Easy Cheese Quiche Recipe with Vegetables
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This easy cheese quiche recipe comes together in minutes for a quick and filling meal. I like to make it in the summer when fresh produce is abundant, but it also works well with frozen or freeze dried veggies. If you want a heartier meal, feel free to add some diced ham or smoked turkey.
We often opt for a cheese and broccoli quiche, but you can substitute other vegetables with good results. (More on this in a bit.)
Lately, I’ve been using our duck eggs for cooking, and they give egg recipes a great golden color. (The yolks are HUGE, and the duckies love to go out foraging!)
This recipe is based on the “cheese quiche with vegetables” master recipe from The Garden Fresh Vegetable Cookbook by Andrea Chesman. It’s one of my favorite “go-to” books for using up fresh produce. (Check out some of my other Favorite Garden Cookbooks here.)
The recipes are straightforward and flavorful, and while she does use extra-virgin olive oil in many recipes, she’s not afraid of cream and butter. (Many vitamins in veggies are fat-soluble, which means that if you don’t eat them with fat, you don’t absorb all the vitamins. Butter is our friend.)
What cheese should I use for quiche?
Flavorful cheeses like Swiss, Gruyere, Jarsberg, sharp chedder and feta work well in quiche, but feel free to experiment with what you have available. You can even use goat cheese or funky farmer cheese.
Really soft cheese like cream cheese or cottage cheese is not a a good fit for this recipe, but I’m sure someone uses it. We made the quiche in the photos with a combination of Swiss and mozzarella.
Which vegetables work well in a quiche recipe?
Andrea recommends artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, broccoli rabe, cauliflower, chard, corn kernels, fennel, leeks, snap beans and spinach. You want a vegetable quiche that is firm, not sloppy, so avoid high water fresh veggies like tomatoes. I usually throw fresh vegetables right in, but if you like your vegetables more well-cooked, blanch them before assembling the quiche.
If you’re using frozen vegetables, thaw them completely and drain off excess liquid before adding them to the quiche recipe. It’s best if they reach room temp. If they’re chilly when you add them to the quiche, you’ll need to add a little more baking time.
Freeze dried vegetables (and meat) work really well in this quiche recipe. Since they don’t release liquid during cooking, you can add more vegetables without making the quiche watery. (I double the amount of vegetables when I use freeze dried.) The quiche featured in the photos was made with home freeze dried broccoli and freeze dried ham.
To make sure my freeze dried broccoli and ham were completely rehydrated, I soaked them in the egg and milk mixture for about half an hour before assembling the quiche for baking. Instead of mixing up the quiche filling last, I mixed it up first and added the freeze dried items. Then I mixed up the crust, par-baked it, and assembled the quiche recipe.
Can I use a premade crust for my quiche recipe?
Yes, this recipe will work fine with a premade crust, by if my teenage son can make a homemade pie crust, I bet you can, too. The “secret” is to keep all your ingredients cold, and don’t overwork the dough.
Easy Cheese Quiche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked crust for a 9-inch or 10-inch pie
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 1 1/2 cups chopped vegetables
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallions
- 1/2 cup chopped ham or smoked turkey (optional)
- 3 large eggs
- milk or cream
- salt and freshly ground pepper
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Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Bake the crust for 5 minutes, until lightly colored. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese in the crust. Make a layer of the broccoli on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with the chives and meat (if desired).
Beat the eggs in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk or cream to make 1 1/2 cups. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the quiche.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until puffed and browned. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. The quiche will puff up slightly while baking and then settle after it cools.
Pie Crust Recipe for Quiche
Makes one 9 or 10 inch pie crust.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter or lard
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Directions
Cut together flour, salt and butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle water over mixture, and blend with a fork until it just comes together. (Over-mixing will make the dough tougher.) To make your pie crust easier to roll, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll your pie crust into a 12 inch round between two sheets of waxed paper or reusable parchment paper lightly dusted with flour. Place in pan and crimp edges.
What’s your favorite easy one dish meal?
How do you like to use garden produce for quick meals? Please leave a comment and let me know. I’m always looking for new recipes.
You may also enjoy:
- Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce – Great for Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
- Ground Beef and Wild Rice Casserole
- Onion Pudding
Easy Cheese Quiche Recipe
This easy cheese quiche recipe works with a variety of vegetables and cheeses. You can also added diced meat for a more hearty meal.
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked crust for a 9-inch or 10-inch pie
- 1 cup grated cheese
- 1 1/2 cups chopped vegetables
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallions
- 1/2 cup chopped ham or smoked turkey (optional)
- 3 large eggs
- milk or cream
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Bake the crust for 5 minutes, until lightly colored. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese in the crust. Make a layer of the broccoli on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with the chives and meat (if desired).
Beat the eggs in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk or cream to make 1 1/2 cups. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the quiche.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until puffed and browned. Let stand for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Basic Pie Crust Recipe
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup butter or lard
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Cut together flour, salt and butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle water over mixture, and blend with a fork until it just comes together. (Over-mixing will make the dough tougher.) To make your pie crust easier to roll, wrap in wax paper and refrigerate 30 minutes. Roll your pie crust into a 12 inch round between two sheets of waxed paper or reusable parchment paper lightly dusted with flour. Place in pan and crimp edges.
Flavorful cheeses like Swiss, Gruyere, Jarsberg, sharp chedder and feta work well in quiche, but feel free to experiment with what you have available.
Last updated in 2018.