Simple, elegant, and utterly delicious Quiche Lorraine Recipe will impress weekend guests or a holiday brunch crowd. Served warm or at room temperature, it’s made with smoky bacon and Gruyere cheese in a creamy egg custard baked into a flaky buttery pie crust!
Table of Contents
A Classic Egg Tart
A classic quiche Lorraine is a holiday brunch staple at our house! It goes a little beyond a traditional ham and cheese quiche or a frittata but is still super easy to make.
It sounds French and fancy so I like to serve it on special occasions like Easter brunch or at Christmas! However, it’s just as easily served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner any day of the week.
It’s impressive and rich, yet simple and satisfying served hot or room temperature with a variety of side dishes!
Why This Recipe Works
- Customizable. A classic quiche Lorraine is made with bacon and cheese, however, there are many ways to jazz it up like adding potatoes, similar to a Spanish omelette, or other veggies you like. Even switching up the cheese!
- Make ahead and freezer-friendly. Make it, cool it, and freeze it for months. Pop it in the oven when you want something quick and easy.
- Store-bought pie crust. For convenience, all you need is a store-bought pie crust. I usually have a few crusts frozen from my easy pie crust recipe.
What is Quiche Lorraine?
This recipe for quiche Lorraine is as close to authentic as you’re going to get. Well, except the cheese. It originated in the Lorraine region of France, starting as just bacon, cream, and eggs in a tart.
The addition of cheese came later, as did its worldwide popularity. It is an egg pie that can be served warm or at room temperature for any meal of the day.
Quiche Lorraine Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Uncooked pie crust: You’ll only need 1 10-inch crust for the bottom. If you have a little extra time to make a homemade crust, that would be great.
- Thick cut bacon: You want to slice thick bacon into little pieces so that they don’t cook too quickly or get lost in the custard. They add a salty, smoky element.
- Shallots: Finely chop this aromatic mild onion for extra flavor.
- Large eggs: You’ll need about 4 for this recipe which ends up serving 8 people.
- Heavy cream: When whisked with the eggs it creates a rich, creamy custard. Avoid substituting for half and half or milk if you can help it. It won’t be as rich.
- Seasoning: Nutmeg, salt, and pepper are all that are needed. I love added nutmeg as it gives a bit of a warm earthiness to the dish.
- Shredded Gruyere: Rich, creamy, and super tasty French cheese melts easily and delivers a nutty, salty flavor to cut through the egg mixture.
Variations
- Swap the cheese: Try a sharp cheddar cheese or Swiss cheese instead. You could even add crumbled feta or goat’s cheese.
- Try a different meat: Ham, crumbled sausage, or shredded chicken can be used in place of bacon.
- Toss in some veggies: Mushrooms, bell peppers, caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, potatoes, you name it.
- Extra seasoning: Add some fresh herbs like parsley or chives or even some cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for heat.
If you’re looking for something without a crust try my crustless quiche, it’s very similar.
How to Make Quiche Lorraine
- Blind bake the pie crust. Center the dough on top of the tart pan or pie dish and press it around the edges. Pierce the bottom of the pie crust with a fork to allow for steam to escape so it doesn’t puff up when it’s baking. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. Reduce the temperature to 325℉.
- Cook the bacon. While the crust cools, cook the bacon in a medium frying pan for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess grease. Remove all but 1 Tablespoon of grease in the pan to cook the shallots for 3-4 minutes until soft. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Add filling to the crust. Spread an even layer of cooked shallots to the bottom of the cooked and cooled crust. Top with just 1/2 the bacon, all of the shredded cheese, and then another layer of the rest of the bacon. Slowly pour in the egg mixture overtop, being careful not to move around the evenly dispersed ingredients.
- Bake it. While still on the baking sheet, bake it for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and it is fully cooked throughout.
- Slice and serve quiche Lorraine. Allow it to cool slightly and serve it as you would any pie. In triangle pieces. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- It’s not a must, but some people find it helpful to add a layer of parchment paper to the bottom of the pie crust and place dry beans or pie weights on it so that it doesn’t puff up. I haven’t needed it, but the option is there.
- Leaving the bacon grease in the pan to cook the shallots is for flavor. If you’re concerned about the fat, feel free to discard all of it and use olive oil or avocado oil instead.
- To test whether your quiche Lorraine is ready to come out of the oven, insert a toothpick into the center of it. If it comes out clean, it’s ready!
Recipe FAQs
Blind baking is the best way to avoid a soggy bottom crust. It gives it a bit of a head start and a firmer bottom that won’t absorb as much of the liquid as raw pastry would. I usually find it’s fine to skip it with this recipe.
The difference is in the ingredients. As you’ve learned, quiche Lorraine is made with an egg and cream custard with bacon and Gruyere as the stars of the show. Regular quiche is made with an egg base and plenty of meat, veggies, and cheese added in.
You can! Bake it completely, allow it to cool, and then place it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it.
The best quiche Lorraine is served warm or at room temperature, so it’s a good idea to bring it to room temperature before serving it, or warming it up a bit in the oven. Otherwise, it might be too cold.
Serving Suggestions
The options for serving a fabulous quiche Lorraine are endless!
If you’re serving it for breakfast or brunch complete your feast with the perfect crepe recipe, breakfast potatoes or blueberry muffins.
For lunch or dinner, a crisp leafy green salad and honey lime fruit salad would be great! You could also serve it with a veggie or fruit platter.
Storing and Freezing Quiche
Storing: Let the quiche Lorraine cool completely, then wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freeze: You can also freeze the quiche (wrapped tightly in aluminum foil and plastic wrap) for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Cover with foil and bake at 400°F until the quiche is warm throughout. You can also heat a slice or two in the microwave.
More crowd-pleasing breakfast recipes include this eggs benedict recipe, cheesy bacon breakfast skillet and mini egg frittatas!
More Savory Brunch Recipes
Browse all
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Quiche Lorraine Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 10-inch uncooked pie crust
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon , cut into pieces
- ⅓ cup finely chopped shallots (about 2)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup finely shredded gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Press the dough around the edges of a 9-inch tart pan or pie dish. Place on a baking sheet. Pierce the bottom of the pie crust with a fork. Bake 5 minutes and then remove from oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 325℉.
- In a medium frying pan, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, or until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Leave 1 Tablespoon fat in the pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened, being careful not to brown. Remove the pan from the heat
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- In the bottom of the cooked crust, still on the baking sheet, evenly spread the shallots. Top with 1/2 of the bacon, all of the gruyère, and the remaining bacon. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the top.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Enjoy while warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: American, Breakfast, Christmas, Eggs, Make Ahead, Meal Prep, Nut-Free, Savory Breakfast
My girlfriends loved this for our brunch! It was gone in minutes!
I love anything with bacon & gruyere cheese!! What a delicious combination!! Quiche’s are one of my favorites to make when we have company!
This quiche and the Gruyere cheese and bacon make this the utterly irresistible! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
This recipe is absolutely fantastic! It turned out so well…having a light and fluffy texture with great flavors. It will be perfect to make ahead and reheat the next day when we have overnight guests stay with us (although mixing and making that morning would be so easy too!)
Yes! You said it all so perfectly! Thanks for a great review. I am glad that you all loved it so much. It is a family favorite in our home!