The Old-School Dish I've Been Making Every Easter Brunch for Over 15 Years

Quiche is a deceptive recipe in the very best way possible. It’s a savory egg custard baked in a flaky pie crust that looks and tastes classy and elegant. It seems like it should be a tricky dish to pull off, but it’s not at all. Quiche is surprisingly easy to make (especially if you start with a store-bought pie crust), and the possibilities are nearly endless when it comes to the fillings.

This foolproof version comes together in four simple steps and delivers the most incredibly delicious result every single time.

Why You’ll Love It

One of the very best things about quiche is that it’s shockingly easy to make at home. It looks and tastes fancy, but doesn’t actually require a ton of fancy footwork. In fact, it comes together in four simple steps with just a handful of ingredients.
This foolproof recipe uses just the right ratio of eggs to dairy to make the most impossibly creamy quiche. It doesn’t matter if you use milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream, the custard is soft, tender, and so luxurious. The secret is using 1/2 cup of dairy for each egg.

Key Ingredients in Quiche

Pie crust: You’ll use a single 9-inch pie dough to make this quiche.
Large eggs: One thing that may surprise you about making quiche is that it doesn’t actually require very many eggs. For this recipe, you only need three.
Whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream: Any one of these dairy options works well and makes a delicious quiche. The difference is how rich the custard tastes. Heavy cream makes for a super-creamy, rich quiche, and whole milk yields a lighter-tasting quiche, while half-and-half is somewhere in the middle.
Cheese: Gruyère, sharp cheddar, goat cheese, feta, and Swiss are all great options.
Filling ingredients: Meat, chopped vegetables, and fresh herbs are fair game for quiche fillings. Ingredients like ham, cured meats, tomato, asparagus, herbs, scallions, peas, and grated zucchini can be mixed in uncooked, while other meats and vegetables should be cooked first.

How to Make Quiche

Blind bake pie dough. Regardless of whether you’re using store-bought or homemade dough, blind bake the pie crust until just golden before adding the custard mixture and fillings.
Mix the custard. While the crust bakes, mix together the eggs and dairy for the custard mixture and prepare the fillings.
Bake the quiche. Add the cheese, fillings, and custard, and bake until the quiche is browned around the edges and mostly set but the center jiggles just a little.
Cool the quiche. Let the quiche sit for at least 20 minutes. The longer it sits, the more the custard will firm up and it will be easier to slice and serve.

Helpful Swaps

You can either opt for the convenience of store-bought pie crust or make homemade pie crust. If using store-bought, just be sure the dough is thawed first.
The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. The amount is what’s most important. If you don’t have enough of one type of dairy, it’s absolutely OK to use a combination.
Almost any kind of cheese is fair game here (even a combination!) — just make sure you use up to 1 cup total.

Classic Filling Combinations

Quiche Lorraine: Bacon, shallot, Gruyère cheese
Mushroom quiche: Mushrooms, yellow onion, garlic, thyme, Gruyère cheese
Ham and asparagus quiche: Yellow onion, asparagus, diced ham, Swiss cheese
Broccoli and cheddar cheese

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Store leftover quiche in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat in a 300°F oven until just warm to the touch.
Whether you’re using homemade pie dough or store-bought, the crust can be blind baked and cooled up to 2 days in advance. Cool the crust, tightly wrap, and store at room temperature until you’re ready to assemble the quiche.
Alternatively, the assembled quiche can be baked, cooled, and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Let come to room temperature or uncover and reheat in a 300°F oven before serving.

What to Serve with Quiche

Spinach Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Feta
Berry Pineapple Fruit Salad
Extra-Crispy Oven-Roasted Potatoes
Oven-Cooked Bacon
Blueberry Muffins

Quiche Recipe
With its savory custard and flaky crust, this brunch classic feels fancy, and it's surprisingly easy to make.Prep time 10 minutes to 30 minutesCook time 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 17 minutesMakes Makes 1 (9-inch) quicheServes 6 to 8Ingredients
1 store-bought or homemade pie dough, thawed if frozen
4 ounces cheese, such as Gruyère, Swiss, cheddar, or feta (about 1 cup)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup filling ingredients (see Recipe Note)
Instructions
If the pie dough is not rolled out, place on a floured work surface and roll out into a 12-inch round. Press into a 9-inch standard (not deep-dish) pie plate. Crimp as desired.
Refrigerate the pie shell for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF.
Place the pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Line the crust with parchment paper, then fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake until the crust is set, about 20 minutes. Remove the weights and parchment. Bake until just starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes more. Leave on the baking sheet and let cool slightly for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the fillings and custard.
Grate 4 ounces cheese on the large holes of a box grater (about 1 cup), or crumble 4 ounces feta cheese.
Place 3 large eggs; 1 1/2 cups whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream; 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until frothy and combined.
Sprinkle the cheese into the pie crust. Top with 1 cup filling ingredients. Pour the custard into the crust.
Bake, still on the baking sheet, until browned around the edges and mostly set but the center jiggles just a little, 40 to 50 minutes (check after 30 minutes and cover loosely with aluminum foil if the crust is already browned). Let cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.Recipe Notes
Cooked fillings: The following should be cooked before assembling the quiche: sausage, bacon, bell pepper, onion, leek, sliced zucchini, mushroom, broccoli, shallot, spinach, chard, kale, root vegetables.Uncooked fillings: The following can be used raw in quiche: ham, cured meats, tomato, asparagus, herb, scallions, peas, grated zucchini.Dairy choice: Whole milk will give you the lightest quiche, heavy cream will give you the richest quiche, and half-and-half will land you somewhere in the middle.Make ahead: The crust can be blind baked and cooled up to 2 days in advance. Cool, tightly wrap, and store at room temperature. Alternatively, the assembled quiche can be baked, cooled, and refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Let come to room temperature or uncover and reheat in a 300°F oven before serving.Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 300°F oven until just warm to the touch.