Betty Crocker’s Quiche Lorraine Is a Quick and Easy Brunch Classic

One of the first recipes that comes up when you search quiche Lorraine is from none other than beloved fake food personality Betty Crocker. And while I could sit here and criticize the corporate machine that is the Betty Crocker brand, I won’t. The company makes some mighty fine cake mixes and tends to have solid recipes on their boxes as well as their website. Here’s to you, Betty Crocker test kitchen!

That’s why, when I saw this recipe sporting five-star reviews, I decided to give it a try. This quiche Lorraine features a homemade shortening crust and a quick-and-easy filling of eggs, cream or half-and-half, finely chopped onion, and crispy bacon. It hits all of the right quiche Lorraine notes while keeping the process simple.

Get the recipe: Betty Crocker’s Quiche Lorraine

First, make the crust. This recipe includes a homemade shortening crust that’s made by combining flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or two knives until pea-sized. Add one tablespoon of cold water at a time and toss with a fork until moistened and the dough almost cleans the side of the bowl.

Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until firm but still pliable, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven and roll the dough out on a floured surface, transfer it to a pie pan, and flute the edge. Line with a double thickness of foil (I recommend spraying it with cooking spray first) and press into the bottom and sides. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil, and bake a few minutes more. Gently push any bubbles back down.

Reduce the oven temperature and sprinkle the crust with crisp, crumbled bacon, finely chopped raw onions, and shredded cheese. Beat together the eggs and cream or half-and-half, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Pour over the top and bake the quiche until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

I’m a bit divided on this recipe. Overall, this quiche Lorraine is a keeper. The filling couldn’t be easier to make and tasted great. You don’t have to cook the onions and you can crisp the bacon however you like, including in the microwave. While I wasn’t sure I’d like using raw onions, I was pleasantly surprised. When chopped finely, they cook just enough to sweeten but keep a bit of their crispness. The onions adds a welcome texture to the quiche along with the bacon.

It’s also convenient that you can use half-and-half or cream. I used equal parts of both and the quiche had a good texture. I imagine you’ll get a slightly richer result with all cream, but with all of the fillings, I’m not sure it will make a huge difference if you’d like to use half-and-half instead.

The biggest downside of this recipe is the crust. While easy to make, there is just barely enough to fill a 9-inch pie pan (I didn’t even have enough to crimp!) and it lacks flavor and doesn’t crisp especially well. Next time I’ll par-bake a store-bought pie crust instead and save the effort.

1. Swap out the crust. The all-shortening crust is lackluster. Next time I’ll swap it for my own crust recipe or simply use a store-bought crust for a quick and easy brunch main.

2. Bake any extra filling. I had a little extra filling after filling up my pie crust and didn’t want to toss it out. If you end up with extra filling too, add it to a ramekin or greased muffin tin, top with cheese, and bake for a bonus mini frittata.

Rating: 8.5/10