Quiche Lorraine
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With smoky bacon, nutty Gruyère, and shallots, this classic quiche Lorraine is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.
When I was in college, I studied abroad in Tours, France, a university town about one hour from Paris. Every day for lunch, I would walk to a neighborhood boulangerie, treat myself to a mini quiche, and then stroll back to class through a maze cobbled streets, relishing every bite while soaking up scenery. I don’t recall a single course I took at that school, but the simple pleasure of eating that quiche is seared into my memory. Quiche Lorraine, named after the Lorraine region of France, is one of the most iconic French quiches and also one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable. Richly flavored with smoky bacon, nutty Gruyère cheese, and shallots, it’s ideal for brunch, lunch, or dinner, especially paired with a green salad and crisp white wine.
To make life easy, I recommend using a store-bought frozen crust. A homemade crust is delicious but time-consuming to make, and with a good-quality frozen crust, you can whip up an amazingly delicious quiche with almost no effort.
What You’ll Need To Make Quiche Lorraine
- For the richest, creamiest custard, I recommend using heavy cream rather than milk or half & half (you’ll also notice that I bake quiche at 325°F rather than 350°F, as higher temperatures can cause the eggs to scramble. Baking quiches at a lower temperature makes the custard incredibly silky.)
- Be sure to use a deep-dish pie crust; a regular 9-inch crust is not deep enough to hold all of the filling. I prefer the frozen variety, as it’s ready to cook.
- For the cheese, be sure to use an authentic Swiss-made Gruyère that bears the AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) seal, which shows that the cheese is made according to strict government-mandated rules and quality standards. It’s pricey but you only need 4 ounces (and any that you have leftover makes wonderful grilled cheese sandwiches).
Step-by-Step instructions
To begin, remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw for about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork.
Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate.) Don’t panic if your crust cracks in the oven. You can easily fix it by making a smooth paste from 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of water. Using your fingers, patch up and fill any cracks with the paste, then place the crust back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
While the crust cooks, dice the bacon. To make it easier to work with, pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes or so beforehand. Place the diced bacon in a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan and add the shallots.
Cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, and then the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust.
Top with half of the bacon.
Then all of the Gruyère.
Then the remaining bacon.
Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve the quiche hot or at room temperature.
How To Freeze Quiche Lorraine
This quiche freezes beautifully for up to three months. After baking and cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven until hot in the center.
You May Also Like
- Classic French Spinach Quiche
- Leek & Parmesan Quiche
- Ham & Cheese Oven-Puffed Pancake
- Crustless Broccoli Quiche
Quiche Lorraine
With smoky bacon, nutty Gruyère, and shallots, this classic quiche Lorraine is one of the most satisfying dishes imaginable.
Ingredients
- One 9-inch deep-dish frozen pie crust
- 8 oz thick-cut bacon (about 6 slices), diced
- ½ cup chopped shallots, from 2 medium shallots
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cups heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- 4 oz Gruyère, finely shredded (about 1¼ cups)
Instructions
- Blind bake the crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. (If there are any cracks in the crust, see note below on how to patch them up.) Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Place the crust on a baking sheet to make it easy to move in and out of the oven. Bake on until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it; if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate. (If it cracks while baking, see note below for instructions on how to patch it up.) Set aside and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- In a medium nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg; whisk until evenly combined.
- Spread the shallots evenly over the bottom of the cooked crust. Top with half of the bacon, all of the Gruyère, and then the remaining bacon. Pour the egg/cream mixture over top.
- Slide the quiche (still on the baking sheet) into the oven and bake at 325°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the custard is set and lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.
- Note: Don't panic if your crust has cracks -- you can easily fix it. Make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water. Use your fingers to patch up and fill any cracks, then proceed with the recipe. If the crust cracks while blind baking, patch it afterwards and place it back in the oven for a minute or so to set. It should be good as new.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This quiche can be fully prepared up to a day ahead of time and refrigerated. To reheat: Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and heat in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quiche can be frozen for up to 3 months. After baking and cooling the quiche, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Remove the quiche from the freezer about 24 hours prior to eating. Remove the plastic wrap and reheat it, covered with foil, in a 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 616
- Fat: 51 g
- Saturated fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Sodium: 575 mg
- Cholesterol: 232 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Have made this many times. Always perfect and delicious! Can you make this one crustless?
Glad you like it, Carole! To make it crustless, I’d adjust the ingredient amounts to this:
10 oz thick-cut bacon (about 8 slices), diced
3/4 cup chopped shallots, from 1 large shallot
6 large eggs
1-3/4 cups heavy cream
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg
5 oz Gruyère, finely shredded (about 1-1/2 cups)
This looks good and I will try it. But Classic Quiche Lorraine does not have cheese. So maybe call it Quiche Lorraine with Cheese.
The absolute best quiche I have ever made !
This will be the only quiche recipe I will make from now on.
The lower temp was spot on.
Thanks for sharing
I made this quiche recipe exactly as written.
I used a frozen deep dish pie crust.
The result was perfection!!
Both the look and taste were wonderful.
I will be making this quiche again soon- maybe I will make two and freeze one.
Perfect for brunch with a side salad.
I made your Quiche Lorraine this morning. To save time, I cooked the bacon pieces yesterday & refrigerated. Also made my own crust w/butter yesterday, putting the finished crust & quiche dish in the freezer overnight. This morning I blind baked the crust with parchment & pie weights. I softened shallots in butter in the microwave as well. Followed your filling recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly! Delicious and easy especially spreading tasks over 2 days. I will make this recipe again & again! A great do ahead breakfast for overnight guests! My husband & I both loved it!
One of my the best quiches I’ve ever had. The best I’ve ever made.
This quiche was absolutely delicious! It’s a keeper.
Thank you.
Made this for my husband who is an amazing chef and has high expectations. He couldn’t stop eating it!! Followed the directions exactly and it turned out amazing. Added a few fresh chives from the herb garden and it really brightened up all the rich flavors. 10/10!!!!
This was delicious! I baked it 100% as stated in the recipe to the best of my ability. I cooked it a little longer because I am at higher altitude. I live alone and cannot possibly eat this all so I gave a large piece to my neighbor and an hour later he came back over wanting the recipe and said it was the best quiche he’s ever had. This quiche is VERY rich, not a light meal… just be forewarned, but absolutely scrumptious. I wouldn’t change anything except I used regular bacon and next time I would use thick cut bacon as stated in the recipe. I am not an experienced or talented cook, but this came out very well and gave me some confidence to boot. Had leftover heavy whipping cream so I shook it in a mason jar for 5 minutes and wallah- homemade butter- just a fun idea if you have leftover cream.
Jenn, would you see any benefit in bringing the eggs & cream to room temperature before mixing them? I do with my Dutch Baby recipe but I think it’s only to prevent the added melted butter from coagulating.
Mal
Hi Mal, There’s no need to bring the eggs and cream to room temp for the quiche. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen. What frozen pie crust do you recommend? I tried the roll out type but it was just too small. Thank you. Love every recipe on line and in both cookbooks,
So glad you like the recipes! My favorite is Whole Foods Wholly Wholesome pie crust, but I’ve noticed that they don’t make the deep-dish version anymore. You can still use it, but you’ll have a little custard leftover. I have also used Marie Callender’s and Mrs. Smith’s, and they work well with this quiche.
Thank you Jen❤️
This beauty is in the oven and I’m going insane with want.
And it was fun to make thanks to your excellent instructions
Hm. That was super rich. I love fat but it was too much even for me. Didn’t reheat very well, fell apart. Maybe i have unreasonable expectations. Also, got super expensive with the gruyere in the US costing more than parmesan.
This is supposed to be a peasant dish that’s affordable. People at the brunch made positive noises but I’m wondering if they weren’t just being nice. Nothing fundamentally wrong with it but i won’t make it again.
If I make it the day before, how long should I cook it and how should I reheat it?
It truly is the best quiche I’ve ever had!
So glad you like it, Susanna! To reheat it, cover the quiche with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until hot in the center.
I love your site and every recipe I’ve made has gotten rave reviews!!! I made this more like a frittata, because I wanted to eliminate the crust and its carbs! I just added 2 eggs and made it exactly as you wrote it! Family loved it!! So light and flavorful!! Came out of my double walled deep dish stainless pie plate just like you would want it to!! Thank you soooo much. The shallots were so sweet and good as the ‘crust’!!! (Much better than other recipes that use green onions!! ❤️❤️❤️
The BEST quiche ever. I used my favorite homemade crust recipe, but everything else was totally Jenn. Perfect. My daughters and I made this for Mother’s day brunch. WOW. I can’t wait to have it again. We love many of your recipes, thank you.
I made this for Mother’s Day today & it was a huge hit!! It was easy to assemble & not too time consuming and oh so yummy!!
I made this for Mother’s Day and it was a hit! I will make this again and again. I added Smoked Paprika and nutmeg.
This was delicious! My husband thinks it may be one of the best things he’s ever tasted. High praise indeed. I made it in an eleven inch old fashioned tart pan with a removable bottom using two thawed Marie Callender’s pie crusts combined into a ball and rolled out. There was a bit of dough left over, but I didn’t want to run short. I par-baked the crust the night before to save time.
I mistakenly used three shallots because that’s what I bought. Everything else as written.
Thanks, Jenn
I am planning on making your quiche soon and was wondering which deep dish pie crust do you recommend? Thanks
Hi Judith, I really liked Whole Foods’ Wholly Wholesome brand, but they no longer have a deep dish version. I’d recommend Marie Callender’s if your store carries that.
Jen,
I love all your recipes! Thank you! You are my go-to girl! I will be making both the crustless broccoli quiche & the quiche Lorraine this weekend. Can I bake ahead? Will it still taste as good? Thanks again for your fabulous recipes!
So glad you like the recipes! Yes, both quiches reheat nicely. See the bottom of the recipe for make-ahead instructions. Hope you enjoy!
I’m in Colorado and this took about 20 extra minutes to bake. It was wonderful and my kids all had seconds!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now. It is sooo good! What I like about it is how light and airy the creamy egg part of the quiche is so delicate! The concept of dicing the bacon and frying them beats frying the bacon and crumbling it. It turns out neater. Thank you!
I’ve made this several times and it is always delicious as is, but very forgiving if you make a substitution or two. What my family really likes is a hash brown crust, so I’ve made that a permanent adaptation!
The best quiche Lorraine I have eaten. The recipe is perfect and so easy to make. This was the biggest hit at an Easter brunch.
WHERE ARE THE AMOUNTS IN THIS RECIPE?!
It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
Just a word of caution to those who buy a “deep-dish” frozen pie crust. Pour your egg mixture slowly to make sure it all fits, as the crust I bought wasn’t deep enough to hold the full amount, and ended up overflowing onto the tray.
Had to use turkey bacon, and used black, not cayenne, pepper, but this was a delicious quiche. Yum!
Hi! Plan to make this as the star of a brunch for 8 adults. Which of your other recipes would you suggest to pair to fill out the rest of the menu?
This would pair nicely with a fruit salad like this one. You could also incorporate either a green salad (this one is so pretty) or a crusty bread. Hope that helps and that you enjoy whatever you make!
hi – just wondering if this fed your group of 8. I plan to make this for a group of 7 but am unsure of the portions. I will also make salad and have other things on the side as well.
thank you!
Wow! Your Quiche Lorraine is absolutely the best quiche ever! And I’ve been making quiche regularly for decades. The 325 oven, the all Gruyere, the all cream — all important shifts. Thank you!
Hi! If I bake two quiches in the oven at a time, will I need to adjust the temperature or cooking time? Thank you!
Hi Nancy, you won’t need to adjust the temperature. The quiches may take a few extra minutes to cook just because the oven will be a bit more crowded. Hope you enjoy!
This quiche was absolutely delicious! It’s a keeper.
Thank you