5 of the Best Quiche Recipes: How to Make a Basic Quiche

Quiche is a baked egg custard with variou mix-ins like vegetables, meat, cheese, herbs, and spices. A quiche bakes in a frozen pie crust or a homemade pie crust, which sets it apart from a crustless quiche, also known as a frittata.

Quiche recipes start with large eggs and dairy (such as milk or cream), but the flavor possibilities are seemingly endless, depending on the combination of ingredients you choose. Here are some of the most common ingredient categories in quiche recipes:

• Cheese: Add Swiss, Gruyère, feta, goat, Parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, or jack cheese to a quiche. Whether you choose grated, crumbled, or shredded cheese, the ingredient will contribute salty flavor and a creamy texture to a standard quiche recipe. Keep in mind, certain cheeses pair better with certain other ingredients. For example, Gruyère cheese pairs well with bacon and ham; cheddar cheese pairs well with broccoli; and goat cheese pairs well with caramelized onions.
• Cream or milk: You can use whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream to make a smooth and silky custard, depending on your preferences and what you have available. Heavy cream will result in the thickest and fluffiest custard since it has the highest fat content. Note that recipes might call for one type of dairy or a combination of a few.
• Meat: Breakfast meats, such as sausage and bacon, are common in quiche recipes, adding a savory flavor and satisfying texture to the custard. Hot Italian sausage, shredded chicken, and plant-based meat alternatives will also work.
• Vegetables: Almost any vegetable works in a baked quiche. Red peppers or bell peppers, leeks, shallots, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, green onions, zucchini, and potatoes are typical. Cook vegetables with high water content, like spinach and mushrooms, before adding them to the milk and egg mixture.

Quiche consists of an egg custard with savory ingredients—such as onions, vegetables, meat, and cheese—that bakes in a buttery, flaky pie crust. In a recipe’s initial steps, a chef typically cooks most or all of the mix-ins and beats together eggs and heavy cream (or full-fat milk). Then the chef combines the mix-ins and the egg mixture, pours this into the crust, and then bakes the quiche.

Some quiche recipes call for blind-baking the crust first (baking it with pie weights) before adding the quiche filling and then baking it again, while others do not. A standard pie plate or a deep dish springform pan works well for a classic quiche, and individual tart pans work well for mini quiches.

The quiche bakes until there is only a slight jiggle in the center of the custard. The residual heat will finish cooking and setting the custard as the quiche cools. The final result is a creamy, light, and smooth custard you can enjoy immediately or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for storage in the refrigerator.

Pair a slice of quiche with a side salad or fresh fruit and you have a well-rounded meal. Here are five quiche recipes you can serve at room temperature or reheat until they are slightly warm:

1. 1. Artichoke quiche: Start with a classic custard of large eggs and half-and-half (or milk and heavy cream) and mix in salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and any other seasonings you wish. Drain artichoke hearts from a jar or cook fresh artichokes before adding them to the custard. Learn how to make a classic artichoke quiche.
2. 2. Asparagus quiche: Steam asparagus and chop each spear into smaller pieces or leave the spears whole and long for presentation purposes. Pair the asparagus with a sharp cheese, like Parmesan, Gruyère, or Swiss cheese. Try this recipe for asparagus quiche.
3. 3. Classic quiche: Every quiche starts with a basic ratio of eggs to dairy. A traditional recipe provides you with the freedom to experiment with various fillings and seasonings. Bake your quiche in a pie dish until the pastry crust is crispy and the egg filling sets. Add this classic quiche recipe to your cooking repertoire.
4. 4. Mushroom quiche: Sauté cremini, shiitake, oyster, portobello, or wild mushrooms until they are golden brown. Fresh herbs like basil and thyme complement the earthy flavor of mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese adds creaminess and even more flavor. Try this mushroom quiche recipe.
5. 5. Sautéed spinach and cheese quiche: Add bacon to a cheese and spinach quiche to make it a quiche Lorraine or omit the bacon to keep the dish vegetarian. Use fresh spinach instead of frozen spinach since frozen spinach will introduce excess liquid into the quiche. Learn how to make a sautéed spinach and cheese quiche.

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