Today's Bacon and Cheese Quiche features a savory mix of bell pepper, lightly crisped bacon, and nutmeg, along with plenty of mozzarella and grating cheese. However, you can tweak this combination of ingredients to suit your palate - more on that below.
The crust for today's quiche is, in my opinion, one of the stars of the show. It cooks up flaky and buttery, and is delightfully simple to put together. However, you can of course get away with using a store-bought crust to save on time and ingredients. That said, I really do suggest that you try your hand at a homemade crust, since it's just so satisfying when a homemade crust comes out 'just right.'
Today's quiche would pair deliciously alongside something like an Acai Yogurt Bowl. Conversely, if preparing this for dinner, a basket of dinner rolls would be absolutely lovely. Regardless, be sure not to skip the perfectly brewed coffee when preparing today's quiche. As a nice bonus, it keeps for several days.
Now, let's get to it and prepare some quiche.
Ingredient Checklist & Notes
- Salt. Not a lot to say here. Plain table salt is all you need.
- Grating Cheese. Stick with Parmesan or Romano cheese. Freshly grated is always best, but pre-grated is fine too.
- Black Pepper. Pre-ground or cracked pepper is really all you need for today's recipe, no need to fuss with grinding.
- Nutmeg. The spice that tastes like Christmas. This delightful spice is super versatile, and well worth learning how to use, as it can fancy up everything from roasted vegetables to beef roasts. If you don't have nutmeg on hand, there are some substitutions below.
- Water. As a rule of thumb, I only cook or bake with water that I would personally drink and enjoy.
- Butter. As usual, I highly recommend using unsalted butter for the purposes of today's recipe.
- Bell Pepper. I'm using green bell peppers, but obviously any color will do. Naturally, feel free to spice things up by subbing in your favorite spicy peppers. Suggestions and substitutions below.
- Bacon. Plain, standard cut back is really all you need here. Though, of course, feel free to experiment with whatever your favorite variety happens to be. See below for bacon substitutes.
- Red onion. Adds a bit of color, and cooks up sweet. That's why I prefer Red Onion. Substitutes below.
- Mozzarella. Pre-grated is fine, and I really don't suggest trying to fancy things up with fresh mozzarella. Fresh has 'a lot' more moisture than standard, and that moisture will risk saturating the crust. However, provided you properly strain out your fresh mozzarella, it likely 'would' enhance the flavor quite a bit.
- Milk. Whole fat milk is what you want to go with. We want the added fat. Substitutes below.
- Eggs. Not a whole lot to say here, other than these help bind it all together and add fat for moisture and flavor.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Nutmeg. Mace or cinnamon in roughly equal amounts. However, this recipe 'does' work best with nutmeg, since neither quite captures the warming-yet-sweet essence of nutmeg.
- Butter. There are several substitutes. Shortening is probably the best, at a one-to-one ratio. Conversely, you can also use buttermilk, olive oil, or whole fat Greek yogurt. Buttermilk substitutes at a one-to-half ratio, butter to buttermilk. Olive oil substitutes at a one-to-three quarters ratio, butter to olive oil. Greek yogurt substitutes at a one-to-half ratio, butter to yogurt.
- Mozzarella. Oaxaca, gouda, Manchego, and Jarlsberg would all work fine in today's recipe.
- Bacon. Ham, prosciutto, salami, or mortadella would all work just fine in today's recipe. You could also substitute chopped up sausage - just be sure to cook the sausage before adding it into the quiche mixture. Really, there is no 'rule' on which meat would or wouldn't work in today's quiche.
- Red Onion. Sweet onion would be the best substitute, but 'any' type of onion would work. Yes, these are used at a one to one ratio in place of the red onion.
- Milk - Lactose Free Substitutes. Any plain, full-fat milk substitute. No sweeteners, no flavors, no reduced fat. I would stick with plain soy or almond milk, as these are the most flavor neutral milk-substitutes. Use them in the same quantity as whole milk.
Recipe Variations
- More Meats. Here again, it's about the combos. Prosciutto, salami, and mortadella would make for a delicious combination. As would bacon, ham, and sausage. Remember to fine tune your cheese selection to your meats!
- Spice It Up. Hot peppers. Jalapenos, habaneros, seranos, you get the idea. Mixing and matching is the best way to go here.
- Mix up the Cheese. You don't need to stick to just one cheese. Try a combo of mozzarella, gouda, and Manchego. Or, if you're spicing up the quiche with hot peppers, try a mix of Gouda and cheddar.
Bacon and Cheese Quiche
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup Romano or Parmesan Cheese - grated
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- Few gratings of fresh nutmeg
- 4 - 5 tbs. of water
- 8 tbs. of unsalted butter - cold
For the Filling:
- 3 - 4 slices of bacon - cut into pieces
- 1 small green bell pepper - sliced
- 1 medium size red onion - sliced thin
- 1/4 cup fresh grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup of mozzarella - shredded
- 4 tbs. milk
- 6 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat Oven 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine the flour, grated cheese, salt, fresh ground black pepper and toss.
- Cut the butter into cubes and add to the flour. Crumble the butter with your fingers to form a crumbly dough. Add the water a tablespoon at a time to form and the dough into a disc.
- Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut the disc in half and refrigerate the other half until ready to use.
- Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently roll the dough out to fit a 10 inch pie dish.
- Fit the dough in the pie dish and using a fork poke the bottom with a fork.
- Bake the crust for 12 - 15 minutes. Let the crust cool before placing any filling in it.
For the Filling:
- Cut the bacon slices and place in a heated cast iron pan. Cook the bacon and set aside. I did not cook my bacon to a crisp, rather I left it slightly soft.
- Place the sliced onion, chopped garlic and sliced bell pepper in a heated cast iron pan and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and add the salt and pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Toss the cooked bacon and the basil with the onion mixture. Fill the cooked pie crust with the onion and bacon mixture and top with the cheeses.
- Beat the eggs with the milk and pour over the cheeses.
- Remove the other half of the dough from the refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to about a quarter of an inch thickness.
- Cut into strips and lattice the top of the pie with them. Brush with an egg wash.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the pie is a beautiful golden color.
- Let cool for 10 - 12 minutes before cutting.
FAQ for the Quiche Crust
Cold Butter: Use cold, unsalted butter to ensure a flaky texture.
Ice Water: Add ice water a little bit at a time to the flour mixture to bring the dough together without making it too wet.
Chilled Pie Dough: After making the dough, chill it for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.
Quiche Pan: A quiche pan with a removable bottom works best for easy removal.
Pie Pan: A standard pie pan or pie dish also works well.
Tart Pan: A tart pan can be used for a more refined look.
Lightly Floured Surface: Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to prevent sticking.
Quarter Turn: Give the dough a quarter turn every few rolls to maintain an even thickness.
Rolling Pin: Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle that fits your pan.
Blind Baking: Blind bake the crust to set it before adding the quiche filling.
Pie Weights: Use pie weights, dry beans, or rice on parchment paper or aluminum foil to prevent the crust from puffing up. While dried beans and rice are often the go-to substitute for pie weights, there are a variety of other solutions.
Pie Shield: I cannot stress enough the importance of using a pie shield or aluminum foil to protect the edges of the crust from over-browning.
Excess Dough: Do be sure to trim excess dough with either a sharp knife or scissors, leaving a little bit to fold over the edges for a neat finish.
Next Time: Don't let that excess dough go to waste! Save it in an airtight container for patching up any cracks that may form in the pie crust, or make crust cookies or crust biscuits with it, or as trimming for your next pie recipe.
Pre-made Crust: Absolutely. As mentioned above, a store-bought crust can be used for convenience. This quiche recipe does indeed work with a store-bought crust. However, it is true that not all store-bought crusts are made equal.
Homemade Quiche Crust: However, a homemade quiche crust has a superior buttery flavor and flaky texture, and best of all you control the ingredients yourself.
Cold Ingredients: The use of cold ingredients is probably my number one tip. Ensure all ingredients, especially the butter and water, are cold.
Pastry Blender or Stand Mixer: Use a pastry blender or stand mixer to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
Layers of Plastic Wrap: Wrap the dough in layers of plastic wrap and chill before rolling.
Crustless Quiche: For a crustless quiche, simply omit the crust and pour the egg mixture directly into a greased quiche or pie pan, similar to a frittata.
Example: As an example of a crustless pie, take a look at my Baked Italian Ricotta Cheesecake.
Oven Temperature: Bake at the temperature specified in the recipe instructions.
Egg Mixture: The egg filling should be set and not jiggly. Be aware not to overcook the quiche in hopes of 'making sure' that it is done.
Golden Brown: The crust should be golden brown and the quiche filling fully cooked through.
Airtight Container: Store leftover quiche in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftover quiche should keep for about three to five days if properly stored.
Room Temperature: Let the quiche cool to room temperature before storing to maintain its texture.
Frozen Dough: Yes, you can freeze the quiche dough for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling out and baking.
Bake Filling: You can also freeze the fully baked quiche, and then reheat it in the oven for a quick meal.
This post has been updated August 2022. The original recipe was published November 20, 2011.
After all of this, you should be well on your way to mastering the perfect quiche crust. And that's our Bacon and Cheese Quiche. If you enjoyed today's recipe, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you!
Happy Cooking!
1
Veronika says
You had me at bacon! Honestly, though, I loved this quiche! It's great how many variations there are out there and I'm definitely glad I came across yours.
Jacqueline Debono says
I love quiche and make it often. I'm always looking for new variations to try. This sounds delicious. I love that you add cheese to your pastry dough and lattice the top of the quiche. On my to make list!