How to Make Quiche: Tips and Ideas for Your Favorite Fillings

Quiche is a delicious and versatile option for breakfast, brunch or even dinner that can be customized to suit your tastes and inspiration. Quiche fillings can be rich and decadent or light and healthy.

You may also be familiar with similar dishes such as a frittata or strata. Frittata is egg custard prepared without the crust, while strata is egg custard baked with layers of bread inside. The KitchenAid^® cordless hand blender is great for making a quiche filling, and you can also use a KitchenAid^® Pastry Beater Attachment to create a flaky, buttery pastry crust. Read on to learn more about how to make quiche.

What is quiche?

Quiche is a savory egg custard baked in a flaky pie crust shell. You can certainly make a crustless quiche, too! Quiche filling typically consists of a base of milk, cream, and eggs and can have a variety of add-ins such as meats, seafood, cheese and vegetables.

Basic Quiche Recipe (You Choose the Fillings!)

The recipe inspiration below will help you get started making a basic quiche for your next brunch or breakfast. Get creative with fillings to suit the theme of your spread or the tastes of your guests. The options and combinations are endless.

Tips for baking a quiche

When making a quiche, keep in mind your meal’s theme or the preferences of those who will be eating it as you get creative with your fillings. Experiment with flavor combinations such as potato, chive, tarragon, and smoked cheddar or blue crab and asparagus.

Some other useful tips for making a great quiche include cooking the vegetables first, paying close attention to doneness so as not to overcook it and avoiding fillings that are too wet such as large tomatoes or raw zucchini. Quiche should also not be baked at too high of a temperature, as this can cause the egg to curdle, and it is best baked on the middle rack in the oven.

Do you have to bake the crust first for a quiche?

In order to ensure that your quiche’s crust has the flakiness you desire, it should be blind baked. Blind baking is when a pie crust is baked without the filling to ensure that the crust remains crisp and not soggy. This is especially helpful with a quiche because the base is heavier and wetter than many other pie fillings.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream for quiche?

Many quiche recipes call for both heavy cream and milk to be whisked together with eggs and flour. Instead of heavy cream, you can use a combination of whole-fat and reduced-fat milk or a combination of heavy cream and reduced-fat milk.

What temperature should you bake a quiche?

Quiche should not be cooked at too high of a temperature to avoid curdling the eggs. Many recipes call for baking quiche at temperatures between 325° F and 375° F. If you are baking at a high altitude, the temperature and bake times will need to be adjusted.

Can you bake a quiche in a convection oven?

A quiche can be baked in a convection or conventional oven. You will need to adjust the temperature and bake time depending on which setting you use. If you choose to use the convection setting, first blind bake the pie crust to help get a crispy, golden brown result, then switch to conventional once filling is added. 

KitchenAid^® convection ovens feature Even-Heat^™ True Convection. Compared to traditional baking cycles, Even-Heat^™ True Convection promotes better circulation and air flow throughout the entire oven, providing more consistent temperatures from rack to rack. This is especially helpful if you want to bake multiple crusts at once.

How can you tell when quiche is done?

A quiche is done when it wobbles a little in the center when you jiggle the baking pan, a sign that it is smooth and creamy.  Bake your quiche until the edges are set, but it still moves just a bit in the center.

How long should quiche rest before cutting?

Remove the quiche from the oven and let the inside continue to cook while the exterior cools to a warm temperature. Waiting about 10-20 minutes before slicing is usually sufficient.

Why is my quiche like scrambled eggs?

Quiche will have a texture similar to scrambled egg if it is baked at too high of a temperature or too little fat is incorporated into the custard. Follow your recipe closely and be sure to bake your quiche at a lower temperature for the correct amount of time, using the prescribed amount of cream and whole milk.

Why does my quiche go watery?

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. Quiche should have a little movement even when fully set. The filling is a savory custard, so if it moves a little, that is a sign that you have done it correctly.

If your quiche appears too watery to serve it could be because it was overbaked or underbaked, the egg to dairy ratio was not correct, the ingredients have too much liquid or it was baked on the wrong rack in the oven.

Why does my quiche have a soggy bottom?

Cooking any vegetables before adding to the filling can help avoid excess moisture which can cause a soggy crust. Blind baking your crust, or baking without the filling, can also help ensure a flaky crust.

Can you rebake undercooked quiche?

It is okay to rebake undercooked quiche. To cook the quiche without burning the pie crust, cover the crust in foil and place the quiche back in the oven at a lower temperature. Check for doneness regularly.

How do you keep a crustless quiche from sticking?

To keep a crustless quiche from sticking, coat the dish with non-stick spray. You can also use butter.

Alternative quiche ingredients

Quiche can be made in a number of ways including keto, gluten-free and dairy-free. A keto quiche may include an almond flour crust or not have a crust at all. A gluten-free quiche might also be crustless or could be made with a gluten-free pie crust. To make a dairy-free quiche you can substitute the milk and heavy cream for an alternative such as unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk or other plant-based milks that have some fat content.

Can you use alternative milk in quiche?

Alternative milk can be used in quiche. If you’d like to make a vegan quiche, you will need to determine vegan substitutes for some of the main ingredients. You might consider using tofu as an egg replacement and a plant-based milk with some fat content as a substitute for whole milk. 

Some alternative milks will not be an exact substitution for the milk called for in the recipe, so try to find a recipe that calls for the specific type of milk you’d like to use.

Quiche fillings and pairings

Quiche can be a blank canvas for experimenting with a variety of fillings. There’s also a range of delicious foods that pair well with quiche to complement the flavors of its fillings. A fluffy, hearty quiche can make for a memorable meal with the filling and pairing ideas below.

What are some quiche filling ideas?

Quiche can be considered a kind of egg pie, and its fillings are traditionally savory. A range of vegetables – from red and green peppers, to asparagus and mushrooms – work well with quiche, as well as classic proteins like ham and chicken alongside herbs like sage, rosemary or basil. It’s also possible to experiment with sweet fillings, like vanilla, to create a dessert quiche, also known as squiche. Whether you’re creating quiche for a light meal or hearty breakfast, these recipe ideas below can help get you started.

What pairs well with quiche?

Because quiche is a hearty, egg-based dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner, there’s a range of foods that it pairs well with to create a balanced, delicious meal. Some pairings can be lighter fare, like salads or soups, while others can augment the richness of quiche, like breakfast potatoes, sausage or garlic bread. Here are some recipes to get you started creating a well-rounded meal alongside homemade quiche:

Explore KitchenAid^® Stand Mixers, Accessories and Attachments

With a KitchenAid^® stand mixer, attachments and accessories, you’re ready to hone your pastry-making skills and enhance your making process. Choose from maker-inspired designs that are versatile enough for any of your favorite recipes, from pie crusts and cakes, to breads and ice cream.