The Easiest Breakfast Quiche Recipe

This breakfast quiche recipe is the easiest fancy feeling brunch dish ever! It’s made with simple ingredients, and I’ll break down each step so you feel confident cooking this delicious quiche perfectly every single time!

 

This post was sponsored by Lifeway Foods. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

You Will Love This

• Quiche is one of those things that sounds fancy and seems hard to make but it’s totally not, I promise! I’ll share with you step-by-step instructions about exactly how to make quiche and honestly, I think you might be surprised how easy it is!
• The flavors in this easy breakfast quiche recipe are amazing! The flaky, buttery crust pairs perfectly with the creamy, custard-like egg filling, tangy farmer cheese, crispy tater tots, and crunchy red pepper. It’s a delicious brunch dish that your guests will love!
• If you loved this easy quiche recipe, be sure to check out my tater tot breakfast casserole, giant homemade puff pastry pop tart, or air fryer French toast.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Frozen Deep Dish Pie Crust – I love a deep dish crust for this recipe because you can add more filling to the quiche! You can use a regular pie crust as well but scale back on the fillings so that it doesn’t overflow. A storebought pie shell will work well for this recipe so no need to make your own crust!
• Heavy Cream – Heavy cream is the key to making this quiche decadently rich and delicious. Half and half or whole milk just won’t give you the same texture. Quiche is not the time to use low-fat or fat-free dairy!
• Garlic Powder – I like to add a bit of garlic powder just to boost the flavors. You could switch it up with onion powder or dried herbs if you like.
• Bacon – I love the flavor that bacon adds, but you could also use breakfast sausage or ham in its place. You can also omit the bacon altogether and make this a vegetarian quiche.
• Tater Tots – Some folks add hashbrowns or roasted potatoes to their quiche, but I’m a real sucker for tater tots. Try my air fryer tater tots recipe for the quickest, crispiest tater tots!
• Red Bell Pepper – Red pepper adds a delicious crunch and a slight sweetness. No need to cook it beforehand – it will bake along with the quiche and end up perfectly tender-crisp.
• Lifeway Farmer Cheese – Farmer cheese is a delicious, tangy, creamy addition to this breakfast quiche. You could also sub with goat cheese or even feta cheese if you prefer.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese – I love the flavor that sharp cheddar adds and how it contrasts with the farmer cheese. You can use mild cheddar or your favorite melty cheese like Monterey jack, pepper jack, or sharp white cheddar cheese.
• Chives – Thinly sliced chives pair so well with the creamy texture of the quiche. They’re the perfect fresh, slightly onion-flavored accompaniment. Thinly sliced green onions or fresh chopped parsley would work as well!

Instructions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line frozen pie crust with parchment paper and place dried beans or pie weights inside. Blind bake crust for about 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the parchment paper and beans and bake for another 15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, garlic powder, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper until super smooth and well combined.

Add cheese, bacon, tater tots, red pepper, chives, and Lifeway Farmer Cheese to the partially baked pie crust.

Pour egg mixture over the filling.

Bake for 30 minutes. Then add an aluminum foil ring that just covers the crust and bake for another 15-25 minutes.

After adding the foil ring, check the quiche every 10 minutes or so, inserting a thin knife into the center of it, until the eggs are set and the knife comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes, slice, garnish with chives, and enjoy!

How to Know When Quiche is Done

• It can be hard to know if the quiche is done, but there is one fool-proof trick that works every time!
• Stick a sharp knife into the center of the quiche. If it comes out clean, the quiche is done. If not, bake for a few minutes longer and then check again. Since this recipe has farmer cheese/goat cheese, be sure to find a spot near the center that it just the egg mixture because the cheese will always be creamy and easily coat the knife.
• Keep in mind that because of the cream-to-egg ratio, even if you do slightly over-bake the quiche, it will still turn out delicious.
• Also, all ovens bake differently. I highly recommend investing in an oven thermometer and moving it around to test different spots in your oven to see if your oven is baking at the temp it says it is and also to see if you have any hot spots.

Tips

• Don’t skip the blind bake! I know blind baking can seem daunting if you’re not a baker, but I promise it’s super easy! Dried beans and parchment paper are all you need for blind baking and they can be found at your local grocery store. The blind bake is going to ensure that the quiche comes out perfectly flakey and delicious. Since the custard-like filling is quite wet, it’s important to make sure that the crust of the quiche is crisp enough to stand up to it.
• Cover crust with a tin foil ring. Because you’ve baked the crust before adding the filling, the crust is going to get brown on the edges before the eggs are set and the quiche is cooked through. A simple tin foil ring to cover the crust will ensure that it doesn’t burn. After about 30 minutes in the oven, carefully add a tin foil ring and then continue baking for another 15 minutes or so.
• If you find that the entire quiche is getting too brown, feel free to cover the whole quiche with a sheet of tin foil instead of just a foil ring. To make my foil ring, I took one long piece of foil, cut it in half lengthwise, folded it into quarters lengthwise, and then folded them together at the ends. Then I just pleated the foil into a circle, carefully measuring it over my pie crust until it was just the right size. Store the tin foil ring in your cupboard or pantry so you can use it next time you make a quiche!
• You may not have room to add all the filling! I can sometimes get it all in there and other times I end up with a tablespoon or so leftover. This depends on the amount of filling that you have in the quiche.
• Fill the quiche with whatever you’d like! This recipe is super forgiving, but the amount of egg custard is measured to fit with all these ingredients, so if you’re subbing different ingredients, be sure to keep the ratios about the same.
• If you prefer fewer veggies/meats and a more eggy custard quiche or if you add everything and the custard doesn’t cover the ingredients, you can just add more eggs and cream! The ratio is 1 egg for every 1/2 cup of heavy cream. So if you’d like more custard filling, try combing 1 egg + 1/2 a cup of heavy cream along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper and pour that over the quiche.
• Pay close attention to the baking times listed on the recipe card. This recipe is a bit more wordy and complex than those I usually make, but it’s worth the extra fuss, I promise! Just be sure to read each step carefully and bake for the recommended time, keeping in mind that all ovens bake differently so you’ll have to use your judgment as well.
• If you prefer to use homemade pie dough, check the dough recipe for blind baking instructions as they may be a bit different. You can also use a large skillet if you don’t have a pie pan or pie dish.

Variations

As I mentioned, this quiche is a pretty forgiving recipe so you can totally switch up the ingredients. One thing to keep in mind is that ideally, you want most of the ingredients that you add to be cooked already because if they’re not, they might not cook all the way through or they might release too much moisture into the quiche and cause it to become runny. Here are some of our family’s favorite quiche filling ingredients:

• diced ham
• cooked breakfast sausage
• sauteed mushrooms and onions
• sauteed spinach
• sauteed asparagus or broccoli
• cooked hash browns or breakfast potatoes
• Gruyere cheese, aged cheddar, or Parmesan cheese
• black beans
• Cotija
• cilantro
• chorizo
• diced cherry tomatoes
• sauteed shallots
• fresh chopped dill

Why You’ll Love Lifeway Farmer Cheese

• It’s delicious. Farmer cheese is a cultured soft cheese with a mild, tangy flavor and a texture similar to ricotta.
• It’s filled with probiotics and protein. Not only does it have a delicious flavor, but it’s also got tons of nutritious benefits!
• It’s super versatile. Whether you’re in the mood for baked rigatoni, a puff pastry tomato tart, or Italian stuffed peppers – Lifeway Foods farmer cheese has got you covered!

FAQ

Make-Ahead, Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

• Make-Ahead: Quiche is the perfect make-ahead meal! You can prep the ingredients days in advance and keep them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble. Or you can bake the quiche, cool it, and then reheat it when you’re ready to eat.
• Storage: Store leftover quiche in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
• Freezing: Freeze individual slices of quiche or freeze the entire quiche! Either way, store them in an airtight container after they’ve completely cooled. I like to wrap them with saran wrap and seal them inside a freezer-safe Ziploc bag. They’ll stay good for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen quiche overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Reheating: Reheat quiche in a 350-degree oven until warmed through. You can also zap individual slices in the microwave in 30-60 second increments.

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