Basic Quiche Recipe

My basic quiche recipe is one that I learned from my Mam years ago. I always used to look forward to her baking days because they were wonderfully predictable. There would almost always be a quiche, a corned beef pie and a cake chosen from her well-thumbed Be-Ro cookbook.

I can still picture her standing in the kitchen with that cookbook open on the worktop, deciding which cake to make while the quiche and corned beef pie were already well underway. Looking back, I think those baking days are probably the reason I still love making simple, homemade food now. They’re some of my happiest memories of growing up, and every time I make this quiche it reminds me of her. ❤️

My basic quiche recipe is actually an adapted version of my Mam’s, mainly because I cheat and use ready-made pastry.

I know homemade pastry isn’t exactly difficult to make and if that’s your thing then I take my hat off to you, but I’m all about making life easier where I can. Ready-made pastry is quicker, there’s much less mess to clear up afterwards and, if I’m honest, there are never enough hours in the day as it is. If I can take a shortcut that gives us the same end result, I’m taking it every time. 😉

I very rarely pay full price for pastry either. Tesco often has it reduced, so whenever I spot a couple of packs in the reduced section, I buy them and pop them straight in the freezer. Then, if I know quiche is on the menu, I just move a pack into the fridge the night before and it’s ready to use the next day.

My Mam always made a proper quiche Lorraine with bacon, but I’ve changed that over the years too. I find bacon can make it a little too salty for my taste, so if I’m making that style of quiche, I’ll usually use leftover gammon instead.

Most of the time though, my quiche is simply a way of using up whatever’s hanging around in the fridge. No two are ever quite the same. Red onions, leftover potatoes, broccoli, peas and pretty much any cheese I have to hand have all found their way into one over the years.

So I suppose, now I come to think about it, my basic quiche recipe isn’t really my Mam’s recipe anymore. It started there, but over the years it’s gradually become one of those recipes that’s evolved to suit the way we cook and eat now, and I think she’d probably approve of that. ❤️

Ingredients

350g pastry (ready-made or homemade)
6 eggs
½ pint milk (although I’m convinced my Mam used half milk and half cream, so if anyone knows whether I’ve imagined that, let me know! 😁)
100-150g grated cheese, depending on how cheesy you like it. I usually use a mixture of mature Cheddar and Red Leicester.

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Line your quiche dish with the pastry and pop it into the fridge for around half an hour. If you’re in a rush, twenty minutes in the freezer works just as well.

If you’re blind baking the pastry, prick the base with a fork, line it with baking paper and fill it with baking beans or dried pulses before baking for around 20 minutes. Once it’s done, remove the paper and beans before adding your filling.

I should probably confess that I don’t always bother blind baking mine. 😂 A slightly soggy bottom has never really bothered me, so if I’m short on time or simply can’t be bothered with the extra faff, I skip this step and it still tastes lovely.

Next comes the filling, which is where you can really make it your own. I usually fill the case about halfway to three-quarters of the way up the sides. Today’s quiche had a layer of red onion, some leftover gammon, a few sliced leftover potatoes and then a generous handful of grated Red Leicester and mature Cheddar over the top.

Finally, whisk together the eggs and milk before carefully pouring the mixture over your filling. Try not to fill it right to the top as the filling expands slightly while it’s cooking and you’ll save yourself cleaning the bottom of the oven afterwards!

I use a large quiche dish so I always make mine with six eggs. If you’re using a smaller dish, you can reduce the number of eggs but remember to reduce the milk as well so the mixture still sets properly.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the filling is completely set and the top is a lovely golden colour. The cooking time will vary depending on how much filling you’ve packed into your quiche, so I usually start checking it after about 20 minutes.

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