7 Store-Bought Quiches, Ranked

There's more than one way to crack an egg at breakfast. I actually like to think of eggs as morningtime chameleons. You can serve them straight up in a scrambled, over-easy, or sunny-side-up fashion. They can be poached for Eggs Benedict, whisked to form an omelet or a fluffy frittata. Or, perhaps you belong to an entirely different breakfast camp who prefers their eggs quiched? I'm not entirely sure that's a word, but we're going with it.

A quiche is one of those egg dishes that's on the swankier side. It feels like the kind of dish you should sit up a little straighter to eat, maybe even sticking your pinky out as you sip your coffee on the side. Of course, we have the French to thank for this combination of eggs, dairy, and various meats or veggies, all sitting pretty in a pastry crust. But, interestingly enough, the name itself is actually derived from the German word Kuchen, meaning "cake." So, technically, we're eating cake for breakfast — egg cake, that is. And just like regular cake, it comes in plenty of different varieties (at least, in the U.S. it does).

Some of those varieties actually come from grocery brands, which begs the question: does that defeat the purpose of a fresh, flavorful quiche, or does it simply fast-track you to the goodness? Well, I tried seven different options to find out. Based on everything from the crust to the eggy texture to the add-ins of choice, let's rank them from worst to best.

I essentially ransacked my Aldi store on the hunt for this quiche. I was searching high and low, but apparently not low enough because I eventually found one on the bottom shelf of the refrigerated prepared foods section. (Out of my line of sight.) Online, I had also spotted another flavor option — a cheddar and broccoli quiche. But that one proved to be even more elusive.

I was still excited about the ham and Swiss, though. The marriage of ham and any kind of cheese is usually a solid one. Those two have formed a pretty strong bond over the years. I was also intrigued by the base, which Aldi calls a "cage-free egg custard." In this case, that just means eggs whisked together with whole milk. But it sounds fancy, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, it butters you up just to let you down. I thought it would be creamy and elevated, but it was more dry, so the eggs crumbled in a strange manner. The cheese was hard to taste, so most of the flavor came from the applewood-smoked maple ham. The big chunks were more smoke than maple, and their saving grace was a nice juiciness. The final straw was a crust that was more like soft bread than a crisp exterior — well, that, and the fact that this was the most expensive quiche I bought, ringing up at $10.45. At Aldi, of all places! I expected a little more for a little less.

When you hear "Western," you think dry landscapes with tumbleweeds blowing across the dirt road right in front of the saloon door. Ironically, this mini Western quiche from Giant Eagle has the exact opposite problem. It's wet and squashy to the max.

I think part of the issue lies with the peppers. Red and green bell peppers make it seem juicier and, at the same time, don't contribute a lot of flavor. But there are some other questionable ingredients here that could also be to blame, like hot sauce and mayonnaise — both of which are unconventional for a quiche, to say the least. The rest of the mix includes smoked ham, white cheddar cheese, onions (of the regular and scallion variety), and, of course, the eggs. These all work together just fine — even if the ham pieces were more like bacon bits.

I guess if I had to choose, I'd rather have a quiche with a little too much moisture than one that's too dry. It's the lesser of two quiche evils. So, the Western quiche moseys on ahead of the Aldi option. Plus, this one has a bit of extra flavor from the onions and a heavier dose of cheese. The pastry, albeit soggy at the bottom, is much more in line with what you'd expect from a quiche.

We've all obsessed over the brand's dips, sold at major retailers like Costco and Target. And oddly enough, La Terra Fina also happens to specialize in ready-to-bake quiches. I'm not sure why or how the connection between these very different food groups was made, but who am I to question it?

I was able to try two of the brand's quiche varieties, including this quiche Lorraine. And, no, Lorraine isn't some renowned pâtissier or the inventor of the quiche. The savory tart is actually named after the region in France where it originated as a peasant dish. French purists make it with eggs, heavy cream, lardons (smoked pork belly), and a smidgeon of nutmeg. La Terra Fina, on the other hand, deviates from this tradition, and I think that's where it falls short. 

The largest misstep, in my opinion, was making it with egg whites only. Sure, this choice helps in the nutrition department, but at what cost? You lose all that richness from the yolks. Although they aren't part of the original recipe, I was happy to see onions and Swiss cheese in the mix to give it some personality. The brand also opted for bacon rather than lardons, but it still brought good flavor to the table — a little smoky, a little salty. Sitting on a sturdy crust, it hits more of the right notes than the two previous options. But it's still missing that certain je ne sais quoi of a classic quiche Lorraine.

Meijer actually has a surprising number of quiches under its private label brand, Frederik's. Unlike the refrigerated options I'd picked up so far, these are found in the freezer aisle, which means they require a little extra time in the oven. But with results like this, it's worth it.

I enjoyed this bacon & four cheese quiche. It's definitely egg-heavy, so be prepared for that. But the entire coagulated mass was tender and moist rather than rubbery or runny. And, even though the add-ins are kept fairly minimal, they're still felt in every bite. Bacon bits and some onions are scattered about, and the cheese is certainly evident. Now, does it feel like a four-cheese extravaganza? Not really. Mostly what I tasted was the cheddar. The other, milder white cheeses — including Swiss, mozzarella, and ricotta — were harder to notice underneath the buttery egg mixture.

I did struggle with the crust. It started falling apart before I even plopped it in the oven. But despite its structural issues, it tastes superb — probably one of the best in this entire taste test. It's thick enough that it doesn't become waterlogged underneath the filling, and it has that salty-sweet taste of a traditional pie crust. The quiche is also essentially personal-sized, which means it's perfect for anyone who doesn't want to share. Your brunch companions can fend for themselves.

Now this is more like it. Giant Eagle delivers a much stronger contender this time around – and a more appetizing take on quiche Lorraine to boot. I still don't think it's a recipe that would earn a French seal of approval. But at least this time, it's made with whole eggs, as it was meant to be.

That base of whisked eggs is joined by Swiss cheese and bacon pieces — and a good amount of both. This was the first quiche that really felt cheesy, and I had no complaints about the frequent chunks of savory pork. What's even better, though, is that all that excess moisture from Giant Eagle's Western quiche is gone. This one is much more balanced, leaving the egg mixture fluffy rather than soaked. That also means the pie shell holds up better. It even became browned and crispy along the fringes. There is another surprise ingredient here, too: hot sauce. I don't know what Giant Eagle's obsession is with adding hot sauce to its quiches, but I find it a little strange. On top? Sure. But mixed right into the filling? I don't know about that. Luckily, you can't really taste it anyway.

With no signs of spice, this ultimately just feels like a very classic quiche. It's not the best I've ever had, but it's one I'd be perfectly happy to munch on at a coffee shop while sipping on a latte.

Don't let the broccoli scare you away. This is a delicious take on quiche. Just think warm and cozy broccoli cheddar soup reimagined as a fork-and-knife breakfast food.

I will warn you that this tart is also made with strictly egg whites — apparently all the La Terra Fina quiches are (it fits into the brand's whole better-for-you schtick). However, it's hard to even tell when you're looking at it. There's still that yellow tinge to the entire round. It's just hiding underneath the browned and bubbling surface — which only helps to enrich the flavors, by the way. As you dig into your slice, it still doesn't seem like just egg whites. The texture is just right, with some spring to it, and the taste is plenty rich. It doesn't leave you longing for those missing yolks. 

A lot of that probably has to do with the generous portion of cheddar cheese added in. There's even more cheese here than in Giant Eagle's quiche Lorraine, and it's the perfect match for the helping of broccoli florets. They're tender without being mushy, and even though I've never thought to pair my morning eggs with broccoli, everything goes together surprisingly well.

The dish is finished off with some onions and light seasonings like salt, pepper, and dried garlic. Nothing too fancy, but it helps this quiche land a spot at the top of the taste test, second to just one other option.

I had a sneaking feeling this Mediterranean ingredient combo was going to be yummy from the start, and I was absolutely right. It's unlike any of the other quiches I tried, even the Meijer brand's bacon and four-cheese option. It takes everything good from that pork and cheese tart — like the soft-set egg custard and buttery, flaky pie crust — and brings it to a whole other level.

Probably my favorite part is the goat cheese. It's incorporated right into the egg mixture, giving it an even creamier texture, and you can taste that familiar, almost citrusy tang in every bite. It really elevates the quiche overall, as do the sun-dried tomatoes. Admittedly, there could be more of them. They're cut into little pieces and scattered throughout, but when you land on one, you immediately get that concentrated pop of both sweet and tart. Even though the spinach doesn't contribute quite as much in the flavor department, it does add some substance — not to mention a few extra vitamins and minerals.

I still fought with the crust here. If you're going for something that's going to look Instagram-worthy on your brunch table, don't pick this quiche. It creates a crumbly mess. But if you're just going for taste, this is the quiche for you. It's just the kind of warm, savory meal you'd want to start your day with.

I picked up every store-bought quiche I could find, sometimes doubling up on multiple flavor options from the same brand. The lineup included both name-brand and store-brand quiches, as well as refrigerated and frozen options. Of course, quiche isn't exactly the kind of dish you eat cold, so each one required some quality time in the oven before I could dig in. That meant about 25 minutes for the refrigerated quiches and closer to 45 minutes for the frozen varieties — specifically, the ones from Meijer. Then, it was finally time to give them a try.

A good quiche recipe really needs just three things: a sturdy crust, a tender and smooth egg custard, and enough auxiliary ingredients to make it flavorful beyond just that eggy taste. Those were the main components I looked for as I worked my way through each one. It could be vegetarian or packed with meat, as long as it satisfied those requirements. I also cared more about how everything tasted together than whether each recipe stuck strictly to quiche tradition. (We all know American quiches can stray a bit from what the French make, anyhoo.) In the end, I narrowed down my favorites, and I was surprised to find that some of the more unique ingredient combinations won me over most.