Over the years I’ve made dozens of quiches in just about every imaginable combination of flavors. Some with bacon or sausage, or leftover chicken, others with just loads of vegetables. The beauty of a quiche is once you get the ratio of cream to eggs right you can create literally thousands of tasty combinations. You are only limited by your imagination and what you have in your fridge. Not only can you let your creativity loose but quiche is also a healthy and affordable meal to serve your family.
The word “quiche” is Geman and means “kuchen” or cake. Quiche actually originated in Germany but the French later reinvented it and now it’s considered French fare. The first French Quiche came from the town of Lorraine, France, a border town near Germany, hence the name. The original was made using only egg, cream and bacon. Cheese was added later on. Today it is very common for quiches to be made with the addition of cheese. In my humble opinion, the addition of Swiss cheese significantly increases the flavor profile!
Today I’m going to share a classic Quiche Lorraine recipe that’s been around for centuries. It’s a classic because it is absolutely, utterly delectable and delicious! I cobbled together what I thought were the best ingredients and easy techniques from several different recipes. This is my version of the classic recipe that’s in keeping with a traditional Quiche Lorraine and it incorporates, an easy to make, from scratch, pie crust to ensure you get a perfect pie for all your efforts!
This recipe isn’t difficult, it just takes some time to make it. I wouldn’t attempt it on a busy weeknight when you are rushed and pressed for time. This is one of those recipes you want to make on a lazy weekend; perfect for a weekend brunch, when you have the luxury of spending some time in the kitchen. The beauty of this recipe is that it is equally delicious served up fresh out of the oven as it is reheated the next day or even served at room temperature.
This classic recipe is made completely from scratch but you can certainly take the shortcut of using a refrigerated pie crust if you are feeling intimidated about making your own crust, or if you are pressed for time. I encourage you to give this pie crust recipe a try. It’s actually a lot easier to make your own crust than you think it is. It uses basic ingredients that you have on hand, plus you know exactly what’s in it. That makes it a much healthier choice than a store bought crust, plus it’s the perfectly delicious cradle of crust to contain the delectably creamy filling!
I urge you to give making your own pie crust a try. I will walk you through the process step-by-step. Using a food processor makes this pie crust a snap to make! You’ll see just how easy it actually is! Plus I will share an easy tip that ensures you never end up with a soggy pie crust ever again! You will feel so proud of your beautiful and tasty creation, plus you’ll have bragging rights to making this classic meal completely from scratch!
So lets’ start by making the crust. Skip to the filling portion of the recipe if you decide to use a refrigerated pie crust instead of making it from scratch.
Place flour in a food processor.
Add the cold butter cubes. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
TIP: For the best results, be sure to use icy cold cubes of butter.
Separate an egg.
Add just the egg yolk to the mixture in the food processor, and pulse to combine. Reserve the egg white for later.
Slowly add water, a little at a time while blending, until the dough comes away from the sides and forms into a ball.
Remove dough from the food processor and shape it into a ball.
Cover the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Lightly flour your work surface. I have a mat that I like to use. It’s helpful in rolling the dough out large enough for the pan. I’m circle challenged when it comes to rolling out dough. Ask my girlfriend Veronica about my dough rolling skills. She witnessed them first hand, or should I say lack of, when we made empanadas together, LOL.
After dough has chilled for about 30 minutes, remove dough from the fridge, unwrap it and place it on your floured work surface.
Roll the dough out into a large circle.
Loosely wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unroll it into the pie pan.
Using your fingers, gently press the dough into the pie dish.
Crimp and flute crust edges. Trim off any excess dough.
Place a circle of parchment paper in the pie pan to cover the crust and fill with a layer of beans or pie weights.
COST SAVING TIP: No need two invest in pie weights, save beans in an airtight jar to reuse for baking pie crusts in the future.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
Remove pie crust from the oven and remove the beans and parchment paper.
Remember when you separated the egg? Now we are going to use that reserved egg white. Lightly beat the egg white with a fork and then baste the inside of the pie crust with the beaten egg white.
PRO TIP: Painting the inside of the pie crust with egg white will crisp it up & create a nice barrier to prevent a soggy bottom crust!
Return the pie crust to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until egg white is crispy.
Remove from the oven, set crust aside and reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
For the filling:
Once you have the crust going in the oven, it’s time to make the creamy, smoky, custardy filling.
Place a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and heat it over a medium flame. Once the oil is hot, add the diced Pancetta to the pan and cook it until golden crispy brown.
I used this uncured diced Pancetta, but you could also bacon instead of Pancetta. Just cut the bacon into 1 inch pieces and cook until crisp.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan if needed. Lower heat slightly and add the diced onion to the skillet. Cook until the onions are soft, caramelized and golden brown, about 5- 8 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits in the pan as the onions cook. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place half the shredded Swiss cheese in the bottom of the prepared pie crust.
Top with the caramelized onions and crispy fried pancetta.
Top with a layer of the remaining Swiss cheese and half the grated Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
Place eggs (and any leftover egg white from basting the pie crust), cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Whisk until ingredients are well combined.
PRO TIP: For best flavor, use freshly grated nutmeg if you have it on hand.
Pour the batter over the filling in the pie crust.
Top with remaining grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover the edges of the crust with a pie crust shield.
COST SAVING TIP: Use strips of foil to cover the edges of the pie crust if you don’t have a pie crust shield.
Bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes until light golden brown, and the center of the pie sets up and it no longer jiggles when you shake the pan.
Remove from the oven and allow quiche to rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Slice into generous sized wedges and serve with either a fresh fruit salad or a crisp green salad to round out the meal.
Give this green salad with this Tangy Dijon Vinaigrette a try. It’s the perfect tart contrast of flavor to this rich, smoky, creamy Quiche Lorraine.
This is by far my absolute favorite quiche recipe! The Swiss cheese gives it a slightly tangy flavor, the Pancetta imparts a lovely mellow smokiness, and the rich cream and egg custard give it a silky, smooth creaminess that’s utterly delectable! The flavors all come together to create a perfect symphony of taste that you are absolutely going to love! Be sure to save this recipe and give it a try when you have the time to make it. This one is definitely a keeper for sure! Pull it out when you want to impress!
Whether you are serving this Quiche Lorraine for dinner or for brunch you are going to get nothing but compliments from everyone! It’s delicious!
Classic Quiche Lorraine
Equipment
- Food processor
- 9 inch pie pan
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 stick cold butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 large egg, separated
- 3 tbsp water, approximately
For the Filling:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz diced pancetta, or bacon
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cups Swiss cheese or Gruyere, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups cream or whole milk
- ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- dash hot sauce, optional
Instructions
For the pie crust:
- Place flour in a food processor.
- Add cold butter cubes. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add the egg yolk and pulse to combine.
- Slowly add water, a little at a time while blending, until the dough comes away from the sides and forms into a ball.
- Remove dough from food processor and shape it into a ball.
- Cover the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- After 30 minutes, remove dough from the fridge, unwrap it and place it on a floured work surface.
- Roll the dough out into a large circle.
- Place dough into pie dish.
- Crimp and flute crust edges.
- Place a circle of parchment paper in the pie pan and fill with a layer of beans or pie weights.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
- Remove pie crust from the oven and remove the beans and parchment paper.
- Lightly beat the egg white with a fork and baste the inside of the pie crust with the beaten egg white.
- Return the pie crust to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes or until egg white is crispy.
- Remove from the oven, set crust aside and reduce oven temperature to 375°F.
For the filling:
- Place a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and heat it over medium flame.
- Add the diced pancetta to the pan and cook until golden crispy brown.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
- Add another tablespoon of olive oil if needed. Add diced onion to the skillet and cook until onions are soft, caramelized and golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Place half the shredded Swiss cheese in the bottom of the prepared pie crust.
- Top with the caramelized onions and crispy pancetta.
- Top with remaining Swiss cheese.
- Place eggs (and any leftover egg white from basting the crust), cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Whisk until ingredients are well combined.
- Pour the batter over the filling in the pie crust.
- Top with grated parmesan cheese.
- Cover the edges of the crust with a pie crust shield or with strips of foil.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 50-60 minutes until light golden brown, and the center of the pie sets up and it no longer jiggles when you shake the pan.
- Remove from the oven and allow quiche to rest for 30 minutes before serving.
- Serve with a crisp green salad to round out the meal.
Did You Make This?
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