My family loves this quiche recipe! It has a buttery, flaky homemade crust and a custardy filling that’s not too heavy, flavored just right with leeks, garlic, bacon, and some cheese. I love a good quiche, and this is definitely my favorite recipe I’ve had!
Recently, I hosted my sister’s bridal shower and served up this delicious quiche! It’s always been one of my favorite brunch choices, so I was excited to finally share my own recipe with my family and friends, and also here for all of you. 🙂
A homemade crust is a part of the deal, but you could totally cheat and grab a pre-made pie crust in the freezer section at your local grocery store. However, the homemade crust is easier to make than you might think and yields a buttery, flaky texture and taste that’s hard to replicate with a store-bought crust. So I would say it’s very much worth the extra time!
Now, you can have a good crust, but you also need a great filling to go with it. The custardy egg filling is flavored to perfection with a handful of my favorite quiche ingredients – bacon, leeks, and cheese. I also went with half-and-half instead of all heavy cream, which I found to be lighter and just as good. I really love this recipe, and it’s a solid base for adding any other flavors you enjoy in a quiche!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this quiche. See the recipe card for the complete ingredient list and measurements.
The crust – To make a homemade crust, you’ll need flour, cold butter (cubed or shredded with a cheese grater), ice-cold water, salt, and some sugar.
The quiche filling – For the custardy egg filling, a mixture of half-and-half and eggs will make up the majority, with flavorings from leeks, bacon slices, garlic, and cheddar cheese. With seasonings being salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg!
How to Make Quiche Lorraine
Make the Crust
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1In a food processor, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Then add the cubed butter. and pulse gently to combine.
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2
Slowly drizzle ice cold water over the flour and butter mixture while pulsing with the food processor. Be careful not to overwork it. Empty the dough out on to the counter, and bring together with your hands–form into a 1-2 inch thick disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 45 mins to an hour.
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3
Working quickly, unwrap the dough and using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a 10-12 inch diameter round. Every couple turns, lift the dough up off the counter to ensure it doesn’t stick as the butter softens, but be careful not to overwork the dough as this can make it tough.
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4
Roll the dough up on your rolling pin and unroll over your 9 inch pie dish. In testing, my metal pie dish performed slightly better than glass, but use whatever you have on hand! Carefully press the dough against the inside of the dish so it’s flush, and cut the extra dough that hangs over the edges. You can either crimp the edges or leave it flat here. The photo shows it crimped, but the more I tested this the more I just went flat to make it easy, and I actually prefer the look.
Place your pie shell in the freezer for 15 minutes, and preheat your oven to 425F.
Bake the Crust
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5
Remove your pie crust from the freezer, and add baking weights or beans on a piece of parchment paper on the pie dough. This weighs down the pie crust so it doesn’t rise up while blind baking.
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6
Blind bake the pie crust for 18-20 minutes at 425F until the edges are lightly golden brown. Then carefully remove the baking weights and prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork. Brush with egg wash, and bake the crust again for 10-12 minutes until the bottom is no longer raw. Let the crust cool completely.
Assemble & Bake
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7
While baking the pie crust, start prepping your bacon and leeks. You can also do this ahead of time. Cut small strips of bacon lengthwise and then into small pieces. Cook in a pan on medium heat for about 6-8 minutes until crispy, and then transfer to a paper towel to soak up some of the grease. Remove some of the grease left over in the pan into a jar, but not all of it since we are going to cook the leeks in the same pan.
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9
Dice the leeks into small pieces and use a colander to wash them completely since leeks can be dirty. Add them in the same pan you cooked the bacon in on medium heat with salt. Cook until browned and soft, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. With about 1 minute left, add the pressed garlic and stir. You’ll want to make sure the leeks are completely cooked and soft since they won’t cook much in the oven in the quiche. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
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9
Now let’s make the egg and cream mixture. In a small bowl beat the eggs until the yolks are incorporated then add the heavy cream, remaining salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk to combine.
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10
Shred the cheese, and add the cooked bacon, leeks, and cheese to the pie crust.
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Then pour the egg and cream mixture over the bacon, leeks, and cheese until completely covered.
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Gently mix everything together with a spoon so everything is incorporated. Then bake the quiche at a reduced temperature, 350F, for 45 minutes until the filling is set and it’s a light golden color on top. Cover the edges with foil (but don’t cover the middle) to keep the crust from overcooking. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Quiche Lorraine with Leeks
Video Tutorial
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 9 tablespoons salted butter cubed and chilled in freezer for several minutes before adding to dough
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
For the Filling:
- 4 strips bacon finely diced
- 2 small to medium leeks, finely diced and thoroughly washed
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups half and half
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Egg wash:
- 1 egg beaten
- 1-2 tablespoon water
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- In a food processor, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the cubed cold butter and combine. Slowly drizzle the cold water over the flour and butter mixture, while pulsing with the food processor. Be careful not to overwork it.Note: if you don't have a food processor, use a large mixing bowl, grate the butter in and combine with a spatula until the dough comes together.
- Transfer the dough to a counter and form into a 2-inch thick disc, being careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then place in the refrigerator to chill for 45 minutes to 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Bake the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Working quickly, roll the dough into a 10-12 inch round. Every couple turns, lift the dough up off the counter to ensure it doesn't stick as the butter softens. Transfer to a 9-inch metal or glass pie dish and press to fit. Cut or crimp the edges of the dough along the lip of the pie dish. Be careful not to overwork or stretch the dough too much during this stage. Place the pie shell in the freezer for 15 minutes.Note: In my testing, a metal pie dish performed the best.
- Line the chilled dough with a sheet of parchment paper, then fill completely with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the edges are very lightly golden brown.Note: You can place a sheet pan in the rack below to catch any butter run off, but I didn't find that to be an issue during testing.
- Carefully remove the pie weights and parchment paper, then prick the bottom and sides of the crust all over with a fork. Brush the surface of the crust with egg wash, then bake for 10 to 12 minutes more until the bottom of the crust is cooked and no longer looks raw.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Assemble the Quiche and Bake:
- Reduce the oven to 350℉.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and the fat is rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Drain excess bacon grease, but leave a little to cook the leeks in.
- Add the leeks and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, for about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. Empty into a bowl, and set aside to cool.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs until the whites and yolks are homogeneous. Add the heavy cream, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk to combine.
- Scatter the cooled bacon, leeks, and cheddar cheese evenly in the bottom of the partially baked pie crust. Carefully pour the egg mixture on top. Gently mix everything together with a spoon so everything is incorporated, if needed. Cover the edge of the pie crust with foil so it doesn't brown too much when baking (Watch my video to learn how I do this).
- Carefully transfer the quiche to the oven and bake for about 45 minutes until the egg filling is set, no longer jiggles, and is lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
A classic french savory tart from the Lorraine region of northern France that features a flaky crust, a custardy egg filling, typically filled with bacon and gruyere cheese.
Yes, you usually can find pre-made crusts in the freezer section of your local grocery store.
For the freshest results, serve immediately. However, you can make quiche 24-48 hours in advance, refrigerate covered, and then reheat in the oven when ready to serve.
Yes, you can freeze a fully cooked or uncooked quiche up to 2-3 months.
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