Parmesan & Leek Quiche
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A variation on the classic French cheese quiche, this Parmesan and leek quiche is rich and flavorful.
When I was studying abroad in France, every day for lunch I would walk to the pastry shop near my university and treat myself to an individual quiche fromage — a delicious little habit that quickly cost me all my skinny jeans. Over 20 years later, it is still one of my favorite things to eat. This parmesan and leek quiche is a wonderful variation on the classic French cheese quiche; the leeks impart a mellow, almost sweet onion flavor while Parmesan cheese makes the custard filling extra flavorful.
What You’ll Need To Make Parmesan & Leek Quiche
I use a good-quality store-bought crust to save time but feel free to make your own if you prefer. The secret to success, whether you make the crust yourself or use pre-made, is to pre-bake it so it won’t be soggy.
For the cheese, it’s important to use authentic Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for this recipe. You can always tell if it’s authentic by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over. If the cheese is already grated, it should be labeled “Parmigiano Reggiano,” not “Parmesan.”
Leeks are part of the onion family, but they have a milder flavor. They’re notoriously sandy and dirty (and very good at hiding it) so it’s important to wash them well. To clean them, cut off and discard the root ends and thick dark green parts, then cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse each half under cold water, pulling apart the layers to remove any grit that’s tucked inside.
How To Make Parmesan & Leek Quiche
To begin, preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the pie shell from the freezer and thaw it until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork (10 to 20 minutes). Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork and bake on the center rack until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325°F.
While the crust bakes, melt the butter in small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Do not brown. Taste and adjust seasoning (they should be well-seasoned). Set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine the heavy cream, eggs, thyme, nutmeg, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Whisk well.
Spread the cooked leeks over the pre-baked pie shell, taking care not to puncture the crust. 
Pour the egg mixture over top.
Bake at 325°F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the custard is set and puffed.
The quiche will deflate as it cools. Slice into wedges and serve hot or warm.
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Parmesan & Leek Quiche
A variation on the classic French cheese quiche, this Parmesan and leek quiche is rich and flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 frozen deep-dish 9-inch pie shell
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- 1 cup finely chopped leeks, white and light green parts only, from 1-2 leeks
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 1¼ cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the pie shell from the freezer and thaw it until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork (10 to 20 minutes). Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork and bake on the center rack until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Don't worry if the crust cracks while baking; see note below on how to fix it. Turn the oven down to 325°F.
- Melt the butter in small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Do not brown. Taste and adjust seasoning (they should be well-seasoned). Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, eggs, thyme, nutmeg, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Mix well.
- Spread the cooked leeks over the pre-baked pie shell, taking care not to puncture the crust (it may be fragile around rim, or where there are air bubbles). Pour the egg mixture over top. Bake at 325°F for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the custard is set and puffed. The quiche will deflate as it cools. Slice into wedges and serve hot or warm.
- Notes: Be sure to clean the leeks well, especially between leaves where there can be a lot of grit.
- Note: Don't panic if your crust cracks -- you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This quiche can be made up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to serving and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 551
- Fat: 44 g
- Saturated fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Sodium: 553 mg
- Cholesterol: 229 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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OMG, Out of Nowhere…..I have people asking me for this recipe! So, I want to share, and Make Specific that You are the Recipe Creator, and You are the Go To Person with the website and cookbook, etc. I hope it is OK that I share, and Share You.
Of course it is — thanks so much for spreading the word about the website! ❤️
My Favorite quiche recipe of yours, and making tomorrow! Happy Mother’scDay!
I frequently use your recipes, yummy, thank you.
The problem I have with quiches is the top pastry trim is always too brown, burnt . How do you prevent that from happening?
Glad you like the recipes! To prevent the crust edges from getting too brown, you can cover the edges of the pie with a thin piece of aluminum foil or use a silicone pie crust protector. If you want to use the foil method, it’s pretty simple, but I’d recommend watching a YouTube video to help (I’m a visual learner, so I know it would help me. 😊)
Hi Jenn, I just recently made this leek quiche and it was very delicious! Is there any substitute for the heavy cream for a guest who prefers not to have it? Many thanks for all the excellent recipes. I’m a huge fan 😀
Hi Ali, Glad you enjoyed it! You could get away with using half-and-half, in place of the heavy cream. If they’d prefer not to have it because of an issue with dairy, some readers have commented that they’ve used Rich’s non-dairy coffee creamer (frozen) and Trader Joe’s unflavored non-dairy creamer. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried either of these.)
I have made this so many times, using a 2″ deep, two-piece tart tin (doubling ingredients) and using my own home-made Tenderflake leaf-lard crust. I even build up the crust edge atop the tin rim so I can accommodate a generous filling. It makes for a very B-I-G impressive-looking quiche. It bakes for just under 1 1/2 hours.
At yesterday’s luncheon, guests were heading back to the buffet for another whack! Hints were dropped for leftover takeaways………..
Wonderful dish.
WOW, Jenn this looks exactly like the quiche recipe I’ve been looking for. I’d like to make a deep dish version though.
Would you be so kind as to give me the necessary adjustments in ingredients to do so?
Thx you so very much!
Hi Yvonne, this is intended for a deep dish pie pan so no adjustments needed. Enjoy!
Oops, my apologies, Jenn. I failed to mention I’d like to make this in a two piece 9” quiche pan w/removable bottom, 3” deep.
In the meantime I did a dry run for tonight’s dinner. Easy peasy! My husband and I can’t wait, the fragrance is so heavenly, I know we’ll enjoy it!
More anxious than ever to make the deeper version.
Thank you for the marvelous recipes and your love of cooking,
Y
Hi Yvonne, You could either make 1.5 or 2x the recipe. If you double the recipe, the quiche will be quite thick. Either way, the bake time will be different so keep a close eye on it. Enjoy!
This is a fave at our house for brunch or dinner. Just love leeks! My only addition is a sprinkle of tarragon. Thanks,Jenn for another great go to recipe!