Ingredients

For the Quiche Crust

The foundation of any good quiche is, of course, the crust. A flaky, buttery crust provides the perfect textural contrast to the creamy filling and holds everything together beautifully. You have two excellent options here:

Homemade Pie Crust: For those who love the satisfaction of making everything from scratch, a homemade pie crust is the way to go. While it adds a little extra time, the reward is a crust that’s undeniably superior in flavor and texture. A good homemade crust is all about using cold ingredients and minimal handling to achieve those coveted flaky layers. We recommend a classic butter-based pie crust recipe for the best results. This allows you to control the ingredients and ensure you’re using high-quality butter, which is key to a rich, flavorful crust.

Store-Bought Pie Crust Rolls: For busy mornings or when you need a shortcut, store-bought pie crust rolls are a fantastic and perfectly acceptable alternative. Modern store-bought crusts are surprisingly good quality and can save you a significant amount of time and effort. Just ensure you choose a brand you trust and check the ingredients list for unnecessary additives. Using store-bought crusts makes this recipe incredibly accessible and quick, perfect for weeknight meal prep or last-minute brunch plans. You’ll need two rolls to get enough pastry for 12 mini quiches.

For the Mini Quiche Filling

The filling is where the magic truly happens, and this recipe strikes a perfect balance of savory flavors and creamy texture.

Thick Cut Bacon (4 slices, chopped): Bacon is the star of this savory filling, adding a smoky, salty depth of flavor that complements the creamy eggs and cheese perfectly. Thick-cut bacon is preferred because it renders beautifully, becoming crispy and flavorful without disappearing into the quiche. Make sure to chop the bacon before cooking it, as this allows it to cook evenly and renders the fat efficiently. For a vegetarian option, you can easily substitute with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, or roasted red peppers to maintain a savory element. For those wanting to reduce fat, consider using turkey bacon, though the flavor profile will be slightly different.

Large Eggs (4): Eggs are the binding agent and the base of the creamy filling. Large eggs provide the right amount of richness and structure for the mini quiches. Make sure your eggs are fresh for the best flavor and texture. Eggs are also packed with protein and nutrients, making these mini quiches a satisfying and wholesome meal.

Evaporated Milk or Half and Half (¾ cup): This is what gives the quiche filling its luxurious creaminess. You have two options here, each offering a slightly different texture and richness:
- Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is milk that has had about 60% of its water content removed, resulting in a concentrated milk with a slightly caramelized flavor. It provides a creamy texture without being overly heavy and adds a subtle sweetness to the quiche. It’s also a slightly lighter option compared to half and half.
- Half and Half: Half and half, as the name suggests, is a blend of equal parts cream and milk. It’s richer and creamier than evaporated milk, resulting in a more decadent quiche filling. If you prefer a richer, more indulgent quiche, half and half is the way to go. For a truly decadent experience, you could even use heavy cream, but be mindful that this will significantly increase the richness and calorie content.

Salt (¼ teaspoon): Salt is crucial for enhancing the flavors of all the other ingredients and balancing the richness of the eggs and dairy. Don’t skip the salt! It’s essential for bringing out the savory notes in the bacon, cheese, and vegetables. Start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust to your taste.

Black Pepper (⅛ teaspoon): Black pepper adds a subtle warmth and spice that complements the savory flavors. Freshly ground black pepper is always preferred for its brighter, more pronounced flavor compared to pre-ground pepper.

Dried Parsley (½ teaspoon): Dried parsley adds a touch of herbaceousness and freshness to the filling. While dried parsley is convenient, fresh parsley, finely chopped, can also be used for a brighter flavor. Other herbs like dried thyme, chives, or oregano can also be used to customize the flavor profile.

Shredded Cheese (¾ cup): Cheese is another key flavor component, adding richness, saltiness, and that wonderful melted texture. The recipe calls for ¾ cup of shredded cheese, and you have a wide range of options here to customize the flavor:
- Cheddar Cheese: A classic choice for quiche, cheddar provides a sharp, tangy flavor that pairs beautifully with bacon and eggs. Sharp or medium cheddar works well.
- Monterey Jack Cheese: Monterey Jack is a mild, creamy cheese that melts beautifully. It provides a smooth, subtle flavor that complements the other ingredients without overpowering them.
- Gruyere Cheese: For a more sophisticated flavor, Gruyere is an excellent choice. It’s a nutty, slightly sweet cheese that melts beautifully and adds a wonderful depth of flavor.
- Swiss Cheese: Swiss cheese offers a mild, slightly nutty flavor and melts well, making it another great option.
- A Blend of Cheeses: Don’t be afraid to experiment with a blend of cheeses! A combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere and Swiss, can create a more complex and interesting flavor profile. Pre-shredded cheese blends for Mexican or Italian dishes can also be fun to experiment with.

Fresh Spinach (½ cup, finely chopped): Spinach adds a touch of freshness, color, and nutritional value to the quiches. Make sure to finely chop the spinach so that it distributes evenly throughout the filling and cooks down nicely. If you don’t have fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach, but make sure to thaw it completely and squeeze out excess moisture before chopping and adding it to the filling. Other vegetables like sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers, or zucchini can also be used in place of or in addition to spinach.

Green Onion (1, thinly sliced): Green onion adds a mild oniony flavor and a touch of freshness. Thinly slice the green onion, both the white and green parts, and distribute it evenly among the mini quiches. If you don’t have green onion, you can substitute with a shallot, finely diced, or a small amount of finely diced yellow onion, sautéed until softened.

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Instructions

Preparing the Quiche Crust (If Homemade)

If you’re using store-bought crust, you can skip ahead to the “Preparing the Filling and Baking” section. However, if you’re making your own crust, here’s how:

Prepare Your Homemade Pie Crust: Follow your favorite homemade pie crust recipe. Ensure you chill the dough according to the recipe instructions. Chilling is crucial for developing gluten and ensuring a flaky crust.

Roll Out the Pastry: Lightly flour your work surface. For easier handling and cleanup, roll the pastry out on a piece of parchment paper. This also helps prevent sticking. Roll the pastry out to about ⅛-inch thickness. You want it thin enough to be tender but sturdy enough to hold the filling.

Cut Out Crust Circles: Use a 3.8-4 inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles from the rolled pastry. These are the perfect size for standard muffin tins. If you don’t have a cookie cutter, you can use a bowl or lid of a similar diameter as a guide and cut around it with a knife.

Place Crust Circles in Muffin Cups: Gently place each pastry circle into a muffin cup. Press the pastry into the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cup, ensuring it fits snugly. You want to create a nice cup shape that will hold the filling. Don’t worry about making them perfectly uniform; a slightly rustic look is charming.

Re-roll and Repeat: Gather the pastry scraps, re-roll them, and cut out more circles until you have 10-12 crusts. You should be able to get around 10-12 circles from one batch of homemade pie crust or two store-bought crust rolls.

Chill the Crusts: Cover the muffin tin with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or even overnight, for best results. Chilling the crusts is essential! It allows the gluten to relax, which prevents shrinkage during baking, and it firms up the butter, which contributes to a flakier crust. If you’re short on time, even 30 minutes of chilling will help.

Preparing the Filling and Baking

Now for the fun part – creating the delicious filling and baking these mini quiches to golden perfection!

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Ensuring your oven is properly preheated is crucial for even baking and a perfectly set quiche.

Cook the Bacon: In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking and prevent burning. As the bacon cooks, it will render its fat.

Drain Bacon: Once the bacon is crisp, remove it from the skillet using a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat. Set the cooked bacon aside to cool slightly. Draining the bacon is important to prevent the quiches from becoming greasy.

Whisk Egg Mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, evaporated milk (or half and half), salt, pepper, and dried parsley. Whisk until the mixture is well combined and slightly frothy. Don’t over-whisk, as this can incorporate too much air and make the quiches puffy rather than creamy.

Assemble Mini Quiches: Divide the cooked bacon, shredded cheese, finely chopped spinach, and sliced green onion evenly among the prepared quiche crusts in the muffin tin. Distribute the ingredients uniformly so that each quiche has a good balance of flavors.

Fill with Egg Mixture: Carefully pour the egg mixture into each quiche crust, filling nearly to the top but leaving about ¼ to ½ inch of space at the top. This space is important to allow for expansion during baking and prevent the filling from overflowing. If you have extra egg mixture after filling all the crusts, you can bake it in a lightly greased muffin cup without a crust to make crustless mini quiches.

Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the eggs are set all the way through. The quiches are done when the filling is no longer jiggly in the center and the edges are lightly golden brown. You can also insert a toothpick into the center of a quiche; if it comes out clean, the quiche is done.

Cool Slightly: Allow the mini quiches to cool in the muffin pan for 10-15 minutes before removing them to serve. This cooling time allows the filling to set further and makes them easier to handle. If you try to remove them too soon, they might be too delicate and could break apart.

Serve and Enjoy: Carefully remove the mini quiches from the muffin tin. They are now ready to be served and enjoyed!

Nutrition

Serving Size: one normal portion
Calories: 128