Classic Quiche Recipe: Easy Base for Any Filling

Slices of spinach, cheese, and bacon quiche arranged in a circle on a white plate.

Classic Quiche Recipe: Easy Base for Any Filling

This easy quiche recipe pairs a flaky, all-butter crust with a silky egg custard loaded with bacon, sweet onion, spinach, Gruyère, and sharp Cheddar. It's my main quiche recipe, and the custard works with almost any filling. Serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or a cozy dinner with a green salad.

Course Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine American, French

Keyword homemade quiche, quiche recipe

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 55

Servings

Calories 510kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

For the pie crust

2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ice water

For the filling

10 ounces thick-cut bacon diced
1 medium yellow onion finely diced
8 ounces fresh baby spinach
1½ cups Gruyère cheese grated
½ cup sharp Cheddar cheese grated
6 large eggs
½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
¼ teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the pie crust: Add the flour, salt, and cold butter to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Drizzle in the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing between each addition until the dough begins to clump together when pressed between your fingers. Avoid over-processing.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. It will look like a pile of crumbs at this stage, which is fine. Use your hands to gently bring it together into a smooth disc. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Shape the crust: Roll the chilled dough into a circle about 2 inches larger than your pie plate. I used a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate about 2 inches deep. Use a large plate as a guide to cut a neat circle. Carefully transfer the dough to the dish, easing it into the corners without stretching or pressing hard. Leave an overhang around the rim. Slide the index finger of one hand under the dough, then use the thumb and index finger of your other hand to crimp the edge. Do not press the crimped edge down onto the outside rim of the pie plate (see notes).
Place the lined pie plate in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes while the oven finishes preheating.
Blind bake: Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, and return to the oven for 8 minutes, or until the base looks dry and is just beginning to turn lightly golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
Make the filling: While the crust bakes, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan.
Add the onion to the pan and cook until softened and lightly golden.
Place the spinach in a colander and slowly pour boiling water over it until completely wilted. Transfer the spinach to a plate and let it cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible using clean paper towels.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until completely smooth.
Reserve a handful of bacon, then stir the rest into the custard along with the onion, spinach, Gruyère, and Cheddar.
Assemble: Slowly pour the filling into the crust, stopping before it reaches the very top. Arrange the reserved bacon on top.
Bake: Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center has only a slight wobble when gently shaken. If the crust browns too quickly, loosely shield the edges with foil for the final 15 to 20 minutes. To check with a thermometer, the center should reach about 175 to 180°F (79 to 82°C).
Allow the quiche to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving, if desired.

Notes

I provide helpful step-by-step photos below this recipe card for visual guidance.
Don't press the crimped edge onto the rim: Let the crimped edge rest lightly on top of the rim. Dough pressed onto the outside of the plate sticks as it bakes, so it can crack or tear when the crust shrinks, and it makes the slices hard to lift out.
Squeeze the spinach really dry: Any extra water seeps into the custard and makes the quiche soggy. The same goes for any vegetable you swap in.
Look for a slight jiggle. Bake until the center still has a slight jiggle. The custard will continue cooking from residual heat as it rests.
Protect the crust with foil if needed. If the crust is browning too quickly before the filling has set, loosely cover just the edges with strips of foil. This protects the pastry without stopping the filling from browning.
Let it rest before slicing. Resist cutting into the quiche right after baking. Letting it cool for at least 30 minutes gives the custard time to fully set, so you get cleaner slices.
Any filling: Keep the crust and custard the same and use about 3 cups of cooked fillings plus 2 cups of shredded cheese. Always precook watery vegetables and squeeze greens dry. See more ideas for quiche fillings here.
Special Tools: 10-inch Deep-Dish Pie Plate | Food Processor | Rolling Pin | Parchment Paper | Pie Weights or Dried Beans | Large Skillet | Colander | Instant-Read Thermometer (optional)

Pie Dish Size and Leftover Filling

Use a deep 10-inch pie dish. This recipe is designed for one. If your pie plate is shallower than 2 inches, you may not need all of the filling.
Don't overfill. Stop pouring once the custard sits just below the rim. Overfilling can cause the custard to spill over as it bakes.
Turn leftover filling into mini quiches. If you have leftover filling, don't throw it away. Pour it into a greased muffin tin and bake until the centers are just set for delicious crustless mini quiches.
Regular (not deep-dish) pie plate: For a standard 9-inch pie plate, use about 4 eggs and ⅔ cup of dairy, reduce the fillings by about a third, and start checking at 35 to 40 minutes.
Using a store-bought crust: Most store-bought crusts are 9 inches and shallower than a deep dish. Blind bake it according to the package and use about two-thirds of the filling. Bake any extra filling in a small greased ramekin.
See more tips here and my responses to frequently asked questions here.

Storage, Freezing and Make Ahead

Allow the quiche to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. If you're storing leftovers, let it cool completely before covering and refrigerating.

Refrigerator: Store the quiche tightly covered or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Wrap the completely cooled quiche, or individual slices, tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
To Reheat: For the best texture, reheat slices in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through. If reheating from frozen, thaw first for more even heating. You can also microwave individual slices in 30-second intervals, although the pastry won't be quite as crisp.
Make Ahead: You can make the pie dough up to 3 days in advance and keep it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator, or freeze it for up to 3 months. You can also bake the whole quiche a day ahead. Cool it completely, refrigerate, then bring it to room temperature or gently reheat before serving.

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