18 Unexpected Ingredients To Add To Your Breakfast Quiche

Ever wanted to start your day off with some pie? Sure, you could always serve yourself a slice of the sweet stuff, but savory quiche is the breakfast pie you could easily eat every day of the week — especially when you consider how many different ways there are to make it. Maybe you've made quiche Lorraine before, but why force yourself to stick to a recipe? Since quiche at its core is a pretty basic recipe, you can add just about anything to the base of it.

Ditch your go-to quiche recipe, and try something completely different and new by utilizing these unexpected ingredients. Not only will they add some variety into your life, but they can show you just how many flavor profiles it's possible for quiche to have. Whether you want to add some spice to the mix or you're interested in creating a sort of Tex-Mex situation, we've got you covered with these ideas. These are 18 unexpected ingredients to add to your breakfast quiche.

Let's face it: Seafood can be pricey. And as much as you may love salmon, you may not want to add a bunch of it to quiche if you're trying to make a cost-effective breakfast. Plus, preparing raw salmon ahead of time to include in your quiche can be a lot of work — and probably not what you want to be doing first thing in the morning. That's why you may want to include canned salmon in your quiche. Not only is it cheaper than its fresh counterpart, but it's incredibly easy to use.

This instantly elevates a basic quiche into something that feels undeniably fancy. Plus, it requires basically no extra work. Just mix it in with your other fillings as you make the egg mixture.

Quiche can sometimes be a bit bland, which isn't ideal if you're craving a flavor-packed breakfast with a lot going on. If you're looking for a way to add both spice and sweetness, look no further than gochujang. This Korean chili paste makes an excellent addition to quiche, offering a hint of spice (depending on how much you add to the recipe), along with a subtle sweetness that creates an incredible complexity in the final dish.

There are a few ways you can incorporate this ingredient into your recipe. To make things as easy as possible, just whisk it into the egg mixture. This will ensure the ingredient is well-incorporated, and you'll get a taste of it in every bite. Alternatively, you can top the finished quiche with some gochujang for a more intense and concentrated flavor. Either way, it's bound to be delicious.

Most of us could do with some extra veggies in our diets, and luckily, quiche is a great way to get more of them into your breakfast rotation. Sure, you can always use classic, expected veggies like onions or spinach, but why not switch things up and try something new? That's where butternut squash comes in. The winter veggie makes for an interesting addition to a basic quiche and amps up the veggie factor of the dish.

Make sure you cut the squash into small-enough pieces — after all, you probably don't want to be biting into huge chunks of squash in every bite. You'll also want to roast the butternut squash ahead of time to bring out its sweeter flavors and soften it so it's easy to eat in the final recipe.

Chances are, if you've made quiche before, you've included black pepper in the recipe. This ingredient is a staple in many kitchens and will lend the quiche an earthy, spiced quality that's undeniably delicious. But just because you always use black pepper doesn't mean it's the only kind of pepper you should have on hand in your pantry — or the only kind of pepper you should include in your quiche recipe.

That's where white pepper comes in. It's incredibly easy to add white pepper to your quiche recipe, and it offers a slightly different profile than its black counterpart. It tends to be more floral than earthy, and it lends a beautiful complexity to the finished dish. Upgrade your spice cabinet with some white pepper, and see how it transforms the next quiche you make.

Ham and breakfast sausage may be common additions to quiche, but they aren't the only types of meat you can mix into your quiche. When you want a stronger flavor profile that offers plenty of spice, you should turn to chorizo. Chorizo makes an excellent addition to quiche because it brings both fat and flavor to the finished dish, and it's just as easy as other kinds of meat to include in your quiche recipe.

For the best results, you'll want to make sure you use Mexican chorizo for this recipe. Spanish chorizo is also an option, but because it's sold in links rather than in crumbles, it doesn't create the same, uniform texture that you'll get from the Mexican variety. Try quiche with chorizo once, and you may never go back to that cubed ham again.

There are lots of spices that work well with quiche that you've probably used in the past. Salt and pepper, of course, but oregano, thyme, and even cayenne pepper can make delicious additions to the savory breakfast pie. One ingredient you may not think about adding (but maybe should), is nutmeg. Yes, like the same type of stuff you would put in a sweet pie. Adding nutmeg to your quiche offers an incredible, earthy complexity that seriously elevates an otherwise basic recipe.

It works because it helps to cut through the other strong flavors you're working with in quiche. At the same time, it doesn't overpower these flavors, allowing for a perfect balance of earthy complexity. Add some when you're stirring your other spices into the recipe, and you have a surprising, updated version of your favorite classic quiche recipe.

If you've used sesame oil before, then you know exactly what a strong flavor it can lend to a dish. It's nutty, it's earthy, and it adds a depth of flavor you can't achieve with any other ingredient. That's why you may want to include sesame oil in your quiche recipe, particularly if you're trying to create an Asian-inspired quiche. This ingredient provides your dish with a complex toastiness that complements other savory flavors incredibly well.

Stir it into the egg mixture for a well-incorporated nutty flavor throughout the pie. Alternatively, you can always drizzle some on top of the finished dish if you want even more flavor. Don't have any sesame oil on hand? You can capture some of that same flavor with whole toasted sesame seeds as well.

If you ask us, mayonnaise can improve basically any dish it touches, which is why you shouldn't be surprised that it works so well in quiche. It has so much to offer a basic quiche recipe. At its core, though, mayonnaise is all about fat. Adding that fattiness to your quiche makes it richer, more flavorful, and more filling. And isn't that what we're going for when we make a quiche anyway?

But technically, it's not all about fat and richness. Mayonnaise can also add a lovely acidity to the dish, which makes it more appetizing than if you're working with a blander recipe. It can also make your quiche saltier, which helps enhance all the other flavors you're working with. Just add a dollop to the filling mixture, and you'll see why this addition makes so much sense.

Yes, quiche is a savory breakfast pie, but that doesn't mean you can't add some sweet elements into the mix. That's why we suggest including figs in your quiche recipe. Is it a traditional addition? Not exactly. But figs can make for a sticky sweet flavor profile that really works in a savory context. That sweetness is subtle, of course, but it complements the other saltier ingredients you're working with in a quiche dish, bringing everything together in beautiful harmony.

Fresh figs are your best bet here, as their sticky, chewy texture gives an interesting textural element to the dish as well. But if you don't happen to have any on hand, you can also include that flavor with a bit of fig jam. We think this works especially well with fatty bacon.

You can add meat to your quiche, of course, but protein in quiche doesn't have to come from meat alone (or at all). If you're looking for an alternative protein (or you just want to add some richness and texture to the dish), consider adding in some black beans. They're heavy and starchy, and they can provide some added weight and nutrition to your quiche.

Black beans work well in quiche on their own, but they're even better when they're combined with other relevant ingredients. For example, chorizo would be a nice addition here, and jalapeños could offer a bean-spiked quiche with some much-needed spice. Other types of beans work, too, if you don't have any black beans on hand. Cannellini beans and black eyed peas can also make for interesting additions.

When you want to add both sweetness and complexity to your quiche, what should you add? A lot of ingredients will fit the bill, but one that doesn't get enough attention is charred corn. You can use plain corn, of course, for some added subtle sweetness (which also pairs especially well with black beans, mentioned above). But charring that corn brings a whole new smoky, complex flavor profile to the dish.

Your best bet is to use whole corn on the cob, charring it over a grill. But if you don't feel like grilling during the winter months (or you just don't have access to a grill), you can always char canned corn right on the stove. Yes, it's a bit more work than just dumping a can of corn into the egg mixture, but that extra bit of work will definitely pay off once you get a taste of that corn-spiked quiche.

If there's one underrated vegetable you should always keep in the fridge, it's leeks. They're often overshadowed by their stronger, more pungent onion cousins, but the gentle, more nuanced flavor of leeks works well in a variety of recipes, including quiche. It has some of that onion-y flavor you love, of course, but it also offers a fresh, spring-like flavor profile that'll keep even quiche that includes heavier ingredients feeling light and perfect for breakfast time.

Before you do anything, clean your leeks very well — they can be quite dirty. You'll want to slice your leeks thinly and sauté them in some oil before adding them to the quiche mixture. This ensures that they aren't too hard and crunchy in the finished dish. You can also chop them finely if you want to harness their flavor without contending with their texture.

Some quiche recipes can be so light and dainty that they don't boast much in terms of flavor. That's great if you're looking for a breakfast that's not too heavy, but it's not ideal if you're craving a dish that's deeply flavorful. That's where an ingredient like BBQ pork comes in. Adding some rich, fatty, and flavorful pork to a dish like quiche can utterly transform it, taking it from a light and airy egg pie and turning into a deeply decadent way to get your day off to an amazing — and filling — start.

You can, of course, make BBQ pork just to put in your quiche. If you go this route, we recommend cooking just a small amount of pork so you don't have a ton of leftovers to deal with. But BBQ pork quiche may be even better when you use leftover pork you'd otherwise have to eat for several lunches in a row. Who doesn't love finding a way to repurpose their leftovers, after all?

Do you ever feel like your quiche turns out bland and uninteresting, with very little going on in terms of flavor? If that's a problem you've encountered before, you'll want to make sure you're adding enough spices to the mix. You can always mix up your own spice blends according to your favorite flavors, but if you're looking for an easy flavor hack, consider adding some curry to your quiche recipe.

You can find curry cubes at your local grocery store, or you can use curry powder. Just keep in mind that there are many, many different ways of making curry powder, all with different spices, so pick a brand that you know you already like for the best results. This addition will lend complexity and a ton of flavor to your dish, and it works well with a variety of additional ingredients.

Whether you're interested in adding more veggies to your quiche or you're just interested in infusing the dish with some extra spice, you can always depend on kimchi to transform your breakfast pie into something really, really special. Kimchi, which is Korean spicy cabbage or other vegetables, offers both acidity and heat, which can work wonders in making your quiche recipe taste better. It can also provide a light crunch to the dish, offering more texture in every bite.

You can stir larger chunks of kimchi into the egg mixture if you really want to capitalize on that texture. On the other hand, if you want to use kimchi mostly for flavor, feel free to chop the fermented cabbage up into very small pieces. That way, the flavor of the kimchi will be evenly distributed throughout the dish.

When you want to add heat, acidity, and a light, peppery flavor to your breakfast quiche, look no further than Hatch green chiles. These canned chiles can be hard to come by, but if you know where to get them, they can absolutely turn your quiche into something really special. Hatch green chiles generally aren't particularly spicy, but they do have a bit of a kick to them, which can liven up otherwise standard quiche ingredients.

Since Hatch green chiles are only grown in a small part of the Southwest U.S., you'll likely have to get them in canned form. Luckily, that makes them easy to add to a quiche recipe. If they're already diced, you can simply dump them from the can into the egg mixture, give it all a stir, and bake your quiche. Yes, adding flavor to your breakfast egg pie really can be that simple.

That basic quiche with diced ham recipe just not cutting it? No worries. We've already discussed some more-flavorful types of meat you can add to your breakfast quiche recipe, but there's another you need to know about: pepperoni. That's right, it's not just for pizza. It makes an incredibly flavorful addition to your breakfast quiche as well. First of all, pepperoni contains a slew of different spices, so you'll be getting more flavor with each bite. But it also contains quite a bit of fat, which can add a lovely richness to the dish.

Use mini pepperonis if you want to get a taste of the meat in each bite. Alternatively, you could chop up normal-sized pepperoni if you can't get your hands on the mini ones. Either way, your pizza-adjacent quiche is going to be delicious.

Quiche is at its best when it's packed with cheese, and there are a variety of different types of cheese you can choose from. Maybe the recipe you've always followed calls for Gruyère or cheddar, but there's one type of cheese that you absolutely have to try in your next batch of quiche. That cheese is pimento cheese, and it can add a ton of flavor to the dish.

Pimento cheese isn't just cheese, of course. It's packed with a variety of additional ingredients, like bacon, mayonnaise, chives, paprika, and more. This ultra-spiced cheese adds multiple layers of flavor to the dish — without having to stir in a bunch of other ingredients. Buy store-bought pimento cheese or make your own pimento cheese from scratch for the freshest possible flavor.