Quiche Lorraine
A bacon, egg and cheese, wrapped up in piecrust
Quiche Lorraine is pretty much the OG BEC sandwich. Eggs are mixed with crisp bacon and Gruyère before getting poured into a buttery, flaky piecrust to bake in the oven. It covers all the breakfast essentials, packaged into a tabletop-worthy pie. In this recipe, the addition of lemon zest and chives adds brightness to the rich dish, which can easily be made ahead for morning entertaining.
The trick to a crisp bottom crust is using cheese as a barrier between the dough and the egg mixture. As soon as you take your blind-baked crust out of the oven, sprinkle it with half the Gruyère. The residual heat will melt the cheese and help the crust stay crisp as the mixture sets in the oven.
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Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
- For the Piecrust
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- ½ cup ice-cold water
- For the Filling
- 8 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 thyme sprigs, plus 1 teaspoon minced leaves, divided
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese, divided
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 8 eggs
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons minced chives
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Make the piecrust: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. Using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until pea-sized pieces form. Add the water and continue to knead until a dough forms. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the filling: In a 12-inch skillet, heat the bacon over medium heat and cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a medium bowl.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat from the pan, reserving for another use. Add the shallots, 2 thyme sprigs and onions to the pan, and cook until the onions have softened, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping up any fond that has formed on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the softened onions to the bowl with the bacon, discarding the thyme sprigs. Let cool completely.
- While the bacon and onions cool, blind-bake your piecrust: Preheat the oven to 350°. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pie dough into a 12-inch round, then fit into a deep 9-inch pie tin. Fold any overhang underneath itself to have an even crust you can crimp. Place a sheet of parchment over the crust and fill with baking beans. Bake until the edges begin to get a touch of color, 20 minutes. Remove the beans and parchment, then continue to bake until lightly golden, another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with ½ cup of the grated Gruyère. Let the crust cool as the cheese melts. Reduce the oven to 325°.
- In a blender, purée the cream and eggs until smooth. Transfer to the bowl with the cooled bacon, then add the remaining filling ingredients and stir to combine.
- Place the cooled crust on a sheet pan and pour in the filling. Bake until the eggs are set, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Calories per Serving | 624 |
Total Fat | 49.5 g |
Saturated Fat | 26.7 g |
Trans Fat | 0.5 g |
Cholesterol | 277.2 mg |
Total Carbohydrates | 26.8 g |
Dietary Fiber | 1.4 g |
Total Sugars | 3.6 g |
Sodium | 489.9 mg |
Protein | 18.4 g |