How to get the perfect quiche? I’ve attempted many, many, many versions of quiche… but all seemed to be a failure. I’ll tell you what I’ve learned from repeated failures.
I’m not one for failure. Especially in cooking. Even with the best cooks, there’s always something they don’t really excel at. Some people are really good at soups but can’t bake. Some bake bread really good but can’t make soups. Apparently my downfall is quiche and frittata.
My quiche and frittata would come out with too many veggies, eggs not cooked, tops way too brown for my liking, you name it. And I’m not really one to accept failure, so I’ve got to figure out what’s going wrong.
I dream about it, and until I get it right, I suspect I’ll still keep having nightmares of a quiche failure.
These days it’s too expensive to keep failing with these quiches.
I have tried recipes from the various blogs on the internet. My first one came out OK I guess, although when I cut into it, it looked nothing like the picture on the blog I got the recipe from. And cutting into it was a nightmare because the crust was stuck to the aluminum foil pan. It was made in a regular size frozen pie crust that I prebaked. For that reason, I would not recommend using a frozen pie shell. 
I tried using the refrigerated pie crusts. I used a deep dish pie plate, and the sides of the pie crust collapsed when prebaking it. So I tried another and put pie weights but it still collapsed in places. So, I would never use the refrigerated crusts for quiche again.
So I guess I’ll stick with my fool proof pie crust recipe and make the crust from scratch. It’s super easy, made with the food processor and super delicious.
I am one of those people that like to do research and understand why something is not turning out the way I would like. So, I turned to the internet and Googled “secrets to making a foolproof quiche”. A great article came up from the Kitchn blog on quiche. I am reading that the secret is the ratio of eggs to liquid. It seems one part egg to 2 parts liquid dairy or 2 large eggs to 1 cup milk is the secret to a silky custard. I will tell you every quiche or frittata I’ve made did not have this ratio, which could explain why mine were such a failure. 
There’s also the mystery of what type pie dish to use. A lot of recipes do not tell you which one to use for the ratio of ingredients and time to cook.
Ratio of ingredients: For a regular pie plate (not deep dish), The Kitchn blogs article says to shoot for 4 ounces shredded cheese and 1 cup filling to 3 large eggs and 1-1/2 cups half and half.
There are a ton of fillings to use (make sure all fillings are cooked and rather dry):
Sausage
Bacon
Broccoli
Broccolini
Spinach
Caramelized Onion
Mushrooms
Asparagus
Mushrooms
Bell Peppers
Swiss Chard
Cheddar Cheese
Gruyere
Goat Cheese
The combinations are endless. In this recipe I used broccolini and Italian sweet sausage. For me, Broccoli Rabe is too bitter and Broccoli is too mushy). I added Cabot’s shredded super sharp cheddar cheese.
Types of pans:
My experience in trying to make the ultimate quiche has been challenging in both the ingredients and the type pan used. I used a 10″ regular (not deep dish) ceramic pie pan in this recipe. But even though the raw crust was fluted slightly higher than the top of the pan, one part of it shrunk and fell in one area while prebaking with the weights. When the liquid was added, even though I tried to fill it shy of the crust area that fell, some of the filling still reached it way under the crust when moving to the oven. I will fully disclose though, I did not chill the raw pie crust before baking, so from what I have read, that is why a spot of the crust fell on the side. 
10″ Pie Plate
Although I used my Mom’s 10 inch ceramic pie plate, I think I would prefer metal. This one above is mot only super affordable, its a commercial type and will last for years. I will say, it is quite memorable to know I made the best quiche I have ever tasted in my Mom’s pie plate. She used to make the best Apple pie I have ever tasted in that pie plate! 
10″ Quiche Pan
Then I thought… “don’t I already have a quiche/tart pan? I went and looked in the closet with my pie plates and there it was. A removable bottom metal Calaphon quiche/tart pan!
The next day…(yes, I am on a mission)….I made the same quiche in my quiche/tart pan. I used the same ingredients. Although I did not have time to CHILL before baking so the side shrunk a little this time as well! BUT IT CAME OUT DELICIOUS ANYWAY! The sides are fluted and straight and the filling went right to the edge. 
THIS IS MY PAN OF CHOICE FOR THIS QUICHE!
Pie Crust Shields
If using a regular pie shell, these pie crust shields protect the edges from getting too browned when prebaking a pie shell. The crust goes into the oven twice to bake this quiche and you don’t want the edges too browned.
No matter what pan you use, remember the ratio for the perfect custard. 1/2 cup half and half to 1 egg. 1/3 cup filling for each egg and 1.3 ounces shredded cheese per egg. Just remember, the cooking time is for a regular pie plate. If you use a deep dish you will have to adjust the time and maybe the temperature. The center should have a little jiggle when it is done. I have only made a regular sized pie plate so are not sure what time and temperature a deep dish would need.
Quiche can be reheated in a 300°F oven, a quick trip in the microwave just to warm, or allowed to come to room temperature for serving.
This is super easy to make:
Just make and prebake the pie shell. 
I sauteed 2 sausage links with casings removed. Then I set aside. 
I sauteed some cut Broccolini in a hint of olive oil until slightly tender but still crisp and set aside. These two filling ingredients should only fill one cup for a regular sized pie shell.
While filling was cooking, I made the custard. Whisk eggs, half and half, salt and pepper together. Set aside.
Then I weighed out 4 ounces of shredded cheese. 
In the pie shell, add half of the cheese. Then add the sausage and broccolini filling. Then add the rest of the cheese. Then slowly pour the custard filling on top of filling. Don’t go too far to the top otherwise the filling will want to go down under the pie crust. (If you are able, you can put the pie crust on a sheet pan in the oven and then pour the custard mixture into the pie pan in the oven. That way you don’t have to worry about it leaking under the crust moving to the oven).
Bake.
The center should still have a “little” jiggle to it.
Please note: The ingredients and time to cook are for a standard 9 or 10 inch pie plate. Although its is easy to adjust the filling amounts as long as you follow the ratios, the time and temperature to cook using any other pan may vary.
Single Fool Proof Pie Crust
Ingredients
1–1/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp cold unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 c. chilled solid vegetable shortening , cut into 2 pieces
2 Tbsp vodka, cold
2 Tbsp cold water
Instructions
Process 3/4 cups flour, salt, and sugar together in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses.
Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no un-coated flour).
Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses.
Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. Combine with a couple short pulses until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer to chill while oven preheats.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on oven rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees.
Remove dough from freezer and roll out on generously floured (up to ¼ cup) work surface or parchment to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Leave overhanging dough in place.
Trim overhang to 1/2″ beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Flute dough or press the tines of a fork against dough to flatten it against rim of pie plate. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes (I have skipped this step and dough has been fine).
Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil or parchment, and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake for 5 to 10 minutes additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. (You may want to use pie crust shields to protect the crust edges from getting too browned).
Quiche
Description
This quiche is perfectly balanced for custard and filling and has a delicious flavor. Can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch or anytime.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 homemade single-crust pie dough (not deep dish), prebaked according to pie crust recipe
3 to 4 stalks of broccolini
2 Italian sausages, casing removed
4 ounces (about 1 cup) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Using a 10″ regular pie plate, prebake the pie shell according to the foolproof pie crust recipe.
Lower the temperature in the oven to 350 degrees F.
Saute the broccolini and sausage separately and set aside. You will need 1 cup filling for this recipe.
While the filling is cooking, whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt and pepper until combined.
In the prebaked pie crust, sprinkle half of the cheese, then the filling ingredients, then remaining cheese.
Pour the custard into the crust.
Bake the quiche, on a baking sheet, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles just a little, 40 to 50 minutes (I baked on 350 degrees F in the convection oven and it tool about 35 minutes). Let cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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