Quiche Lorraine
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Richly flavored with Gruyère cheese and smoky bacon, quiche Lorraine is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.
During my college years, I spent a semester studying abroad in Tours, France, a charming university town located an hour away from Paris. One of my daily rituals was visiting a local boulangerie for lunch. I’d treat myself to a mini quiche Lorraine, then savor every bite while strolling back to class through the winding, cobbled streets. While I can’t remember much about my courses, the memory of that simple pleasure still lingers to this day.
Named after the region of France where it originated, quiche Lorraine is is one of the most iconic French quiches and also one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable. Richly flavored with smoky bacon, nutty Gruyère cheese, and shallots, it’s ideal for brunch, lunch, or dinner, especially paired with a green salad and crisp white wine.
Table of Contents
“This is hands down, the BEST quiche Lorraine recipe ever! As a personal chef, I am asked to make dishes that reheat well – this one does, but it’s also exceptional when served fresh out of the oven…People always tell me it’s the best quiche they’ve ever tasted!”
What You’ll Need To Make Quiche Lorraine
- Frozen pie crust: Serves as the base for the quiche. I recommend using frozen crusts over rolled refrigerated crusts—they are ready to cook and won’t shrink during par-baking. Ensure it’s a deep-dish variety to accommodate all the filling.
- Thick-cut bacon: Adds smoky, savory flavor and meaty texture that is quintessential to the flavor profile of quiche Lorraine. To make it easier to work with, pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so before cutting.
- Shallots: Offer a mild, slightly sweet flavor that complements the richness of the other ingredients without overpowering them.
- Eggs: Act as the foundation of the custard filling, binding the ingredients together and giving the quiche its signature texture and structure.
- Heavy cream: Contributes to the luxurious, creamy consistency of the filling. When making quiche, I always use heavy cream over milk or half-and-half.
- Salt, cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg: These seasonings flavor of the quiche, with salt balancing the flavors, cayenne pepper adding a slight heat, and ground nutmeg providing a warm, nutty undertone.
- Gruyère: This cheese lends a rich, nutty flavor that is essential to quiche Lorraine. Use an authentic Swiss-made Gruyère with the AOP seal for the best flavor and quality, and be sure it’s finely shredded so that it melts easily. It’s a bit pricey, but you only need 4 ounces. Plus, any leftover cheese can be used for making delicious grilled cheese sandwiches.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step instructions
To begin, remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw for about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork.
Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate.) Don’t panic if your crust cracks in the oven. You can easily fix it by making a smooth paste from 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of water. Using your fingers, patch up and fill any cracks with the paste, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
While the crust cooks, dice the bacon. Place the diced bacon in a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan and add the shallots.
Cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, and then the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust.
Top with half of the bacon.
Then all of the Gruyère.
Then the remaining bacon.
Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve the quiche hot or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can prepare this recipe a day ahead of time and refrigerate. To reheat, cover the quiche with aluminum foil and heat in a preheated 300°F (150°C) oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
Yes, quiche Lorraine freezes beautifully for up to three months. After baking and cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.
Baking quiche at 325°F is a technique I learned in French culinary school and while working in a French restaurant. This lower temperature prevents the eggs from scrambling, a common issue at higher heats, and ensures the custard sets to a silky smooth consistency. It makes a difference!
Video Tutorial
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Quiche Lorraine
Richly flavored with Gruyère cheese and smoky bacon, quiche Lorraine is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.
Ingredients
- One 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust
- 8 oz thick-cut bacon (about 6 slices), diced
- ½ cup chopped shallots, from 2 medium shallots
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 4 oz Gruyère, finely shredded (about 1¼ cups)
Instructions
- Blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. (If there are any cracks in the crust, see note below on how to patch them up.) Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Place the crust on a baking sheet to make it easy to move in and out of the oven. Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate. (If it cracks while baking, see note below for instructions on how to patch it up.) Set aside and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- In a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until evenly combined.
- Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust. Top with half of the bacon, all of the Gruyère, and then the remaining bacon. Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
- Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
- Note: Don't panic if your crust has 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 proceed with the recipe. If the crust cracks while blind baking, patch it afterwards and place it back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This quiche can be fully prepared up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and heat in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche can be frozen for up to 3 months. After baking and cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 616
- Fat: 51 g
- Saturated fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Sodium: 575 mg
- Cholesterol: 232 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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Hi, Jenn. I would love to try this quiche filling, using puff pastry set into a muffin tin (to make 12 individual quiches). Any advice on how to do so? Specifically, would I need to parbake the puff pastry??
Hi Janice, I think that would work and I would parbake the puff pastry. The bake time for the quiches will obviously be shorter but I’m not sure by how much, so keep a close eye on them. I’d love to hear how they come out!
Thank you. I will definitely let you know how they turn out. I’m thinking I may put cupcake liners filled with beans in order to prevent the puff pastry from puffing up too much during the par ake. Fingers crossed. Lol
Yes I made your Quiche Loraine and it was perfection. I wasn’t able to get shallots because of where I was so I used spring onions. Obviously I used less onion and sautéed them in garlic butter. I also used smoked Gruy’ere cheese to get a smokier flavor. Everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
I’m curious to know if this turned out. Did you only have the pastry on the bottom or also up the sides of the muffin cups? How long did you end up baking them? Thanks!
This quiche is AMAZING! I’ve made it several times and it’s absolutely delicious! I’m planning on making two of them ahead and freezing for an upcoming family vacation. When the instructions say to remove from the freezer 24 hours prior to eating, does that mean move it to the refrigerator? About how long will they take to heat up in the morning?
So glad you like it! Yes, you should transfer the quiche from the freezer to the fridge to thaw it. And I’d reheat it for about 45 minutes (covered with foil) or until hot in the center. Enjoy your vacation!
I made this tonight, and my husband and I loved it. We are sensitive to spicy dishes but I used the recommended amount of cayenne since it was only 1/8 tsp. The quiche was not at all hot, just delicious! The mix of flavors was perfect. I couldn’t bring myself to use 100% cream, so I switched out 1/2 cup of the cream with 2% milk. I used a frozen pie crust for the first time ever for the convenience. It was a good thing that there were two crusts in the package, because the first one I baked shrank too much and wouldn’t have held all the liquid. I rolled out the second one a little before I put it in the pan and it turned out much better.
I would always defer to Jenn’s baking experience , but in her recipe for quiche Lorraine she has made a serious error! There were six of us, and knowing my families appetite for wonderful food, I made two quiches….good thing! Only a sliver left! My advice is to make two…they will disappear before your eyes, it’s THAT GOOD!
Wonderful flavor as written. The only area of confusion i had was the (homemade) crust/ bake, wasn’t totally sure if the crust needed to be completely baked or still somewhat soft to the touch as it continued to be in the process, therefore I ended up baking it somewhat golden, 3/4 done & it held up very well for the quiche. My family was pleased with the results and asked for it to be made again.
I followed Jenn’s directions to a T. The thick-cut bacon and shallots were in perfect proportion to the custard, which was rich and pillowy (Jenn’s pro-tip: Baking the quiche at 325 F for 45 minutes). I used a pre-made pie crust (Mrs. Smith’s) to save time — it was a tad sweet for a savory quiche; a homemade pie crust next time. I paired it with a spring salad (baby spinach and mixed greens with strawberries, blueberries, English cucumber and honey mustard yogurt dressing).
I made the quiche for a post-Tai Chi class brunch. My classmates and I loved it, and threw calorie-consciousness to the wind.
Fantastic! I followed the recipe exactly, even needing to use the pie crust crack hack – it worked! I made it for Mother’s Day and was Mom approved.
I made this today for Mother’s Day brunch. Absolutely delicious!
Thanks!
Does the cayenne pepper make this hot or spicy?
No, it really doesn’t, but feel free to omit it if you choose. Enjoy!
How can I adapt this to be crustless?
BTW, we recently got 9 hens and I am furiously trying to use the eggs. LOL! Last night I made your fabulous crustless broccoli quiche. Over the weekend I made the spinach frittata – also excellent.
Hi Tonya, You’re gonna have a lot of eggs on your hands!! To make this one crustless, I’d adjust the ingredient amounts to this:
10 oz thick-cut bacon (about 8 slices), diced
3/4 cup chopped shallots, from 1 large shallot
6 large eggs
1-3/4 cups heavy cream
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
5 oz Gruyère, finely shredded (about 1-1/2 cups)
Enjoy!