Easy Quiche Lorraine

You’re going to love this silky, savory, and ridiculously Easy Quiche Lorraine! The puff pastry crust makes it absolutely effortless!

The post Easy Quiche Lorraine appeared first on Budget Bytes.

You’re going to love this silky, savory, and ridiculously Easy Quiche Lorraine! The puff pastry crust makes it absolutely effortless! Chock full of bacon and swiss cheese, this creamy custard baked in a pastry crust can be served hot or cold for breakfast, lunch, or brunch. Serve it with a side dish to make it a filling dinner. I love that you can prepare it a day ahead and that it takes almost no time to assemble. Just cook the bacon and aromatics, mix the custard ingredients, and go!

Overhead shot of a slice of Quiche Lorraine being lifted out of the pie plate.

What is Quiche Lorraine?

Quiche Lorraine is what my kid calls an egg pie. It’s a custard set in a pastry crust that gets its name from the Lorraine region in France. Traditionally it’s made with eggs, cream, bacon, and swiss cheese. But feel free to use the ingredients you have. It’s your kitchen!

What You’ll Need

The best part of making this Quiche Lorraine recipe is its versatility. If you’re not intent on keeping things traditional, you can substitute almost all ingredients to better fit your preferences.

  • Eggs – these create the custard necessary to bind all of the ingredients together. You can substitute eggs with a vegan egg alternative, like Just Egg.
  • Cream Cheese, Heavy Cream, and Milk– the fat in the cream cheese, heavy cream, and milk helps create a silky custard texture. You can substitute the heavy cream with all milk and two tablespoons of butter. Use plant-based cream cheese, heavy cream, and milk alternatives if you don’t do dairy.
  • Bacon– adds a big hit of smoky, salty savoriness. You can substitute it with ham, pancetta, salami, or your favorite meatless bacon alternative. If you don’t do pork, use diced roasted chicken or turkey.
  • Swiss Cheese – is the traditional choice for Quiche Lorraine, but use whatever cheese you have handy. Gouda, provolone, cheddar, and mozzarella are all excellent substitutions.
  • Puff Pastry – is the vehicle that holds the filling. Par-baking the puff pastry helps keep it from getting soggy as the liquid custard bakes. Pie crust is the traditional choice for quiche, and makes a great substitute for puff pastry. Of course, you can always make my Easy 3-Ingredient Pie Crust.
  • Onion and Garlic – these aromatics help flavor the custard. You can substitute them with leeks, green onions, or shallots. You can also replace the onion with one teaspoon of onion powder or one tablespoon of dried onion flakes and the garlic with one-eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder. Add them to the custard when you add the nutmeg to prevent scorching.
  • Nutmeg– just a pinch helps enhance the creamy flavor of the custard. If you don’t have nutmeg, skip it.
Side shot of a slice of Quiche Lorraine being lifted out of the pie plate.

What To Serve With Quiche Lorraine

You can take Quiche Lorraine from a light breakfast or lunch to a full-on dinner by pairing it with a soup, salad, or a veggie-based side dish. Try some of these Budget Bytes favorites!

How To Store Quiche Lorraine

Allow your quiche to cool completely before storing it in the fridge. If leaving it in the pie pan, cover leftovers with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to four days. You can also slice what’s left of the quiche and store the slices in an airtight container. To freeze leftovers, portion and wrap the pieces in aluminum foil, then place them in a freezer-safe container. They will remain fresh for up to a month.

How To Reheat Leftovers

Bring refrigerated slices to room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350°F. Thaw frozen slices overnight in the fridge. Then, cover the crust with aluminum foil or a pie shield and reheat for fifteen minutes or until steaming. In a pinch, you can reheat leftovers in your microwave, but be warned, the texture will become slightly rubbery.

Overhead shot of a slice of Quiche Lorraine on a white plate with a fork in it.
Overhead shot of a slice of Quiche Lorraine being lifted out of the pie plate.
Print

Easy Quiche Lorraine

You're going to love this silky, savory, and ridiculously Easy Quiche Lorraine! The puff pastry crust makes it absolutely effortless!
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine French
Total Cost $10.13 recipe / $1.27 serving
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 slices
Calories 446kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet puff pastry $3.25
  • 4 strips bacon $1.00
  • 1 yellow onion, diced $0.41
  • 1 clove garlic, minced $0.08
  • 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese $2.15
  • 4 oz cream cheese $1.10
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing crust edges $0.42
  • 1/4 cup milk $0.17
  • 5 eggs, lightly beaten $1.33
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg $0.10
  • 1/2 tsp salt $0.04
  • 1/4 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnish (optional) $0.06

Instructions

  • Set a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 425°F. Next, roll the puff pastry into an 11-inch square and transfer it to a 9-inch diameter pie plate. Then puncture the bottom of the puff pastry a few times with a fork and trim the edges.
  • Cover the puff pastry with a sheet of parchment paper and add a pound of dry beans or pie weights. Then, cover the edges of the pastry with a pie shield or ring made of aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. Bake for fifteen minutes.
  • While the puff pastry par-bakes set a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon strips and cook until crispy. Next, chop the bacon into bits. Set aside the chopped bacon and reserve the drippings.
  • Remove the puff pastry from the oven. Carefully remove the pie shield. Then carefully remove the parchment paper with the beans or pie weights.*
  • Cook the onion in the bacon drippings until translucent (about 2 minutes). Next, add the garlic clove and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, heavy cream, and milk until smooth.
  • Add the eggs, nutmeg, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Finally, set aside 2 tablespoons of chopped bacon for garnish and add the rest to the filling.
  • Pour the filling into the prebaked crust. Brush the crust with 1 teaspoon of heavy cream.
  • Cover the edges of the quiche with a pie shield or aluminum foil ring. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling sets, about 25 minutes. Remove the pie shield and cool the quiche for 10 minutes before serving. Finally, garnish with remaining bacon bits and chopped Italian parsley.*

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Dry beans can be cooled, stored in an air-tight container, and reserved for future use as pie weights.
*You will know the quiche has set when you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 35g | Sodium: 434mg | Fiber: 1g
Overhead shot of Quiche Lorraine in a pie plate.

How to Make Quiche Lorraine – Step by Step Photos

Overhead shot of puff pastry being trimmed.
Set a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat it to 425°F. Next, roll 1 sheet of puff pastry into an 11-inch square. Transfer the puff pastry to a 9-inch diameter pie plate. Trim the edges.
Overhead shot of dry beans/ pie weights being added to the parchment paper-lined sheet of puff pastry.

Cover the puff pastry with a sheet of parchment paper and add a pound of dry beans or pie weights. Next, cover the edges of the pastry with a pie shield or ring made of aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. Bake for fifteen minutes.

Overhead shot of bacon frying in a pan.

While the puff pastry par-bakes set a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the 4 strips of bacon and cook until crispy. Next, chop the bacon into bits. Set aside the chopped bacon and reserve the drippings.

Overhead shot of beans being removed from par-baked crust.

Remove the puff pastry from the oven and carefully remove the pie shield and the parchment paper with the dry beans/pie weights. The beans can be cooled, stored in an airtight container, and reused for future preparations.

Overhead shot of onions and garlic being cooked in a pan with bacon drippings.

Next, cook 1 diced yellow onion in the bacon drippings until translucent (about 2 minutes). Then, add 1 minced garlic clove and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).

Overhead shot of whipped cream cheese, heavy cream, and milk.

In a large bowl, beat 4 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup of heavy cream, and 1/4 cup of milk until smooth.

Overhead shot of quiche ingredients in a bowl.

Add the 5 eggs, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground pepper. Next, set aside 2 tablespoons of bacon for garnish and add the rest of the chopped bacon into the filling.

Overhead shot of cream being brushed on puff pastry.
Finally, pour the filling into the prebaked crust. Then, brush the edges of the crust with 1 teaspoon of heavy cream.
Overhead shot of Quiche Lorraine in a pie plate.
Cover the edges of the quiche with a pie shield or aluminum foil ring. Then bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling sets, about 25 minutes. You will know the filling has set when you insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Finally, garnish with remaining bacon bits and chopped Italian parsley.
Side shot of a slice of Quiche Lorraine being lifted out of the pie plate.

More Easy Quiche and Frittata Recipes

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Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizzas

These super easy Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizzas combine homemade garlic bread with a cheesy spinach mushroom topping.

The post Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizzas appeared first on Budget Bytes.

French bread pizzas are a total weeknight win. They’re fast and easy, you can top them with whatever you have in your fridge, and they’re always delicious. This week, I had some leftover frozen spinach that was begging to be used up, so I whipped up these quick Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizzas. They have a garlic bread base for extra flavor and then are topped with a simple mix of spinach, sautéed mushrooms, and cheese. Simple but perfect!

Originally posted 7-5-2015, updated 4-20-2022.

Close up overhead view of spinach mushroom french bread pizzas.

Cheese Options

I used a combination of mozzarella and Swiss cheese for my pizzas, but there is a lot of flexibility here. You could do any of the following cheeses, or any combination of two or more:

  • Mozzarella
  • Provolone
  • Swiss
  • Goat cheese
  • Feta
  • Monterey jack
  • Smoked gouda

And, admittedly, these pizzas are not very cheese heavy, so if you like lots of cheese you may want to double the amount listed in the recipe below!

What About Pizza Sauce?

I made my pizzas kind of like a white pizza or loaded garlic bread, sans red sauce. But if you happen to have leftover pizza sauce (because sometimes that happens) you can spread a layer onto the bread before the spinach and mushrooms, or use your sauce on the side for dunking!

What Else Can I Add?

Diced-up cooked chicken would go really nicely with these pizzas, as would some artichoke hearts, olives, tomatoes (fresh or sun-dried), or Parmesan. That’s what’s great about pizza, you can put just about anything on there and it will be great!

Close up of a piece of a spinach mushroom french bread pizza held in a hand.

Close up of a piece of a spinach mushroom french bread pizza held in a hand.

Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizzas

These super easy Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizzas combine homemade garlic bread with a cheesy spinach mushroom topping.
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Total Cost $7.62 recipe / $1.91 serving
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 533kcal
Author Beth - Budget Bytes

Ingredients

Spinach and Mushrooms

  • 8 oz. mushrooms $2.79
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.16
  • 1 clove garlic, minced $0.08
  • 1/8 tsp salt $0.01
  • 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.01
  • 8 oz. frozen spinach $1.00

Garlic Butter

  • 2 Tbsp butter, room temperature $0.20
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.32
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced $0.16
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder $0.10
  • 1/8 tsp salt $0.01

Pizzas

  • 1 loaf French bread $1.50
  • 1 cup shredded cheese* $1.25
  • 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper $0.02
  • 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.01

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Slice the mushrooms, then add them to a skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 clove minced garlic, tsp salt, and tsp pepper. Sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they have softened and all of the water has evaporated out of the skillet.
  • Add the frozen spinach to the skillet with the mushrooms and continue to sauté until the spinach is heated through and most of the moisture has evaporated (there should be no water pooling in the skillet). Transfer the mushrooms and spinach to a bowl to cool.
  • To make the garlic butter, combine the butter, olive oil, minced garlic, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir well to create a soft garlic butter mixture.
  • Cut a loaf of French bread in half length-wise, then slice each half-open. Place the pieces of bread on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cut sides up. Spread the garlic butter mixture over the surface of each piece of bread.
  • Add half of the shredded cheese, the remaining tsp cracked black pepper, and crushed red pepper to the bowl with the slightly cooled spinach and mushrooms. Stir to combine.
  • Divide the spinach mushroom mixture between the four pieces of bread and spread it over the surface of the bread. Top with the remaining cheese.
  • Bake the pizzas in the preheated 350ºF oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top. Enjoy hot.

Notes

* You can use any combination of cheeses for this recipe. I suggest mozzarella, provolone, swiss, feta, goat cheese, or a combination of any of those cheeses.

Nutrition

Serving: 1pizza | Calories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 25g | Sodium: 1015mg | Fiber: 5g

Love French Bread Pizza? Check out my classic French Bread Pizza recipe for more topping ideas!

a spinach mushroom french bread pizza broken in half on a plate.

How to Make Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizza – Step by Step Photos

Sliced mushrooms on a cutting board.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Slice 8oz. mushrooms. I used baby bella mushrooms, but white button mushrooms work fine as well.

Sautéed mushrooms in the skillet.

Add the sliced mushrooms to a skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 clove of minced garlic, ⅛ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper. Sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms have softened and all of the water in the skillet has evaporated.

sautéed spinach in the skillet with the mushrooms

Add ½ lb. frozen spinach to the skillet and continue to stir and cook until the spinach is heated through and most of the moisture has evaporated from the skillet. There should be no water pooling in the skillet. Transfer the spinach and mushrooms to a bowl to cool slightly.

Garlic butter ingredients in a bowl.

Add 2 Tbsp butter (room temperature), 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic (minced), ½ tsp garlic powder, and ⅛ tsp salt to a bowl and stir until it is all well combined.

Garlic butter bread on a baking sheet.

Line a baking sheet with parchment for easy cleanup. Cut a loaf of French bread in half length-wise then cut each half-open. Place the pieces of bread on the baking sheet, cut sides up. Spread the garlic butter mixture over the surface of the bread. (I accidentally melted my garlic butter, so I brushed it over the surface.)

Cheese mixed into spinach and mushrooms.

Add ½ cup shredded cheese, ⅛ tsp freshly cracked pepper, and ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper into the partially-cooled spinach and mushroom mixture.

Topped french bread pizzas.

Divide the cheesy spinach mushroom mixture between the four pieces of bread, then top with the remaining cheese.

baked spinach mushroom french bread pizzas.

Bake the spinach mushroom French bread pizzas in the preheated 350ºF oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top.

Side view of baked spinach mushroom French bread pizzas on the baking sheet.

Easy and delish!

The post Spinach Mushroom French Bread Pizzas appeared first on Budget Bytes.

The Best Gruyère Cheese Substitutes for Nutty, Salty Goodness

Gruyère is a cheese staple because of its creamy, nutty flavor and sturdy, semihard texture. It’s the perfect addition to a cheese or charcuterie board, plus one of its strengths is that it melts easily for recipes like French onion soup or a croque mo…

Gruyère is a cheese staple because of its creamy, nutty flavor and sturdy, semihard texture. It’s the perfect addition to a cheese or charcuterie board, plus one of its strengths is that it melts easily for recipes like French onion soup or a croque monsieur.

It also happens to be one of the most expensive cheeses in the grocery store, averaging about $15 to $20 a pound if you’re going for the AOC label. And no, we’re not referring to Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez—we assume she is too busy to be stamping cheeses. AOC stands for appellation d’origine contrôlée, which in French cheese-speak is the label that protects a product’s ingredients and methods, tying them to a particular location.

Read More >>

Swamp Soup

Despite its “swampy” appearance, this soup is simply one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. If you like tomato soup, you’ll adore Swamp Soup. It’s like tomato soup on steroids and with a grilled cheese built right in. The broth is incredibly thick and hearty, it’s full of tons of vegetables that add texture […]

The post Swamp Soup appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Despite its “swampy” appearance, this soup is simply one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. If you like tomato soup, you’ll adore Swamp Soup. It’s like tomato soup on steroids and with a grilled cheese built right in. The broth is incredibly thick and hearty, it’s full of tons of vegetables that add texture and flavor, and let’s not forget those creamy, gooey bits of swiss cheese in every other bite. It’s TO DIE FOR.

Originally posted 12-21-10, updated 1-9-20.

Swamp Soup – Tomato Soup’s Flashier Cousin

Two bowls of swamp soup from above with oyster crackers and a bowl of swiss cheese cubes on the side

Soup-er Fast, Soup-er Good.

My favorite thing about this soup is that it’s incredibly fast and easy. It’s ready to eat as soon as it’s heated through, although you can always let it simmer a bit longer, if you want. And if you have some chopped carrots and celery stashed in your freezer (scroll down to the step by step photos if you’re wondering why you’d ever have that in your freezer), it goes even faster!

How to Serve Swamp Soup

As mentioned above, this soup has melty chunks of Swiss cheese floating around in every bowl. While you can add the Swiss cheese to the whole pot, if you don’t plan to serve it all in one sitting, I suggest adding the cheese to each bowl just before serving (after reheating). You’ll probably also want some sort of cracker or crusty bread for dipping!

Can I freeze it?

Yes indeed! This soup is great for stocking your freezer. After cooking, divide your soup into single servings, cool it completely in the refrigerator over night, then transfer to the freezer the next day. You can freeze in quart-sized freezer bags or any freezer-safe meal prep container.

Substitutes for Swiss Cheese

I love the subtle flavor of Swiss with this soup, but if Swiss isn’t your jam you can use mozzarella instead. Mozzarella melts in a similar way to Swiss, so you’ll get the same effect in the soup. Plus, mozzarella also goes great with tomato. If you don’t care about the melty aspect, a little crumbled feta would also be amazing sprinkled onto every bowl.

A red soup pot full of Swamp Soup with a bowl of Swiss cheese cubes on the side

Love tomato soup? Check out my Secret Ingredient Tomato Soup, too!

 

Swamp Soup

A thick, tomatoey vegetable soup with "swampy" bits of spinach and gooey swiss cheese make this unconventional Swamp Soup unforgettable!

  • 3 cloves garlic ($0.24)
  • 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
  • 1/2 lb. carrots (about 4 medium) ($0.30)
  • 3 ribs celery ($0.46)
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
  • 1 Tbsp dried basil ($0.30)
  • 1 Tbsp dried oregano ($0.30)
  • 3 8oz. cans tomato sauce ($0.75)
  • 3 15oz. cans diced tomatoes ($1.35)
  • 1.5 cups vegetable broth ($0.20)
  • 1 10oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach ($0.99)
  • 8 oz. Swiss cheese ($1.69)
  1. Mince the garlic, dice the onion, peel and slice the carrots, and slice the celery. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to a large soup pot with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat for about five minutes, or until the onions are soft.

  2. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes (with juices), vegetable broth, basil, and oregano to the pot. Stir to combine, then allow the soup to come to a simmer.

  3. Once the soup is simmering, add the frozen spinach (no need to thaw). Stir the spinach into the hot soup until it has melted and heated through.

  4. Once the spinach is thoroghly mixed into the soup, give the soup a taste and add salt if needed. I did not add any, but this will ultimately depend on the sodium content of your canned goods and vegetable broth.

  5. Dice the swiss cheese into small cubes. Add a small handful of cubes to each bowl, then ladle the hot soup over top. Serve and enjoy!

Scroll down for the step by step photos!

Close up of a bowl of Swamp Soup with a spoon lifting a bit and melted Swiss cheese pulling from the bowl

 

How to Make Swamp Soup – Step By Step Photos

Chopped onion, celery, carrots, and minced garlic in the soup pot

Dice one yellow onion, peel and slice 1/2 lb. carrots (about four carrots), slice three ribs celery, and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to a large soup pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil.

Pre-chopped carrot and celery in a freezer bag

Since most of my soups begin with 1/2 lb. chopped carrot and 3-4 ribs of celery, I just go ahead and chop up the rest of my carrots and the bunch of celery, and freeze it for the next time I make a soup. That way I don’t have to do as much chopping later. I just dump the bag of frozen veggies into my soup pot and go!

Sautéed vegetables in soup pot

Sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic over medium for about five minutes, or until the onions are soft.

Add tomatoes, herbs, and vegetable broth to soup pot

Next, add three 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce, three 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (with juices), 1 Tbsp dried basil, 1 Tbsp dried oregano, and 1.5 cups vegetable broth to the pot. Stir to combine, then allow the soup to come up to a simmer.

Simmered soup with frozen spinach added

Once the soup comes up to a simmer, add a 10 oz. block of frozen chopped spinach (no need to thaw). You can use frozen bagged spinach, too, just estimate about 10 oz. Stir the spinach into the soup until it thaws and heats through.

Taste finished soup

Once the soup is heated through, give it a taste and add salt if needed. Mine did not need any additional salt, but that will depend on your taste buds and the salt content of your canned goods and vegetable broth.

Adding Swiss cheese to soup pot

Chop an 8 oz. block of Swiss cheese into small cubes. If you’re going to serve the entire pot of soup at one sitting, go ahead and stir the cubes of cheese into the soup pot (with the heat turned off). The residual heat will melt the cubes. If you’re going to be eating one or two bowls at a time, add the cheese cubes to each bowl, then ladle the hot soup over top.

A ladle full of Swamp Soup being lifted from the soup pot, viewed from the side

Sooooo gooey and good!

Two bowls of Swamp Soup with a bowl of Swiss cheese on the side, plus a few oyster crackers

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