Meat Lovers Quiche Recipe | Barbara Bakes (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to Prebake crust for quiche? ›

You need a par-baked or fully baked crust if you're making quiche, no-bake pie, custard pie, cream pie, pudding pie, or simply want an extra-crisp pie crust. If you're making a pie that doesn't require a baked filling, you still need a baked crust.

Heavy Cream and Milk – For the best tasting quiche, use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. (Or simply use half-and-half.) Using just heavy cream produces an overly thick filling. Whole milk is great, but a combo of heavy cream and milk is better.

Sprinkle dried breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes, or other types of cereal, on the bottom crust before filling and baking in the oven.

To be considered Quiche Lorraine, the quiche must be made with eggs, heavy cream, bacon, and Swiss cheese. Any quiche that strays from this formula with the omission of bacon or the addition of other ingredients such as ham, sausage, vegetables, etc. is considered quiche, not Quiche Lorraine.

As a general rule, you do need to blind bake when cooking a dish with wet fillings. For example, if you're making a quiche or frangipane, blind baking the crust first will help ensure the pastry case stays buttery and retains its crunch.

Best Overall Quiche Crust: Pillsbury Pie Crust

The crusts are rolled up, so they don't take up a lot of room in your fridge or freezer, and they are super easy to work with. Just thaw overnight in the fridge, unroll gently to fill your pie dish, and either blind bake, or fill and bake, depending on your recipe.

If your quiche appears watery it may just need to set for a little longer. The recipe may also contain too much dairy, so make sure that the recipe you are following has the ratio of 4 eggs to 1 cup dairy. The added ingredients could also contain too much moisture, so it is important to cook or drain additions.

Too little dairy, and your quiche will be dry instead of creamy.

If the bottom crust doesn't set before the filling soaks in, it's going to be gummy. A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom.

Using too many eggs in the custard results in a quiche that rubbery and too firm when baked, while not using enough will prevent the custard from setting. Follow This Tip: Remember this ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy.

Do you poke holes in pie crust for quiche? ›

Poking holes allows steam to escape

The reason for this, as The Spruce Eats explains, is that unless you create a place for the steam to escape, it'll get trapped within the dough. As a result, the crust will puff up and cause your pie to warp from the bottom.

Blind-bake your base before adding a filling to help to firm the base and avoid liquid being absorbed into it. Prick the base with a fork to help steam escape, cover with foil or parchment, and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice or white sugar. Then bake at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes.

Crust for quiche—blind baking

But no matter the crust, it's important to blind-bake it. Blind baking is pre-cooking the crust without the filling. This allows it to set up and get flaky, while also setting up a bit of a barrier against the liquid of the custard.

Substitution Tip!

While it is not as traditional for quiches such as quiche Lorraine, you can use milk instead of heavy cream for quiche.

Frittatas are Italian in origin and can be described as a cross between an omelet and a crustless quiche. Frittatas take less time to make than quiche or strata. The dish is traditionally made by beating eggs with dairy—often heavy cream or half and half—together with ingredients like vegetables, meats and cheeses.

Recipes for most tarts, pies, and quiches call for pre-baking to ensure that the final product doesn't end up soggy. Pre-baking also prevents you from ending up with undercooked shells or undercooked fillings.

Line with the parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, filling right to the bottom of the crimps. Place the pie tin on a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, remove the parchment paper and beans.

If the bottom crust doesn't set before the filling soaks in, it's going to be gummy. A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom.