Bacon, Onion, And Goat Cheese Quiche Recipe

Quiche is the perfect dish for so many occasions. Its creamy filling and flaky crust make it both comfort food and gourmet cuisine, meaning that it's a crowd-pleaser for family meals, parties, and special celebrations. This bacon, onion, and goat cheese quiche from recipe developer Jessica Morone marries the smoky goodness of bacon, the subtle sweetness of caramelized onions, and the tangy creaminess of goat cheese for the perfect balance of flavors and textures. 

Whether served as an elegant brunch entree or a satisfying dinner option alongside a green salad or a bowl of soup, this quiche is likely to elevate any meal. Morone says that she loves this recipe because "goat cheese, caramelized onions, and thyme is a combination that I adore; the sharpness of the goat cheese provides a nice contrast to the sweetness of caramelized onions and the earthy flavor of thyme. And who doesn't love bacon?" In addition to being delicious, this quiche is also easy to put together and highly customizable, allowing for personal touches and ingredient substitutions to suit personal preferences or the contents of your pantry. 

For this recipe, you start by making a crust with an egg, ice water, flour,  salt and butter. While this homemade crust is amazingly flaky and delicious, if you are looking to save time you can buy a pre-made pie crust and use that here. Then you make a somewhat simplified version of caramelized onions with an onion and some olive oil. You can use any kind of onion, but Morone notes that "for the most balance between sweet and savory, yellow or Spanish onions are the best options." Finally, you make a filling with heavy cream, eggs, salt, black pepper, fresh thyme, cooked crumbled bacon, and goat cheese crumbles.  

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and ice water. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor add the flour, salt, and cubed butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Add in the egg mixture. Pulse again until a dough forms.

Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough so that it fits the measurements of your quiche pan.

Gently press the dough into your quiche pan.

Use a sharp knife to slice off any extra dough that's hanging over the edge of the dish.

Freeze the dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Line the quiche crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20, minutes until the crust starts to become golden.

Remove the pie weights and parchment paper, prick the crust with a fork, place it back in the oven, and bake until the bottom crust is just beginning to brown, about 7-8 minutes. Set aside.

Lower the temperature to 350 F.

While the crust is baking, add the olive oil and onions to a large skillet on medium-low heat.

Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the onions turn golden brown. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, 2 eggs, egg yolk, salt, pepper, and thyme.

Add in the bacon, goat cheese, and caramelized onions and stir until combined.

Pour the egg mixture evenly into the pre-cooked quiche crust.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until the center is just set.

Allow the quiche to cool for 15 minutes, then slice and serve while warm.

A flaky crust is an essential part of a quiche. The buttery, crispy crust complements the creamy savory filling, and enhances the overall texture of the quiche. While you could buy a pre-made pie crust, it won't be as flaky as a homemade one. So how do you ensure that your pie crust turns out properly? Morone states that it all comes down to temperature. A crust becomes flaky because when butter heats in the oven, it lets out steam to create air pockets, which in turn creates layers. If the butter gets too warm before it hits the oven, those air pockets won't form. Also, be sure you don't skip the pre-baking step, or you could end up with a soggy crust. 

For this recipe, the quiche crust must stay cool until it's baked. You want to mix icy cold water with the egg and use cold butter in the crust — it can even be frozen. Freezing the quiche dough in the pan right before baking also helps ensure that you get those flaky layers. Morone advises that "if you feel like the dough is getting too warm when you are handling it or rolling it out, feel free to pop it in the fridge for a little while until it gets cold again." As long as your dough stays cold until it goes in the oven, you should end up with a perfectly flaky crust.

This quiche was baked in a 10-inch quiche pan. If you use a smaller pan, such as a 9-inch quiche pan, make sure you still roll out the dough to be about ⅛-inch thick. You don't want the crust to be thicker even though your pan is smaller, as it will be stodgier and less flaky. The filling will also be a bit deeper if using a smaller pan, so you might have to adjust the bake time accordingly. If you don't have a quiche pan, you shouldn't use a pie pan to bake this recipe, because the filling will cook unevenly, and the center might still be raw though the sides are overcooked. A better option would be to use a springform pan, which has the added advantage of removable sides. 

There are a few swaps you can make to customize the filling, as long as you keep the balance of a member of the allium family, a smoky element, and a tangy cheese. You can try sliced sauteed leeks or shallots in place of the onions. If you don't have fresh thyme, you could use 2 teaspoons of dried thyme instead. If you don't like thyme, you could swap in oregano, sage, or rosemary. For a vegetarian swap for the bacon, try making smoky bacon-flavored mushrooms for a similar flavor. There are also many substitutes for goat cheese, including cream cheese as an inexpensive swap or mascarpone for a milder flavor.