or emulsifiers. The closest thing to it here in the states would be sour cream or a full fat Greek yogurt, but Crème Fraîche has a silkier, smoother, less tangy taste, and higher fat content than sour cream or Greek yogurt. You may have to hunt for it in the dairy case at the market.
If you can’t easily find it, I have good news…you can make it at home. Not only is it easy to make but it’s much more economical than buying it at the market. So just be warned, if you purchase Crème Fraîche at the market it’s on the pricey side.
Coming soon, How To Easily Make Crème Fraîche At Home. Sign up for Nature Way’s email updates and the recipe will be delivered directly to your inbox.
Preheat oven to 375℉.
Start by cutting bacon into half inch pieces. The recipe calls for 12 oz of bacon, but if you want to use an entire pound, I’m not going to judge, LOL!
Cook bacon until crisp.
Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess grease. Set aside.
Shred the cheddar cheese. Set aside.
Since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, every ingredient is important. Use a high quality cheese for the best flavor.
Dust work surface with flour.
Unfold thawed puff pastry dough and use a rolling pin to roll it into a 13 inch square.
Place dough in the bottom of a pie pan.
Use a knife or kitchen scissors to trim off excess dough.
TIP: Don’t throw out those extra scraps of dough. Place the trimmed off pieces in the bottom of the pan.
Place eggs, crème fraîche, salt and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.
If you have whole nutmeg I highly recommend grating it fresh for the best flavor.
Whisk everything together, until you have a well combined, smooth custard.
Pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the prepared pie crust.
Top the custard filling with the reserved cooked bacon.
Top with the shredded cheddar cheese.
Bake the quiche for 45-60 minutes; until the edges are golden brown and the center is set and no longer jiggles when you shake the pie pan.
Remove quiche from the oven and allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes before slicing into it to serve.
Delicious served warm or at room temperature.
Round out the meal with a crisp green Rockin’ Good Rocket Salad. The tangy lemon vinaigrette, and peppery flavor of the arugula contrasts beautifully with the smokey bacon and creamy cheddar cheese in the quiche. This is a dynamic duo and both are so, so very easy to make!
I love, love, love quiche and I’ve made many of them over the years, but I have to admit that this is the very best quiches I’ve ever pulled out of my oven. It’s that good! I love the buttery flakey crust made from one of my favorite convenience ingredients, puff pastry. I don’t know why I never thought to use it as a pie crust before. The filling is rich, smooth and delectably creamy, and the bacon and sharp cheddar provide one of my all time favorite flavor profiles. You must give this quiche a try, I’m betting you will never go back to Julia Childs ratio of cream and eggs ever again!
Think of the delectable combinations you can add to this creamy custard filling. Make it vegetarian with sliced mushrooms sautéed in butter with Gruyere cheese. Perhaps diced artichoke hearts with Monterey Jack cheese suits your fancy. Red bell pepper with Havarti cheese sounds equally delicious. Or maybe something heartier like salty diced ham, with blanched chopped asparagus, and Swiss. Maybe something spicier like sautéed chorizo, with diced green Chiles, and Pepper Jack cheese. The flavor combinations are only limited by your creativity and what you have hanging out in the veggie drawer of your fridge!
The inspiration for this recipe comes from The Gourmet Cookbook.
Creamy Bacon Cheddar Quiche
Equipment
- 9 inch pie pan
- Rolling Pin
- fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- ¾ lb bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- flour
- 6 large eggs
- 16 oz Crème Fraîche
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1½ cups aged Irish white cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉.
- Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess grease. Set aside.
- Shred the cheddar cheese. Set aside.
- Dust work surface with flour.
- Unroll puff pastry dough and use a rolling pin to roll out dough into a 13 inch square.
- Place dough in the bottom of a pie pan.
- Use a knife or kitchen scissors to trim off excess dough. Place the trimmed off pieces in the bottom of the pan.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together, eggs, crème fraîche, salt and nutmeg until you have a well combined, smooth custard.
- Pour the custard mixture through a fine mesh sieve into the prepared pie crust.
- Top the custard filling with the reserved bacon.
- Top with a layer of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Bake the quiche for 45-60 minutes; until the edges are golden brown and the center is set and no longer jiggles when you shake the pie pan.
- Remove quiche from the oven and allow it to cool for 15 minutes before slicing it to serve.
- Delicious served warm or at room temperature with a crisp green salad to round out the meal.
Did You Make This?
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John 6:35
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