What is the secret to good quiche?

Whipping up a delicious vegetable quiche isn't complicated. However, there are a few tips and tricks you can use to ensure your savory tart comes out perfect every time. First, season. Be sure to use enough seasoning for the number of ingredients to ensure the dish is perfectly flavored. Second, be sure to fill the shell to the top. If you're worried about spills, place the quiche on a baking sheet to catch any overage that may occur. And last but not least, bake the tart in the bottom third of the oven; baking this close to the heat source will prevent the crust from getting soggy.

Should You Prebake or Blind Bake Quiche Crust?

Yes and no. If you are making your crust from scratch, then yes you do need to blind bake the crust. I spoke with the experts at King Arthur Flour , and they explained that the cold quiche filling insulates the pastry and prevents the bottom crust from cooking fast enough to set up before the butter melts. This makes the butter melt out of the pastry causing the bottom crust to get soggy and greasy. More on that below. Moreover, the upper edge of the crust will not bake before the egg custard sets up and will be pale and wan. But when using frozen pie shells, it is not necessary to blind bake the crust. I have tested this recipe both with blind baking the frozen pie shell and straight from the freezer and both work well. I spoke with the baking experts at Wholly Wholesome and they agreed that it is not necessary to blind bake a frozen shell. If you do decide to blind bake your frozen pie shell, make sure to use a pie shield to keep the upper crust from getting burnt.

Can you freeze this quiche?

Yes. Wrap the cooled quiche in two layers of plastic wrap and a layer of heavy-duty foil. Freeze up to two months. To reheat, unwrap the frozen quiche and set it directly in the center rack of a preheated oven. Bake at 325-degree for 1 hour or until heated all the way through. To prevent the crust from becoming too brown use a pie shield or use foil. When tested with an instant-read thermometer it should reach 160 degrees F.

Can I make this into a crustless quiche?

You can! Grease your pie plate with butter before adding the quiche filling and top with the cheese. Then bake at 350 degrees F until the center is puffed and set-up, 40 to 45 minutes.

Easy Veggie Quiche

Name: Easy Veggie Quiche
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 frozen pie shell *see ingredient note; 2 ½ cups finely chopped veggies such as zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli and peppers; 5 large eggs; ½ cup half and half or low fat milk; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; ¾ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon ground pepper or white pepper; Pinch nutmeg or dried tarragon; 1 ½ cups freshly shredded cheese, such as cheddar, Fontina, Gruyere or Swiss, divided (6 oz)

Description

Our easy Veggie quiche comes together with only 15 minutes of prep time. It is perfect for brunch, lunch, or as a light meatless dinner. Customize the filling with your favorite vegetables and cheeses to make this uniquely suited to your tastes.

Ingredients

Scale

1 frozen pie shell *see ingredient note
2 1/2 cups finely chopped veggies such as zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli and peppers
5 large eggs
1/2 cup half and half or low fat milk
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper or white pepper
Pinch nutmeg or dried tarragon
1 1/2 cups freshly shredded cheese, such as cheddar, Fontina, Gruyere or Swiss, divided (6 oz)

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Instructions

Arrange oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine veggies and ¼ cup water in a microwave safe bowl. Cover with a layer of parchment and plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Carefully remove the cover (watch for steam) and drain the veggies in a fine mesh sieve.
Whisk eggs, half and half, mustard, salt, garlic powder, pepper and nutmeg (or tarragon) in a large bowl. Stir in the veggies and 1 cup cheese.
Pour the egg mixture into the crust. Top with the remaining ½ cup cheese.
Transfer the baking sheet to the rack in the lower third of the oven and bake until the center of the quiche is lightly puffed, and the crust is golden, about 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

We like Wholly Wholesome frozen pie shells for a quick and delicious quiche. Fill and bake them while they are still frozen.
You can also use homemade pie crust. Our favorite pie dough recipe is this All Butter Crust from King Arthur Flour. If using homemade pie dough, you will want to “blind bake” the shell first for 20 minutes with a layer of parchment plus pie weights or dried beans, then remove the weights and bake again for 5 to 10 minutes to crisp the bottom of the crust. Then fill and bake the quiche as directed. If the outer crust darkens too much before the filling sets, use a pie shield or foil around the crust only to prevent it from over browning.
Note: homemade 9-inch pie plates are larger than disposable frozen pie plates so you will want to add ½ cup additional veggies and 2 more eggs to make more filling.
Nutritional values are based on using half and half, but if you use low fat milk instead the calories drop to 358 per slice.
To freeze: Allow baked quiche to completely cool, wrap in plastic wrap then foil, and freeze for 2 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost in the fridge for at least 24 hours then follow reheating instructions. Or bake from frozen at 325 (with a pie shield to prevent the shell from over-browning) for 1 hour or until it reaches 160 degrees F in the center when tested with an instant-read thermomter.
To reheat: place the quiche in the center of the oven set at 350°F. Bake until the center of the quiche registers 160°F when checked with an instant read thermometer. This takes about 35 minutes. Cover with a sheet of foil if browning too much.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Category: Breakfast
Method: Oven
Cuisine: French

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6th quiche
Calories: 374
Sugar: 2 g
Fat: 26 g
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 15 g