Loaded Vegetarian Quiche Recipe

Quiche is a popular dish that originated in France and is now enjoyed around the world. It's super versatile, can be made with a variety of fillings, and is very convenient because you can make it in advance and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve — a huge plus when entertaining. So, are quiche and frittata the same thing? At first glance they seem the same but there are quite a few differences. Although both can be enjoyed at brunch, the Italian frittatas don't have crusts, include more eggs, and are cooked in a skillet.

Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe for Loaded Vegetarian Quiche and says, "I always like to serve a variety of food at a brunch and lean towards a few main dishes that can be made ahead. This quiche can be made a couple of days ahead and then just warmed up before serving. The homemade crust is easy to make and worth the extra effort."

To make this recipe we'll need a fair amount of ingredients. You can hit up the produce aisle for some mushrooms, red pepper, zucchini, and diced onion. Then collect some dairy items, butter, whole milk, heavy cream, and mozzarella cheese, along with some eggs. Hopefully you'll have the pantry items on hand — ice water, all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, oil, and pepper. "This combination of vegetables tastes great in this quiche," Hahn shares, "but if you have other veggies you want to use, you can easily swap them out. We are using just a little over 2 cups of vegetables, so you can get creative with whatever you have. Broccoli, asparagus, and leeks are good substitutions."

To start the crust, put the butter in the freezer for 10 minutes. We want it nice and hard so it will hold up to grating it into our dough. Grab a large bowl and combine the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and the baking powder. When the butter is ready, grate it into the bowl using a hand-held grater. Stir to combine, then add the ice water, incorporating 1 tablespoon at a time before adding more. 

When the dough ingredients are combined, roll it into a ball and flatten it into a disc and place it into the fridge for 15 minutes. To roll it out, flour a work surface and add some flour to the top of the dough, and to a rolling pin. Roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. "I have a mat with measurements which makes this very easy, but if you don't have one of those, just pull out a measuring tape. I also use a paring knife to make the edges of the circle sharp," Hahn says. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate.

To make the pretty edges on the crust, use your finger to press in towards the center of the pie, using your other hand to help form the point. "If you want a simpler way to decorate the edge, you can just use a fork and press in the fork tines around the edges to form precise lines," Hahn shares. Now poke the sides and bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent the dough from puffing out. Set the pie crust into the freezer for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 375 F.

We'll need to pre-bake the crust (blind baking) before we add the filling so that it won't get soggy. Crumple up some parchment paper (so it is more flexible) and lay it in over the crust. Place some pie weights or dry beans in the center to weigh it down. Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Then remove the weights and parchment paper and bake for 8 more minutes. Remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 F. "If you're wondering if you can still use the beans after blind baking, you can! They will still cook up just fine in the Instant Pot with about 10 extra minutes, so don't throw them away. However, if you have used them several times as pie weights, it will be time to retire them," Hahn shares.

Quickly soften up the veggies for the filling. Add the oil to a frying pan and bring heat to medium high. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms, red pepper, and zucchini. Sauté for 10 minutes. In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, cream, cheese, the remaining salt, and pepper. Add the cooked vegetables and stir. Now we're ready to fill our crust, so pour the mixture into the pie shell. "To protect the crust from additional browning, I like to place a large piece of foil under the pie plate and bring it up over the crust edges so they are fully covered," Hahn explains.

Bake the quiche for 50 to 60 minutes or until the center is set and the top is nicely browned. Let the quiche cool for one hour before cutting it into slices to serve. If you wish, top it with fresh herbs like basil or Italian parsley. This quiche pairs nicely with a fresh salad. Leftovers will last up to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge.