How Long Do You Cook A Quiche At 400

How To Make a Foolproof Quiche

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quiche is cooked and ready to serve in a dish on a table — Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Barrett Washburne

If you haven't had quiche lately, it is time to remedy that situation. I could eat quiche for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without ever growing tired of it, but quiche is an especially good dish for a big brunch or other casual gathering. You make it the day ahead, slice it just before serving, and then pass out the plates. This foolproof recipe has yet to disappoint.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Barrett Washburne

What Is a Quiche?

Quiche is essentially a custard made with milk and eggs poured into a pie crust and baked. You want just enough eggs to set the milk, but not so many that the quiche becomes rubbery. You want a bit of wobble in your quiche as it comes out of the oven. Wobble means silky, melt-away custard in every bite.

The foolproof part comes courtesy of the French. They are masters of the quiche and long-ago settled on the perfect formula of one part egg to two parts liquid dairy. A standard large egg weighs two ounces and a cup of milk is eight ounces, so a good rule of thumb is two eggs per cup of milk. I like to bump this up a bit to make a more substantial quiche and usually go with three eggs and one and a half cups half-and-half in a nine-inch pie crust.

Memorize this ratio for perfect quiche custard: One part egg to two parts liquid dairy.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Barrett Washburne

Do I Need to Par-bake the Crust?

Yes! The seemingly tedious task of par-baking — or partially baking the crust before filling — prevents the quiche crust from getting soggy while baking, but also ensures that the crust and the custard are perfectly done at the same time.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Barrett Washburne

Classic Quiche Fillings

Cheese makes a luscious custard even more luscious, but there's no hard-and-fast rules here. The other fillings just need to be cooked through and fairly dry. Aim for a cup each of cheese and cooked ingredients. Wilted spinach, crisp bacon bits, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, and asparagus are all favorites in various combinations.

Classic Quiche Filling Formulas

Quiche Lorraine: bacon, yellow onion, Gruyère cheese
Mushroom Quiche: mushrooms, yellow onion, garlic, thyme, Gruyère cheese
Ham and Asparagus Quiche: yellow onion, asparagus, ham, Swiss cheese

I'm always surprised by how easily a quiche comes together. I'm still working on my pie-crust skills, but luckily, this is maybe the one dish where the crust is secondary to the filling. That first bite of soft, eggy custard makes all other thoughts fade away.

What is your favorite quiche?

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Barrett Washburne

Tester's Note

Quiche is one of my all-time favorite dishes since it's comforting and easy but still elegant. We've retested the recipe and made a few updates, calling for a regular pie plate instead of a deep-dish one, and being a little more specific about the filling amounts. Quiche is a great way to use up leftover meats and veggies, so it's worth keeping a frozen pie crust in the freezer at all times. That way, you can make a delicious quiche in a jiffy! – Christine Gallary, May 2021

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Styling: Barrett Washburne

Once you know the ratio of eggs to cream, you can make quiche — for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! — like a pro.

shellfish-free
kidney-friendly
fish-free
alcohol-free
low-potassium
vegetarian
peanut-free
pork-free
pescatarian
sugar-conscious
tree-nut-free
soy-free
red-meat-free

Per serving, based on

servings. (% daily value)

Calories 259
Fat 15.3 g (23.6%)
Saturated 6.3 g (31.3%)
Carbs 25.1 g (8.4%)
Fiber 0.9 g (3.5%)
Sugars 2.5 g
Protein 5.3 g (10.5%)
Sodium 259.4 mg (10.8%)

Ingredients

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1
homemade single-crust pie dough (about 12 ounces), or 1 store-bought pie crust
1 cup
filling ingredients (see Recipe Note)
4 ounces
shredded or crumbled cheese, such as Gruyère, Swiss, cheddar, or feta (about 1 cup), divided
3
large eggs
1 1/2 cups
half-and-half, or equal parts whole milk and heavy cream
1 teaspoon
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Par bake the crust:

Roll out the pie dough. If needed, place the pie dough on a floured work surface and roll out into a rough 12-inch round.
Line the pie plate and heat the oven. Transfer the dough into a 9-inch pie plate (not deep dish) and fold the overhang underneath. Crimp as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF.
Par bake the crust. Place the pie crust on a baking sheet. Line the crust with aluminum foil or parchment paper, then fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake until the crust is set, about 20 minutes. Remove the weights and foil. Bake until just starting to brown, about 10 minutes more. Prepare the filling ingredients while the crust is par baking.

Make the filling and bake the quiche:

Prepare the filling ingredients. Cook the vegetables and meats that need to be pre-cooked (see Recipe Note), you'll need 1 cup cooked. Shred or crumble enough cheese to have 1 cup.
Prepare the custard. Place 3 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups half-and-half, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and a pinch of black pepper in a large bowl and whisk until combined.
Fill the pie crust. When the crust is ready, sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with the meats and veggies in an even layer, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Pour in the custard. Pour the custard into the crust.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Bake the quiche, still on the baking sheet, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles just a little, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Recipe Notes

Cooked fillings: The following should be cooked before assembling the quiche: sausage, bacon, bell pepper, onion, leek, sliced zucchini, mushroom, broccoli, shallot, spinach, chard, kale, root vegetables. You will need 1 cup cooked filling.

Uncooked fillings: The following can be used raw in quiche: ham, cured meats, tomato, asparagus, herb, scallions, peas, grated zucchini.

Make ahead: The crust can be par baked and cooled up to 2 days in advance; store tightly wrapped at room temperature. The quiche can be baked, cooled, and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance.

Storage: Leftover baked and cooled quiche can be stored wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let come to room temperature or reheat in a 300°F oven before serving.

Emma Christensen

Contributor

Emma is a former editor for The Kitchn and a graduate of the Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. She is the author of True Brews and Brew Better Beer. Check out her website for more cooking stories.