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Quiche Lorraine

October 11, 2024

Creamy and rich, studded with ham and nutty Gruyère, this classic quiche Lorraine recipe makes a dreamy meal anytime of the day.

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homemade quiche Lorraine with a slice cut out

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, or maybe try our easy spinach and mushroom strata! Serve it on Easter, serve it on Friday night, serve it for Mother’s Day Brunch— there is no wrong way to serve up a Quiche Lorraine.

eggs, onion, ham, cream, shredded cheese, butter and spices in bowls on the counter to make quiche Lorraine

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.

onions and garlic sautéed in butter and brown sugar in a skillet
eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a mixing bowl

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

eggs, cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, shredded cheese, cooked onions and garlic, and ham in a mixing bowl
eggs, cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, shredded cheese, cooked onions and garlic, and ham stirred together in a mixing bowl

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.

pie crust filled with homemade quiche Lorraine filling
homemade baked quiche Lorraine

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:

  1. 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.

  2. Whisk together the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese, onion mixture, and ham or bacon.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

homemade quiche lorraine topped with diced ham
homemade quiche Lorraine topped with diced ham with a slice taken out

Tools You’ll Need

More Classic Egg Recipes To Love for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

homemade quiche Lorraine topped with diced ham
homemade quiche Lorraine topped with diced ham with a slice taken out

An Egg-ceptional Quiche Lorraine Recipe, Non?

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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Quiche Lorraine

  • Serves:  8
  • Prep Time:  20 min
  • Cook Time:  55 min
  • Calories:  312

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp salted butter
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp Brown sugar
  • 2 Garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 Large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup Heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (Gruyère or sharp cheddar)
  • 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon or diced ham
  • 1 tsp Sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 recipe all-butter pie crust or one store bought pie crust

Method

  1. Prepare your pie crust by rolling it out to 1/4-inch thickness and forming it in a pie plate or tart pan, chill in the fridge until ready to fill.

  2. Preheat your oven to 375º F.

  3. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the onions and brown sugar. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until they are very tender, about 8-10 minutes. This is a good time to cook your bacon (in a separate skillet) if you are using bacon instead of ham. Add the garlic to the pan with the onions and cook 1 minute longer, until fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat.

  4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg together until they’re well combined. Stir in the cheese, bacon or ham, and the onion mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the prepared pie crust.

  5. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the egg mixture is set and no longer jiggly in the center. Cut into 8 wedges.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 312
  • Protein 10 g
  • Carbohydrates 15 g
  • Total Fat 25 g
  • Dietary Fiber 0 g
  • Cholesterol 197 mg
  • sodium 783 mg
  • Total Sugars 1 g

Quiche Lorraine

Questions & Reviews

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  • Angela

    Can this recipe be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen? If freezing is an option, should it be cooked first?

    Yes you can refrigerate or freeze. We suggest baking it before freezing. Hope you enjoy Angela!

  • Ann

    Hands down the best quiche I've ever had! Made with part Gruyere and part aged white cheddar cheese and ham (which I browned a bit). The custard was perfectly cooked in 35 minutes and was so incredibly creamy and flavorful. Will definitely be making again - many many times!

    Thanks Ann, we are so glad you loved it!

  • Bethany

    This was a lovely quiche and perfect for Christmas morning! I made the crust, bacon and onion mixture the night before and shredded the cheese. All I did in the morning was assemble and bake. Everyone loved it!

    Thanks Bethany, we are so happy it was a hit!

  • Shalini

    Oh my!! This recipe is so simple yet so scrumptious. I made this quiche last night for dinner with a quick home-made all butter pie crust.
    I used bacon and Gruyere and it turned out delicious. My 5 year old asked for a serving this morning for breakfast too!
    Thank you for sharing ALL your recipes, I have tried several and y'all are becoming my favourite go-to :)
    PS Ordering your cookbook as well.

    This is so wonderful Shalini, thank you so much! We are so happy you and the family enjoyed the quiche and our other recipes!! Thanks for ordering the cook book we are so excited for it to come out!

  • Em

    I made this last night for a breakfast-for-dinner night. OMG one of the tastiest things I have ever made. I used bacon and extra sharp white cheddar, because that's what I had on hand. I also had to sub kosher salt for the sea salt. So yummy. Am eating the leftovers for breakfast as I type this! I have tried several of your recipes after discovering your site this last month or so - everything I have tried has been delicious. Thank you!

    Thank you so much Em!! This is such a compliment, thanks for trying out our recipes, glad you found us!