I Tried Ina Garten Quiche Lorraine and It’s the Flavor-Packed French Meal of My Dreams

A savory classic recipe made from simple, rich ingredients like cream, eggs and bacon.

And this 16th century French recipe takes on a new life with a special crust recipe from cookbook author Ina Garten. The results are an extra flaky, buttery tart shell with a creamy comforting filling.

You can make this version of the Ina Garten quiche from ingredients you likely already have in your fridge. But additions like gruyere cheese, slab bacon and nutmeg set this quiche apart from regular quiche Lorraine.

This is why I love this traditional favorite: I can adjust easily the base recipe to suit my family’s tastes and budget.

This quiche Lorraine recipe is also easy to make ahead to store in the freezer, and tastes amazing even reheated. It’s a great solution for a quick work lunch, or to throw in the oven on a busy weeknight.

Who Invented The Quiche Lorraine?

The first recorded recipe of quiche Lorraine comes from 16th century France.

The original quiche Lorraine was developed by the cooks of Stanislas, Duke of Lorraine and once king of Poland. Their creation was made with bread dough, smoked pork belly, eggs and heavy cream.

So the 16th century quiche version looked a lot different than the quiche we know and love today.

The round quiche we eat now was actually only developed in the 19th century. In the modern day quiche recipe, you’ll find an egg mixture of cream, milk and oftentimes cheese.

But you can virtually add any ingredients you like to quiche recipes, such as:

• spinach


• asparagus


• broccoli


• feta cheese


• seafood

You can also skip the pie crust. The filling or savory egg custard is still cooked in a round tin that you can easily cut into slices. This is a great option if you want a meal with less carbohydrates.

Ina Garten Quiche Lorraine

Ina Garten is well known for her many cookbooks with rich tasting traditional recipes.

While Ina Garten does not have her own “barefoot contessa quiche lorraine” recipe, she has many recipes for pies and tarts. Some of her famed pastry recipes include:

• Spinach Pie (one of my favorite Ina Garten recipes)


• Tomato Tart


• Cheese Puffs


• Goat cheese tart

You can find these recipes and more on her website and in her published cookbooks.

For this recipe, we will make a classic quiche Lorraine using an Ina Garten pie crust recipe.

Picking the Best Ingredients For Ina Garten Quiche Lorraine

The secret to a great tasting recipe starts with good quality ingredients.

Crust

If you’re pressed for time, most grocery stores sell pre-made pie crust.

However, the store bought versions don’t hold a candle to pie crust made from scratch. Store bought crust has less flavor, and is too thin for quiche so it will end up wet and soggy.

There’s also a misconception that homemade pie dough is time consuming and tricky. This couldn’t be more wrong! I’ve included a fast and easy recipe that won’t fail to create that perfect flaky buttery texture.

The other option is a crustless quiche, which has become quite popular. This will be more like “custard cake” (or flan in French).

If you choose to go crustless, make sure you line your baking tin with parchment paper to avoid sticking.

All-purpose Flour

If you’re making crust from scratch, your best option is to use all-purpose flour.

And you probably already have this flour in their cupboard, and for good reason. It’s so versatile you can use it to make cookies, cakes, pie crusts, and more!

But if you don’t have all-purpose flour at home, you’ll find it in any grocery store.

Bacon Bits

Classic quiche Lorraine used pork belly, but modern recipes now use slab bacon. This is close to the traditional French “lardon”, which isn’t always available in North American grocery stores.

If you can’t get your hands on slab bacon, you can also use ham.

Cream

Most quiche recipes call for heavy cream because of its tangy smoothness. However, heavy cream tends to liquify when heated. And becomes runny as it cooks. So it’s often preferred for cold preparations.

For hot preparations or sauce, opt for half-and-half or light cream. This will make your quiche smooth and creamy without making it super thick.

Milk

Traditional quiche Lorraine includes both cream and milk. The addition of milk helps make this Ina Garten quiche recipe less heavy and overly rich.

But if you want a healthier option, you can even switch out the cream for milk entirely. Use a combination of whole fat and reduced fat milk.

In the case of this recipe, I’ll use heavy cream and reduced fat milk.

Cheese

Soft cheeses like Gruyère are most commonly used in quiche recipes. Grated cheeses that melt easily, like white cheddar cheese, will also work.

Note: The original quiche Lorraine recipe doesn’t include cheese. It’s up to you if you want to add it or not!

Herbs or Spices

Fresh thyme, basil, parsley and chives are great additions to this quiche Lorraine recipe.

In fact, herbs are the perfect easy way to add variation and pack extra flavor. Just blitz in the food processor and add to your egg and cream mixture.

Salt and freshly ground black pepper will be used as seasoning. Cayenne pepper is another popular spice to add.

Herbs and spices are a way to make this quiche your own. Have fun with it! I personally like to add a pinch of nutmeg in my quiche recipes.

Easy Tips For The Best Ina Garten Quiche Lorraine

Quiche recipes can be tricky, so we have a few tips to get the best results.

• Refrigerate the Crust: Let the crust rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes before you roll it out. This prevents the butter from melting and your dough from becoming a sticky mess. Do not freeze or refrigerate for a long time, or your chilled crust will be difficult to roll out.


• Flour for Thickening: If your egg mixture is too runny, try adding a tablespoon of flour.


• Pre-bake the Crust: Many pie and tart recipes will recommend that you pre-bake or “blind bake” the crust. This is often for when the filling is very liquidy. A traditional quiche Lorraine recipe does not pre-bake the crust, so we will not in this Ina Garten recipe.

  If you want a crispier buttery crust, you can blind bake for 12-15 minutes at 320°F before adding your filling.



• Try Different Variations: Quiche, like pizza, has unlimited variations and possible flavors. To expand on the original recipe, you can add roasted zucchini, soft goat cheese, feta or even hazelnuts.

Method

1. Form the Crust
   

   Remove the butter from the fridge 1 hour prior to making the crust. Cut it into pieces and let it soften to room temperature.Once butter is soft, add it to an electric mixer bowl along with the flour, sugar, shortening and salt. Beat at medium to high speed until the flour mixture has a sandy, crumbly texture. If you don’t have an electric mixer you can mix by hand, it will just take longer.Slowly add the ice water until the mixture comes together to form a dough. Form the dough into a disk. The size should be 3-6 inches around and 1/2 inch thick. Wrap with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator to rest for 30 minutes.

2. Shape the Dough
   

   Preheat your oven to 350°F.

   Grease the bottom of a round pie pan with the shortening or butter.

   Remove dough from the refrigerator and place onto a flat, floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a circle. As you roll, rotate the dough a quarter of the way every few seconds to maintain an even shape. Place the tart pan in the center of the dough, and ensure the dough extends 2 inches past the edge. Ensure that the dough is even all the way around the edge. Transfer the dough to the tart pan.Press the dough into the walls of the pan with your fingers. Make sure it is snug against the edges and bottom. Do not pull or stretch the dough as it might tear.

   Leave 1/4 inch of excess dough over the edge, and trim the rest with a paring knife. Fold the excess dough over the rim of the pan. This will ensure the crust holds its shape while it bakes.

3. Cook Bacon for Filling
   

   Using a skillet (or regular frying pan), cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy.

   Use a slotted spoon to move the bacon to a paper towel to rest. The paper towel will soak up excess grease so you won’t have an oily quiche.

   Use a spoon and sprinkle bacon evenly at the bottom of the crust.

4. Make the Custard
   

   Add eggs, milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg to a mixing bowl. Whisk together until combined.Pour mixture over the bacon. Fill until 1/2 inch away from the top of the pan.Sprinkle with grated cheese.

5. Bake in the Oven
   

   Place the tart pan in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. A good way to check if the quiche is finished is by sticking a knife in the center. It should come out clean when it’s ready, and the crust should be golden brown.

   Let the quiche stand for 10 minutes to firm up. Once set, cut into wedges and serve.

Ways to Enjoy Ina Garten Quiche Lorraine

• This rich Ina Garten quiche Lorraine recipe pairs well with a fresh salad. Great choices include a green salad, bean salad or fruit salad. You can choose whatever is your family’s favorite salad recipe.


• For summer meals, serve with gazpacho, green beans and roasted vegetables.


• You can make a filling meal by adding a side of potatoes. Jacket potato, sweet potatoes or even french fries all pair great with this Ina Garten quiche recipe.

How to Store and Freeze Ina Garten Quiche Lorraine

This quiche Lorraine recipe is the perfect meal to make ahead and eat later. We have a few tips on how to make sure it doesn’t lose its texture or flavor in the process.

Storing Fresh

This Ina Garten quiche recipe will be good in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Whether baked or unbaked, simply cover with foil and refrigerate.

Freezing Quiche Lorraine

Freezing foods can be a real time-saver on busy nights. But, there are a few tips you should know so your quiche stays good.

If unbaked:

Choose a container that can suitably freeze liquids. Keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

If baked:

For best results, pre-freeze quiche by placing it on a freezer tray with plastic film for 2 hours.

Once frozen, remove the quiche and wrap it in aluminum foil. Place everything in a freezer bag with a label and date. Be sure to remove any excess air.

Store quiche in a freezer set to a minimum of -18 degree celsius. At these conditions, your quiche will keep for about 2 months.

Keep in mind that freezing can affect the flavors. You may need to adjust salt and pepper during the cooking process if you plan to freeze the quiche after. Herbs and spices can also become less flavourful after being frozen.

Finally, smaller portions keep better in the freezer. If you’ve made a family-sized quiche, consider cutting it into pieces before you freeze.

How to Reheat Ina Garten Quiche Lorraine

Unlike pizza, this classic quiche Lorraine recipe is not one of those foods that tastes good cold or hot.

Cold quiche from the fridge tastes waxy and rubbery, and the butter from the homemade crust is congealed. So your quiche should always be served warm.

Here’s the best method to reheat this Ina Garten quiche Lorraine:

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.


2. Cover quiche with aluminum foil. This keeps the moisture in and prevents your quiche from drying out.


3. Reheat on medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

Avoid reheating quiche in the microwave. The crust will get soggy, whereas the oven will give you a crispy, flaky pie crust that is golden brown.

If you’re making this Ina Garten quiche recipe planning to freeze it, just remove it from the oven 10 minutes early. This makes it so when you reheat it later, you don’t have an overcooked quiche!