How To Make an Easy, Classic Quiche Lorraine
Love a deeply savory quiche? Quiche Lorraine is for you.
Serves8
Prep35 minutes
Cook1 hour
There’s a lot to love about a classic quiche. Its flaky, buttery crust, and creamy, savory interior has us singing its praises every time we eat it, no matter if we’re enjoying a slice for brunch with friends or straight from the fridge for a solo late-night snack.
When it comes to classic quiche flavors, quiche Lorraine reigns supreme. Full of rich caramelized shallots, crisp bacon, and earthy Gruyère cheese, the classic French breakfast dish is worth mastering. Here, we’ll walk you through the easiest way to make the best quiche Lorraine possible.
What Is a Classic Quiche Lorraine?
Quiche Lorraine gets its name from the Lorraine region in France. Traditionally, it’s made with a classic quiche custard of eggs and cream and filled with pork lardons. Modern adaptations include aged cheese and caramelized onions or shallots in the filling. Our easy version uses our favorite custard base and keeps things easy with bacon, shallots, and Gruyère cheese.
3 Key Steps for the Best Quiche Lorraine
1. Cook the bacon and shallots together. Shallots are slightly sweeter than a yellow onion, and their smaller size helps them caramelize faster. Cooking the bacon and shallots together adds flavor and keeps dirty dishes at a minimum.
2. Use cheese and a hot pan to keep the crust crispy. Part of quiche Lorraine’s appeal comes from the rich fat of the bacon, cheese, and dairy, but these can soften the quiche’s crust. Parbaking the crust will help keep things crisp, but as added insurance, layer the Gruyère directly onto the crust and bake the whole quiche on a preheated baking sheet. The hot baking sheet quickly sets up the bottom crust, preventing sogginess.
3. Layer the cheese, custard, and bacon to make each ingredient shine. Start with the cheese to protect the crust, pour the custard over top, then finish with the bacon and shallots to keep them from being buried underneath the rich custard.
Cooling, Serving, and Storing Quiche Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine bakes for about 40 minutes — you’re looking for a center that jiggles slightly when the quiche is nudged but doesn’t wiggle. The quiche will continue to cook and set as it cools, so give it about 2 hours at room temperature before slicing and serving.
The leftovers keep really well, covered in the fridge, for up to 3 days. You can serve the leftovers cold with a crisp glass of wine or a simple green salad, too.
Quiche Lorraine
Love a deeply savory quiche? Quiche Lorraine is for you.
Prep time 35 minutes
Cook time 1 hour
Serves 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/2 (14.1-ounce) package
refrigerated or frozen pie dough, thawed if frozen (or use 1 homemade pie dough)
- 4 slices
thick-cut bacon (about 4 ounces), chopped
- 2
large shallots, thinly sliced
- 3
large eggs
- 11/2 cups
half-and-half
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces
finely grated Gruyère cheese (about 1/2 cup)
Thinly sliced scallions or chives, for garnish (optional)
Equipment
Measuring cups and spoons
Chef's knife and cutting board
9-inch pie plate
Pie weights or beans, for blind baking
Parchment paper
Large bowl
Large skilet
Instructions
Preheat the oven and baking sheet and prepare the pie crust. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven, set a baking sheet on rack, and heat the oven to 375°F. Gently roll the pie crust out to about 12 inches in diameter and lay it in a standard 9-inch pie pan. Press the pie dough into the pan, then roll or trim the edges to fit the lip of the pan. Use your fingers or a fork to crimp the crust. Line the pie dough with a circle of parchment paper. Fill the pie shell with beans, sugar, or pie weights.
Parbake the pie crust 18 to 20 minutes. Place the crust on the preheated baking sheet. Parbake until the edges are beginning to brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, start the filling.
Cook the bacon and shallots. Cook the bacon and shallots in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and the shallots are super tender and just starting to caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Cool the crust and filling and reduce the oven temperature. Remove the par-baked crust from the oven but leave the baking sheet in the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF. Carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights from the pie crust. Cool the crust and the filling for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the egg custard.
Whisk together the custard ingredients until smooth. Whisk the eggs until homogenous in a large bowl. Add the half-and-half, salt, nutmeg, and pepper and whisk until well combined.
Layer the filling in the crust. Sprinkle the cheese into the pie crust. Pour the custard over the cheese. Sprinkle with the cooled bacon-shallot mixture.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Bake on the hot baking sheet until the quiche is browned around the edges and is mostly set but has a gentle wiggle to the center, 30 to 40 minutes.
Cool completely for 2 hours. Let the quiche cool for 2 hours. Sprinkle with the scallions or chives if desired before slicing and serving.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated up to 4 days. Serve cold or reheat in a low oven.
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