I love eggs in almost any form. But the traditional Quiche Lorraine is my all-time favorite. I received a beautiful deep-dish pie plate as a gift and “I’m making quiche!” was my first thought.

INGREDIENTS

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 pie crust (I chose to use Pillsbury rolled pie crust since I wanted to use my own pie plate. But use frozen or homemade if you want – you do you. Just be sure it’s deep-dish)
• 8 bacon slices
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyère, divided (I used the Private Selection Alpine blend of Swiss & Gruyère)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half & half or heavy cream
• 1 tbsp of dijon mustard
• Pinch of cayenne
• Pinch of grated fresh nutmeg
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

TIME TO COOK

Arrange a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4″ thick. If using the pre-rolled such as Pillsbury, unroll carefully and patch up any tears. Loosely drape over a 9″ pie plate and crimp edges. Refrigerate until ready to use. Par-bake (known as blind bake) at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. This helps to keep from having a soggy bottom. It helps to dock it with a fork first, so it doesn’t puff up. When you remove it from the oven, immediately brush the entire crust with the dijon mustard while it’s still warm. This is an added layer of flavor that plays well with the nuttiness of the cheese. Let it completely cool before filling with ingredients.

While you blind bake your crust, cook the bacon in either a skillet or air fryer. You choose but you do want crispy bacon so it holds up in the egg mixture. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then crumble.

When your pie crust has cooled, scatter crumbled bacon evenly across the bottom. Top with shallot and 1 cup of shredded cheese.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream, cayenne, and nutmeg; season with salt and black pepper. Pour over shallot mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Do not stir or mix – the layers will naturally distribute evenly when you pour the mixture over them.

Bake quiche until crust is golden brown and eggs are cooked through, about 45-50 minutes. If your crust is starting to burn, loosely place over the top or around the edges. I test for doneness by gently inserting a toothpick in the very center. If it comes out wet, bake 5 more minutes until the toothpick comes out dry. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

THE PERFECT BITE

Of course, the perfect bite will include the bacon, onion. cheese, egg, and crust!

THE PERFECT PAIRING

A lightly dressed arugula or spinach salad makes a perfect side to the richness of this quiche. Having this for brunch? Try pairing this with a light, crisp Prosecco such as this one from Josh Cellars.

THE PERFECT HEALTH

Though Quiche Lorraine can be high in fat and calories due to the cheese and bacon, However, a single slice of Quiche Lorraine can contain about 21g of protein which is great news for those who follow a high-protein diet. As in all things though, moderation is key.