Recipe: Quiche With Three Variations

By
Janet A. Zimmerman
Janet A. Zimmerman
An award-winning food writer, cooking instructor, and author of five cookbooks. She focuses on dinners for two and date night cuisine.
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Updated on 01/10/22
Quiche

The Spruce / Dave Scantland

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 1 quiche

Quiche is a great dish to make when you have small amounts of leftover meat, cheese, or vegetables. My favorite combination is the classic trio of bacon, onion and Gruyère cheese, but spinach and mushrooms or roasted red peppers and onions make great vegetarian options. Just be sure that any vegetables you use are cooked and dried off—uncooked vegetables leach liquid out into the custard, which ruins the quiche.

The amount of filling is enough for a pie or tart pan 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep; if you're using a shallower pan, you may not need all the custard. I use a pan with a removable bottom to enable me to remove the quiche from the pan before slicing, but you can slice it in the pan as well. Use any crust recipe you like, but be sure to blind bake it or the bottom will become soggy.

Ingredients

For Variation #1:

  • 2 to 3 slices bacon, diced

  • 1/2 cup sliced onion (about 1/2 small onion)

  • 2 ounces Gruyère cheese, or Emmentaler cheese, grated

For Variation #2:

  • 1/2 to 2/3 cup mushrooms, quartered or sliced, cooked

  • 2/3 cup cooked spinach, optional

  • 2 ounces Gruyère cheese, smoked or regular, or smoked Gouda cheese, grated, optional

For Variation #3:

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper and nutmeg until thoroughly combined but not frothy.

  3. Spread filling ingredients (see below for preparation) over the bottom of the blind-baked crust.

  4. Pour the custard over carefully, making sure not to pour over the top of the crust. (It's best to place the quiche on a sheet pan or cookie sheet before pouring in the custard.)

  5. Depending on the size of your pan and the amount of filling you use, you may need less custard. If you need more, whisk another egg with 1/4 cup of half-and-half and add to the crust.

  6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or just until the custard is set and the top is very lightly browned.

  7. Let cool for 10 minutes or more before slicing.

Filling Variation #1

  1. In a small skillet, cook the bacon until browned but not completely crisp.

  2. Remove from pan and cool.

  3. Add the sliced onions to the bacon fat and cook until the pieces separate and soften.

  4. Let cool.

  5. Spread the bacon and onions over the bottom of the crust and top with the grated cheese.

Filling Variation #2

  1. Thoroughly drain the spinach, pressing as much liquid as possible out.

  2. Chop coarsely.

  3. Spread the mushrooms and spinach evenly over the bottom of the crust.

  4. Sprinkle with cheese.

Filling Variation #3

  1. Thoroughly dry the roasted red pepper.

  2. Spread the red pepper and onions evenly over the bottom of the crust.

  3. Sprinkle with cheeses.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1079 Calories
64g Fat
93g Carbs
31g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 1079
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 64g 82%
Saturated Fat 23g 117%
Cholesterol 234mg 78%
Sodium 1914mg 83%
Total Carbohydrate 93g 34%
Dietary Fiber 6g 21%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 363mg 28%
Iron 6mg 31%
Potassium 448mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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