Start your day with a savory Bacon and Cheese Quiche. This classic Quiche Lorraine is a "custard-like" egg pie with crispy bacon, sautéed leeks, and cheese. It's an impressive dish perfect for breakfast, brunch or even a light lunch or dinner.
I love Quiche Lorraine so much that I kind of wish my name was Lorraine! Don't you think that having a delicious dish named after you would be pretty cool? Especially since the common phrase with my name is “Debbie Downer." Yikes! I’d like to think that wouldn’t be me!
Well, this classic dish, Quiche Lorraine, isn't named after "someone." It happens to be named after "someplace"...Lorraine, a region in northeastern France. A beautiful place with its own dish. Makes perfect sense!
A Delicious Childhood Memory
I’m pretty sure the first time I had Quiche Lorraine was in middle school at my friend Marna’s house.
We woke up to the aromas coming from downstairs, and I knew it was something I had never had before. I couldn't wait to see what was happening in the kitchen!
Waking up to the sound of bacon sizzling and getting a whiff of it, we couldn’t get downstairs fast enough! There we found perfect wedges of the richness of the egg-y “custard” with the crispy bacon and leeks (did I know what a leek was when I was 12? Doubt it!) on top of that buttery flaky pie crust! Oh my word!
A delicious start to, I’m sure, what was to be a fun filled day back then! Of course, thanking Marna's Sweet nanny Linda as we ran out the door!
Get It While It's Hot
There are so many variations of Quiche Lorraine. Being able to create my own for Kyle and Joel's Great 8 dinner in 2017, I was ready!
With Ballerina Farms bacon in my refrigerator, I knew it would be Gr8!
Give Quiche Lorraine a try by adding more or less of your favorite ingredients. Get creative and just do you!
Some recipes have a mixture of cheeses, instead of all Swiss, or some recipes use milk or ½ and ½, instead of cream.
Some have hot sauce instead of red pepper flakes. I use both because I love spicy dishes!
I always like to serve something fresh and cold whenever I'm serving something rich and savory.
Quiche Lorraine pairs perfectly alongside Jurga's Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing or a small bowl of Anna's Watermelon Gazpacho. Both are so light and refreshing.
This quiche can be prepared the day before serving. Pop the quiche in the oven before your guests wake up or before they arrive. I’m sure they'll all come scurrying to the kitchen to grab a hot wedge from the pan!
Quiche Lorraine - Bacon and Cheese Quiche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Perfect Pie Crust recipe, or store bought pie crust
- 1 leek, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
- ½ Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon, about ⅔ pound of bacon
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more or less, depending on your personal preference
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, about 8 ounces of cheese, divided
- hot sauce, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Lay uncooked pie crust onto a 9" pie pan. Using a kitchen shear trim the edges so the overhang is about an inch. Then fold that under and pinch the crust so you have a decorative edge. Using a fork, pierce bottom of crust several times and bake for about 16 -18 minutes, or until light golden brown. If using a store bought frozen pie crust, defrost for about 10 minutes before piercing the bottom with a fork.
- Meanwhile, in a small skillet, sauté sliced leeks in ½ Tablespoon of oil until softened and translucent. Remove from skillet and drain on a paper towel. Mix together with crumbled crispy bacon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add heavy cream, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, dry mustard, and nutmeg. Whisk thoroughly.
- Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese over the bottom of the baked crust.
- While pouring the cream mixture over cheese covered crust, alternate with layers of sprinkled leeks and bacon mixture to ensure even distribution.
- Sprinkle the final cup of cheese on top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the quiche is set and golden. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- The quiche can be prepared one day ahead of time. Once baked and cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge. To reheat, cover it with foil and heat in a 350℉ oven for about 20-25 minutes.
- The quiche can also be wrapped well in plastic wrap or foil and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. When time to serve, defrost in the refrigerator for about 24 hours before reheating.
Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think!