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2009Leek and Parmesan Quiche
This recipe was inspired by my semester abroad in France, when everyday for lunch, I would walk to the pastry shop near my university and treat myself to an individual quiche fromage…a delicious little habit that quickly cost me all my skinny jeans.
What makes this quiche special is a generous layer of buttery leeks -– which impart a mellow, almost sweet, onion flavor -– Parmesan cheese and, yes, heavy cream. I know, I know, you won’t be coming to me for dieting advice, but a little indulgence goes a long way here.
Typically I’d make my own crust, but since I’m on vacation, I used a store bought crust and it came out great. The secret to success, whether you make the crust yourself or use pre-made, is to pre-bake it so it won’t be soggy.
All that’s left is simply cooking the leeks, spreading them on top of the crust, topping it all with an easy-to-mix custard and baking it in the oven.
It’s perfect for entertaining because you can make the whole thing a day ahead and simply reheat it when you’re ready to serve.
Who needs those skinny jeans anyway?
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Leek and Parmesan Quiche
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
1 frozen 9” Pie Shell (I like Wholly Wholesome brand from Whole Foods)
1½ tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup finely chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (you’ll need 1–2 leeks; be sure to clean well, especially between leaves where there can be a lot of grit)
1½ cups heavy cream
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried
Pinch nutmeg
1¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (good stuff is a must)
¼ teaspoon salt, plus extra for leek mixture
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus extra for leek mixture
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove pie shell from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork (10-20 minutes). Prick bottom and sides all over with a fork. Bake on center rack until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 325 degrees.
2. Melt butter in small sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until very soft, about 15 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
3. In a medium size bowl, combine heavy cream, eggs, thyme, nutmeg, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Spread cooked leeks over pre-baked pie shell, taking care not to puncture crust (it may be fragile around rim, or where there are air bubbles). Pour egg mixture over top. Bake at 325 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until custard is set but still moist. Serve hot or warm.
Ciaochowlinda
This quiche would be worth stepping up to the next size jeans.
the domestic mama
mmm… looks yummy!
Aysegul - nysdelight
Delicious! Great and simple.
Sharon
Made this last night and we absolutely loved it. The cream is what makes it sinfully good! Thanks!
Sarah
This quiche was unbelievable – I will definitely be making it again! Question – I would love to make it in advance and reheat it to make entertaining a little bit easier. What is the best way to reheat a quiche?
Jenn
Sarah, You can reheat it, covered w/ foil, in a 325 degree oven until hot, about 10-15 minutes.
Chanel11
That is one luscious looking quiche – yummy!
Lora Downie
I made this to bring to a quiche cook-off that my church hosts, and i won…
BTW – I forgot to buy heavy cream and was thinking I would def come dead last since I used a combo of skim milk and greek yogurt instead.
Nope, still won.
THANK YOU!!
Jenn
That is so exciting, Lora! Thanks for letting me know!
m duncan
i have leeks, fennel and green onions in the crisper. i think this would be a good use for those vegetables. thabks for the idea.
Michelle
This was soooo good. Made this the day you posted the recipe! …. Need to make this again soon!!
Donna
This is delicious. I found it a little salty, so next time I will leave out salt. I used my own homemade crust, made with butter. My family loved this.
Shannon
Looks delicious… can’t wait to try!
Danita
Making out my shopping list, so I can make this tonight.
Becky
I made this for a shower and everyone loved it!
Celia Wallace
Looks fabulous. I’m on the way to get the ingredients now. Someone said Trader Joe’s pie crust is better than Whole Foods.
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
Buying the ingredients for this very soon so I can try it – YUM!
Laura
Made my first quiche and everyone loved it! I used half and half rather than heavy cream and it was rich and perfect, the whole family loved it! Used Trader Joe’s pie crust, comes in a 2 pack so I’m planning to try your spinach and gruyere quiche recipe soon! Thank you!
Rosalinda
this looks great
Christine
This recipe is the first and only quiche I’ve made. Turned out amazing and my husband loved it!
rachaeltamar
Looks delish!
Sorry, I’m totally a novice cook….but could you interchange the leeks for other veggies, keeping the egg/cream/seasoning ratio?
Jenn
Hi Rachel, You could use shallots or onions, but leeks are definitely preferred.
susie dyksinski
quiche is the only way I can get my husband to eat eggs for dinner. this one looks yummy, can’t wait to try it!
Tessa
Incredible! This is one sure winner!
Miora
Yummy! looks really good! imma try that tonight for dinner
Kara Murphy Schmidt
Wonderful spring quiche!
Meghan Finley
I’m a sucker for quiche as well so I had to use your recipe as an excuse to make it yet again. I thought I’d miss a meaty aspect because I usually make with ham, but it was perfect without.
Angela
The first time I ever used leeks was in this recipe and it turned out great!
Donna
This quiche is simply delicious. Everyone in my family loves it.
Stephanie S
Sounds yummy – I love a good quiche recipe!
Pam
So glad I found your website. Had a huge gathering over the weekend and made your cinnamon rolls, chai banana bread and this quiche. Everyone loved everything and requested recipes. Easy to make and tastes amazing! Thanks!
Lori O.
Looks DELISH!
Cheryl Arnold
This looks great, making it TODAY.
NKRak
What a great recipe to make for a brunch on a Sunday morning. This is so great! Very good and nutritious
Emma Jenkins
I love Quiche .. our little local Secret Garden tearoom makes an asparagus quiche .. I shared your recipe with them!
Kathy Wilson
This Quiche looks and sounds awesome. Will definitely try this one!
Jennifer Smith
This is my new favorite meatless dish. Very yummy!!!
I just used a store-brand frozen pie shell, salted butter, less cream (I substituted a half cup of the cream with fat-free milk), and used Stella Shredded Parmesan-Romano instead of the “good stuff.” Nevertheless, this recipe was a big hit with everyone.
I found it easier to put the pie on a cookie sheet before baking because the shell was VERY full of the egg mixture.
Thanks for the great recipe, Jen.
Michelle
I loved the rich flavors in this recipe – I would recommend baking it for a crowd, otherwise you will simply eat it all weekend like me and my husband.
Louise Allen
This quiche sounds wonderful!. Will have to see if I can find leeks in our local stores. I am very fond of quiche!
Kristin S
I made this for dinner tonight with some changes and it was great! I added mushrooms in with the leeks (because I love them) and substitued a combo of greek yogurt, milk and cream cheese for the heavy cream. My husband said it was the best quiche i’ve made. Thanks!
Elizabeth C. in Kansas
I substituted the heavy cream with lower fat cream cheese and 2% milk. It came out beautifully! I added chopped sauteed bell peppers and mushrooms. “Wow!” Yumm-oooh!
Jamie Christine
Another great recipe! I made the spinach gruyere quiche the other night, and it was great, so I couldn’t wait to try this one. I once again omitted the crust and subbed in egg whites. My oven broke after I mixed everything together, so I had to microwave the quiche. I microwaved it for about 25 minutes. (My microwave is older.) I didn’t know what to expect microwaving it, but the quiche still turned out amazing! Thanks!
Michelle
This is amazing – perfect exactly as is – a wonderful combination of flavors!
Gianna
This looks so perfect and delicious.
Laura
Pulled fresh leeks from my garden,picked fresh tyme-this recipe is deliscious! It tasted so gourmet,first quiche I ever made and looked just like the picture. Will make it again and a friend is making it for a July 4th party tomorrow!
THANKS!
Judi
I replaced the heavy cream with 1% milk and it tasted great! We also use this as a base recipe and add broccoli, mushroom or just make plain cheese.
PC
I have tried so many quiche recipes – this is by far the best!
sharon-lee
This recipe is great! I made some changes only because I didnt have cream I used light cream cheese and loosened it up with a splosh of milk. also to the leeks I added bacon snips. big hit ! thank you
Rebecca
This quiche was amazing….so creamy! It was a huge hit in our house! It will be my go-to quiche from now on. Also, I made it earlier in the day and then heated it in the oven as Jennifer suggested to another poster (covered with foil, 325 degrees for about 20 minutes in my oven). It wasn’t piping hot, but I didn’t want to overcook it – however, it was just perfect and really made dinner easy! Thank you so much!
Pauline
Please try this recipe with potato’s! Sliced thin (sauteed) layered in over the leeks~ I did and it’s a fantastic combination! Sooo uymmy! The potatoes thickened the custard, so less cream can be used. Bon Appetit!
Jackie
This was delicious! I made this as a trial because I’m assigned to bring a quiche for a French program at my daughters’s school and it came out perfectly. Even my picky daughter tried it!