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A well-made quiche is the answer to so many entertaining dilemmas. Whether I’m hosting a casual brunch, planning a special breakfast, or serving dinner to friends, this Breakfast Quiche seems to always fit the occasion perfectly. A substantial dish that’s both elegant and simple, it combines custardy eggs and cheese with tender leeks and smoky bacon, all wrapped in flaky pastry.
This quiche adapts to whatever ingredients you have on hand and whatever meal you’re planning. I often switch up the fillings based on what’s in my fridge – different meats, cheeses, or purely vegetarian versions all work beautifully. The kind that perches comfortably on the plate next to a leafy salad or mound of steamed vegetables to make a meal, even a modest slice feels substantial. The silky custard base transforms basic eggs and cream into something luxurious without much effort.
“Absolutely wonderful quiche – I could eat the whole thing alone in one sitting…”
Table of Contents
Ingredients to Make Breakfast Quiche
- Pie Crust: An unbaked, deep-dish pie crust is essential here – either homemade pie dough (ideally unbaked Lard Pie Crust) or store-bought works well.
- Bacon: Choose thick-cut bacon for the best texture. It holds its shape better when diced and provides more substantial bites throughout the quiche.
- Leeks: Look for firm leeks with crisp, dark green tops and white bases. Smaller leeks tend to be more tender and have a milder flavor.
- Heavy Cream: The high fat content creates that silky custard texture we’re after.
- Milk: Whole milk adds richness while keeping the custard light. 2% works too, but I don’t recommend nonfat milk.
- Eggs: Large eggs are the standard for baking. Make sure they’re room temperature for the smoothest custard.
- Thyme: Fresh or dried both work beautifully. I often use dried since I keep it on hand, but fresh adds a lovely visual element.
- Gruyère Cheese: Its nutty flavor is perfect here, but a sharp cheddar makes a great substitute. Either way, grate it yourself for the best melting.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Fresh cracked pepper makes a noticeable difference in the final flavor.
How to Make Breakfast Quiche
Make and blind bake pie crust at 375˚F for 12 minutes – ideally this Lard Pie Crust or other homemade pie crust. (A store bought unbaked, deep dish pie crust also works.)
Cook leeks and bacon until leeks are tender and bacon is lightly crisp. Remove from heat.
Whisk eggs, cream and milk together and season with salt and pepper. Stir in shredded cheese and bacon and leek mixture.
Pour egg mixture into partially baked pie crust (see blind baking instructions above). Bake until golden in a 375°F oven (cover edges with foil or pie crust shield if they’re getting too brown. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold from the refrigerator.
About Leeks and How to Clean Them
If you haven’t cooked with leeks before, you’re in for a treat. In a skillet, they melt down becoming soft and buttery with subtle onion flavor. They’re mild and tender in the spring and firmer, but deeply flavorful in the late fall. In the later months, they take a bit longer to soften, but are equally delicious. If you can’t find them, an ample amount of green onions (about 1 cup thinly sliced) work well in this quiche.
Fine grit often hides between a leek’s tender layers. To clean them, submerge the thinly sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water and swoosh them around with your hands to allow any dirt to sink to the bottom. Lift the rinsed leeks out with a slotted spoon or your hands and transfer to a clean bowl. Don’t drain them in a colander – you’ll pour the settled dirt right back over the clean leeks.
5 Recipe Tips
- Bacon Slicing Tip: Cut bacon while it’s still slightly frozen – it’s much easier to get clean, even strips.
- Temperature Matters: Let your eggs and dairy come to room temperature for the smoothest custard.
- Blind Baking: Always partially cook your crust before adding the filling to ensure a crisp bottom – this prevents the dreaded soggy bottom that can happen with custard pies.
- Doneness: The quiche is done when it’s set around the edges but still has a slight wobble in the center – it will continue to set as it cools.
- Serving: Let the quiche rest for at least 15 minutes before cutting. A serrated knife works best for clean slices.
Recipe Options
- Different Cheeses: Swap Gruyère for sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, gouda, or fontina – any good melting cheese works well here.
- Meat Options: Replace bacon with diced ham, crumbled sausage, or pancetta – or omit for a vegetarian version.
- Vegetable Variations: Green onions work perfectly in place of leeks, or try sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, or asparagus.
- Make It Mini: Use the same filling in a muffin tin with pre-baked pie crust circles for individual servings – reduce the baking time and watch carefully for doneness.
Storage and Reheating
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or wrapped in foil in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat refrigerated quiche: Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover with foil and warm in a preheated 350˚F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
To reheat frozen quiche: Do not thaw. Cover with foil and warm in a preheated 350˚F oven for 30 to 45 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160-165˚F.
There’s something satisfying about pulling a hot quiche from the oven – flaky crust, silky filling, and those lovely aromas of bacon and leeks. While a quiche takes time to make, this recipe reminds me why it’s worth it.
More of My favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Asparagus Quiche (Ideal when asparagus is in season.)
- Quiche Florentine (This one’s loaded with spinach!)
- Breakfast Frittata (Think of it as crustless quiche!)
- Breakfast Potatoes (An unusual method makes these extra crispy outside and buttery smooth on the inside!)
- Sweet Potato Hash Browns (Quick, easy and delicious – a breakfast trifecta!)
- Baked Eggs (You’re less than 15 minutes away from enjoying these. Fantastic holiday breakfast!
Breakfast Quiche
Video
Ingredients
- 9 inch deep dish unbaked pie crust ideally my Lard Pie Crust
- 1/2 pound bacon cut crosswise into thin strips (lardons)
- 2 large leeks cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced into half rounds
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup whole milk or 2%
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese shredded, or cheddar
Instructions
- Place unbaked pie crust in deep dish pie plate; flute edges if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 °F (191 °C). Line pie crust with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 12 minutes. Remove parchment paper and weights and prick bottom and sides of crust all over with a fork. Return to oven and bake 8 minutes more. Remove and set aside; leave oven on.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon and leeks in a large skillet until bacon is lightly crisp and leeks are tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cream, milk, eggs, salt, pepper and thyme until smooth. Stir in cheese and bacon and leek mixture.
- Pour egg mixture into partially baked pie crust and bake 40 minutes, or until the center is just set (cover pie crust edges with foil or a pie crust shield in the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking if crust is getting too brown). Let stand at least 15 minutes before cutting. Serve quiche warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- To reheat leftover quiche from the refrigerator; cover with foil and warm in a preheated 350˚F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. To reheat frozen quiche (do not thaw before reheating), follow the same directions, but increase the reheating time to 30 to 45 minutes or when the internal temperature reaches 160˚F to 165˚F.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Marissa, this is a beautiful quiche. My mom loved making quiches like this only she didn’t make her own crust. She would have loved your crust! Such a comforting breakfast or brunch dish for this time of year. I love it. ~Valentina
What a sweet comment, Valentina. Thank you!
Guess what’s happening? This! Looks so so good, Marissa! Perfect for a weekend brunch. Heck, I’d even have this for dinner and call it a day! Big yum!
We literally had this for dinner last night! I honestly love it for any meal. So excited for you to give it a try, Dawn.
Now there’s a piece of quiche! All the heart eyes for this one! I can very easily see this one on our Christmas Brunch menu! Thanks for sharing, my friend!!
Thank you, Annie. My pleasure!
Ah, I really do love a good breakfast quiche! Laura isn’t a fan of eggy things, so quiches are usually a no-go for her. That means I have to eat the whole thing when I make one. I mean that’s not a bad thing, of course! I’m thinking it might be fun to make a quiche sometime during the holidays. Great idea!!
Thanks, David! More for you, right? 😉
I love quiche and this would be perfect for any meal of the day! I never made a lard pie crust, something new for me to try
It’s so flaky, Rahul! I hope you’ll give this one a try.
This was dinner tonight, Marissa and my family of 3 nearly ate the whole quiche in one sitting! I have one nice piece left that my son has spoken for his breakfast in the morning. I’m going to make it again and take it to my mom later in the week. I had to leave out the bacon and worried it would be lacking in flavor with that omission. I was wrong, it was fabulous. Thanks for sharing. This will be another Pinch and Swirl recipe I’ll be making again and again. xo
That is so wonderful to hear, Sally! I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed it!
This is my kind of spring comfort food, too! This looks absolutely mouth-watering, my friend!
Thank you so much, Annie! xo
Mmm…eggs, cheese, bacon, and leeks make the perfect spring savory quiche. Wondering, if I can make a vegetable based crust (not that I’m against a regular crust, but thinning that would be amazing too)
I think that would be delicious, Ben!
With bacon in here, this would be a definite hit at our house!! I never think to make quiche, but whenever I do it’s always delicious. I’ll have to try yours soon!!
I’m so excited for you to try this, Katherine! I hope it’s a hit with your family! 🙂
This quiche looks absolutely perfect. And the combination of leeks and bacon is incredible!
Don’t you love that combo!? One of my favorites! Thanks, Kevin.
My mom made a quiche for Christmas breakfast and I’m still dreaming about it–this one looks even better than hers though. I loooove leeks! This sounds perfect for breakfast this weekend 🙂
wow, thanks, Kelsie! It’s really the perfect weekend breakfast / brunch dish…
Hi Marisssa. I love the flavors of Spring! Leeks are one of my favorites and then you add in the bacon Gruyere cheese. OMG this would be perfect for any meal in my opinion.
Thank you, Dorothy! I completely agree – so many wonderful flavors this time of year!
When I’m looking to spoil myself for breakfast I love to treat myself to quiche! This looks absolutely delicious. I’d enjoy it for any meal of the day!
I’m the same, Mary Ann. A slice of quiche and a little green salad are perfect morning, noon and night! 😉
That quiche looks incredible, Marissa! I love breakfast foods, so the idea of a quiche is really calling to me right now. And I totally agree with you about springtime flavors. Looks like you guys have been eating well out there lately! 🙂 Now if only spring would hurry up and actually get here…haha!
I know what you mean about spring, David! We had a little snow shower yesterday! 🙂
This looks PERFECT, Marissa! With the weekend soon here, I’m thinking about all things brunch and this would fit the bill! Love how fluffy it is! That, tons of coffee and I’m set 😉
Yes! Perfect with coffee… Thanks, Dawn.