Classic Custard Quiche Lorraine

Recipe Directions

1 refrigerated piecrust dough (½ of a 15-ounce box), at room temperature*
3 slices thick bacon*
3/4 cup minced onion
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 large eggs
1- 1/4 cups heavy or whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk*
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper*
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
Pinch each of dried thyme and nutmeg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place piecrust dough onto a lightly floured surface and unroll it. Using a rolling pin, roll crust into a circle about 13 inches in diameter. Place crust into a spring form pan and fold the edge of the crust to the outside of the pan, pressing it into the sides of pan. (This is so crust doesn’t shrink in baking.) Prick crust all over bottom and sides with a fork. Bake, uncovered, until crust begins to brown just slightly, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

While crust bakes, cook bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat until very crisp and brown on both sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. While bacon cooks, peel and mince onion, and set aside. When bacon is done, remove to a plate lined with paper towels, blot any extra fat, and set aside. Remove all but about 1 teaspoon of the fat in the skillet, add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Scatter onions and half of cheeses evenly over crust bottom. Set aside. Finely chop bacon, and scatter half of it over cheese in crust. Set remaining bacon and cheese aside.
Break eggs into a blender container. Add cream, milk, flour, pepper, tarragon, thyme and nutmeg, and process on high until very foamy, about 1 minute. Pour half of egg mixture into piecrust. Scatter in remaining bacon and cheese. Top with remaining egg mixture.

Bake, uncovered, until top is light brown and quiche is just set (center should still jiggle very slightly) 55 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool at least 15 minutes before removing sides of spring form pan. (Quiche may be cooled to room temperature and frozen, still in pan and covered tightly with both plastic wrap and foil, for up to 2 weeks. Defrost in refrigerator 2 days, bring back to room temperature and reheat 5 minutes, uncovered, in a 300-degree oven before preparing to serve. Alternately, quiche can be refrigerated for up to two days. Follow directions above for reheating.

To serve, cut quiche crust away from the spring form pan’s side with a serrated knife, leaving about a 1-inch crust side above filling of the quiche. Remove sides of spring form pan, slice and serve.

* Cooking Notes

Four slices of thin bacon also can be used. Turkey bacon also can be used.

Crust also can be placed in a deep-dish pie plate, crimping the edges decoratively. Or use a frozen deep-dish piecrust. Prebake as instructed.

If you don’t have whole milk, ¼ cup half and half and ¼ cup skim or low-fat milk can be substituted.

Three drops of Tabasco sauce can be used instead of white pepper.