Easy Quiche Lorraine Recipe
Quiche Lorraine took America by storm in the 1950s, and we think it’s due for a comeback! While we love quiche of all kinds, this quiche Lorraine recipe is our default. Why? Because it’s easy to make, adaptable—if you’ve got bacon, use bacon! If you’ve got ham, use ham!—and it’s beloved by all. That buttery crust and rich, ham-studded custardy filling are classic and fabulous. And don’t feel that quiche Lorraine is only for the brunch table! Whip up this quiche recipe for dinner and you’ll get no complaints—promise! Make like the French and serve it with a lovely green salad and chilled white wine (bien sûr!)—breakfast for dinner has never tasted better. Once you’ve perfected this quiche, learn How To Make A Frittata next!
What is Quiche Lorraine?
Although it sounds very French, and quiche is indeed very popular in France, quiche Lorraine may not actually be of French origin! Regardless of its origins, this quiche is a classic. It appears in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” all! Traditionally, quiche Lorraine is made with cream and bacon and (brace yourself) no cheese! But over the years, adding a nutty, hard cheese, like Gruyère, has become common. And thank goodness. We’re firmly in the “cheese please!” camp.
Classic Quiche Lorraine Ingredients
Our quiche Lorraine recipe is classic through and through—unapologetically creamy, eggy, garlicky and yes, cheesy! Bacon is the most traditional choice for the meat in a quiche Lorraine, but ham is just ever so slightly less classic and is every bit as yummy. So use what you have or what you prefer—your quiche will be a show-stopper either way. Other than salt and pepper, here are all of the ingredients you’ll need to make our super easy quiche Lorraine recipe:
Salted Butter
Onion
Brown sugar
Garlic
Eggs
Heavy cream
Cheese
Bacon or ham
Nutmeg
Best Cheese for Quiche Lorraine
Traditional shmashishonal! Cheese makes everything just a little better, so our quiche Lorraine recipe includes cheese! But what cheese is the best for quiche Lorraine? Well, that’s sort of up to you. Swiss-style cheeses are most common, like Gruyère or Comté, and we love them both in this quiche recipe and for general snacking. They are rich, nutty and, most of all, they are known for being truly excellent melting cheeses. However, a sharp cheddar also works well in this quiche Lorraine—it’ll also be a bit nutty, and will bring a lovely, big savory punch.
How To Make Quiche Lorraine
You can make your all-butter pie crust ahead of time and keep it in the fridge or freezer so that all you need to do on quiche day is roll it out and whip up the custardy filling. Or, if homemade pie crust frightens you, it’s OK to use a store-bought crust. No one will mind one bit. A few things to do before you start on the quiche filling. One, if you’re using bacon, cook it (we like to do it in the oven) and crumble it up. Two, whether you’re using a homemade crust or a store bought one, start with a pie plate or tart pan lined with your unbaked crust. No need to blind bake! You’ll pour the quiche filling right into that unbaked crust. And now that you’ve done all that leg work, here’s how to make a perfect quiche Lorraine:
Sauté the onions in butter with a sprinkling of brown sugar to pull out their sweetness. Add the garlic and, after a minute or so, turn off the heat.
Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese, onion mixture, and ham or bacon.
Carefully pour the eggs into your crust-lined pie plate or tart pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you may have a bit of extra filling and that's OK.
Stop! Here’s our best quiche tip: place your pie plate or tart pan on the oven rack (slightly pulled out) and fill it carefully right there on the oven rack. You'll still have to carefully slide the rack into the oven, but it's easier than walking across the whole room with a pie plate full of sloshing eggs and cream.
Bake! 35-45 minutes at 375º F should do the trick! Watch it closely and try not to overcook it—you want a lovely custardy texture.
Tools You’ll Need
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Mais oui! We hope you love this easy quiche recipe as much as we do. It’s truly an everyone-pleaser, and so classic, so simple. When you take it for a spin, we want to hear all about it! If you make it, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
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