The Best Way To Make Quiche Ahead Of Time And Store It In The Freezer
Quiche is not only filling and delicious, but it's a great dish to feed a crowd. Maybe you have a simple quiche Lorraine planned, or maybe you want to make something more complex like a loaded vegetarian quiche. Either way, you can make it ahead of time to make your morning less hectic, then freeze it until the morning of.
There are actually a few options when it comes to freezing quiche, such as freezing a baked quiche or freezing the dough separate from the filling. However, freezing it after it's been baked may lead to the crust becoming soggy or the eggs overcooking when reheated. Meanwhile, freezing the filling and crust separately is a bit more work, both before freezing and when it comes time to thaw and serve it. This leads us to the best option: Prepare the quiche as a whole, then freeze it before baking.
To freeze an uncooked quiche, begin by making sure both the crust and filling are at room temperature, then assemble. Place in the freezer, uncovered, until frozen solid, which should take about two to three hours. Remove the frozen quiche from the pan and wrap it up tightly with plastic wrap. Finally, store it in the freezer for up to three months.
Choose to bake the quiche from frozen or let it defrost
When it comes time to serve and enjoy the quiche, you don't even have to let it thaw. Simply pop the frozen quiche into a pie pan, and then into the oven. Use the oven temperature from the recipe of the quiche you chose, then increase the time by at least 50% — Tasting Table's quiche Lorraine, for example, calls for one hour, so it'll need at least one and a half hours. Or, if you'd like to thaw it first to save on cooking time, you can place it in the fridge the day before you plan on baking it. From there, stick to the recipe's instructions on how long to cook.
With either method, you'll want to look out for signs that indicate the quiche is done cooking. Namely, you'll know the quiche is done when the filling is set and the crust has turned a golden brown color. If the crust starts to brown too soon — before the filling is nearly done — you can place foil along the border to cover the crust so that it doesn't burn as the filling continues to bake.
While the quiche is baking, you can focus on preparing other dishes to serve at brunch, such as a fresh everyday salad or cardamom blueberry muffins. And, of course, you'll want to make mimosas for a crowd.