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This rustic Homemade Bacon and Cheddar Quiche starts with a flaky from-scratch crust, savory caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and melty cheddar baked into a rich, egg custard. It's a brunch staple, perfect for the holidays, Easter, Mother's Day, or any breakfast gathering. But, it also makes a wonderful family dinner with a simple salad! This is our favorite quiche combination, and homemade quiche is doable even if you've never made one before!
- Brunch to Weeknights! - A caramelized onion bacon quiche with a salad is a high-protein, well rounded meal! It's great for breakfast for dinner, but also weekend brunch.
- Country Rustic, not Perfection! - A quiche is a rustic country dish, and it doesn't need to look like the perfect ones you see in pictures! You can make a pie crust, it's just butter, flour, salt and water! Roll it out, piece it together if it doesn't quite fit, the flavor is delicious and if it looks homemade, you did it right!
- Add a Salad - For a special occasion brunch, add this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad, Pear Parmesan Salad, or a Strawberry Blueberry Salad. For a simple weeknight dinner, try this Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette or this Spinach Arugula Salad.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
Just a few simple ingredients and so much flavor with the bacon and onion cooked together, you don't even need salt and pepper.
- Homemade Pie Crust - This simply uses a stick of butter, flour, salt and cold water. It's important to keep all the ingredients cold, adding an ice cube to the water. You can make the crust ahead of time and keep it in the fridge if your filling isn't ready.
- Bacon - The onions and bacon will cook together, crisping the bacon while caramelizing the onions. If using thick cut bacon, you can give it a few minutes of a head start.
- Onion - Just a basic yellow onion is best, chopped but not too tiny. You don't want the onions to burn before the bacon is finished.
- Eggs and Milk - Use 6 eggs and whisk them well with the milk. You can use half & half or cream for a richer filling.
- Cheddar Cheese - I used shredded white cheddar and whisked it in with the eggs. You could use regular cheddar or really any melty shreddable cheese. It's best to buy a block and shred it yourself.
See recipe card below for full quantities.
Instructions
You can make your pie crust while your bacon and onions cook together. Then mix up the filling and bake!
Step 1 - Add the flour, salt, chopped cold butter, and a bit of the cold water to a bowl and mix with a pastry cutter.
Add water and mix as you go until it comes together. Turn it out onto a floured cutting board and roll with a rolling pin.
Use a sharp knife to scrape the dough off the cutting board if it sticks, and transfer to a pie pan. Crimp the edges, piecing together any gaps. Remember, it's supposed to look rustic!
Step 2 - Par-bake the crust empty for 8 minutes. Meanwhile you can start the filling.
Chop the bacon and onions. Cook them together in a skillet over medium heat.
Step 3 - Stir and flip often until the bacon is fully cooked and the onions are caramelized.
Really keep an eye on it, adjusting the heat and don't let it burn!
Step 4 - When done, use a fork or a slotted spoon to scoop the mixture into a bowl, leaving the bacon fat behind in the skillet.
Allow to cool slightly.
Step 5 - Whisk together the eggs, milk, and shredded cheddar.
You can reuse the bowl from the crust.
Step 6 - Add the bacon onion mixture to the par-baked pie crust.
If the pie crust slumps a little while baking, just use a spoon to press it back into place.
Step 7 - Add the egg mixture and bake for about 35 to 40.
Step 8 - The quiche will puff up when it bakes, but then settle back down as it cools slightly.
Cut into 8 slices and serve warm.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- The Bacon and Onions - Bacon and onions cook perfectly together, finishing at the same time. You need to watch them, turn the heat down if they seem to be going too quickly, and stir often. Don't chop the onions too tiny or they can burn, and if using thick cut bacon, you can start it a few minutes ahead of adding the onions.
- Don't Over Bake - This Bacon Onion Quiche is done when the edges are set but the center still has a slight jiggle, it will finish cooking as it rests. You can also lightly press the top, it should be just barely firm. Over baked quiche turns rubbery and dry. Start checking at 30 or 35 minutes, this can vary as all ovens are different.
- Adding Veggies - You could add mushrooms or red bell peppers to cook along with the bacon and onions. You could also chop up a small handful of fresh spinach and add it to the egg mixture.
- Storage - Extra quiche will keep in the fridge for 3 or 4 days and can be reheated in the microwave or oven.
Recipe FAQs
You can easily make a quiche in a few stages, especially around a busy holiday or party. The homemade pie crust can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge, or frozen for up to 3 months. You could also cook the bacon onion mixture a day in advance and store it in the fridge. Then just assemble and bake. You could also make the quiche completely, let it cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave, or reheat the whole quiche in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes until warmed through.
Yes, baked quiche freezes well for up to 3 months. Cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes. You can also freeze individual slices for a quick grab-and-reheat breakfast or lunch. You can freeze a pie crust, but don't freeze a fully assembled unbaked quiche.
Yes, a store-bought refrigerated pie crust works fine and saves time. The homemade crust gives you that rustic, flaky quality that makes this quiche feel truly special, but on a busy weeknight a store-bought crust is a completely reasonable shortcut.
Breakfast, Brunch or Dinner!
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Homemade Bacon Cheddar Quiche with Caramelized Onions
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Print Pin RateIngredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1¼ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup cold butter (1 stick) chopped
- ¼ cup cold water
For the Filling
- 5 strips bacon
- ½ onion chopped
- ½ cup cheddar cheese white or regular, shredded
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup whole milk (or half & half or cream)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Make the pie crust.
- Make the pie crust by adding the flour and salt to a bowl with the chopped butter. Add a bit of the cold water and use a pastry cutter to mix the butter into the dough. Keep adding water a little at a time and mixing until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured cutting board and use a rolling pin to roll flat. If it sticks to the board, you can scrape it up with a long knife, and add some flour under it. Transfer to a pie dish and crump the edges, piecing together any holes.
- Par bake the crust empty for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a spoon to perk the sides back up that may have slumped.
- Meanwhile, in skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon and onion together, stirring often until the bacon is fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Use a fork or a slotted spoon to scoop the mixture into a bowl, leaving the bacon grease behind in the pan. Cool slightly.
- Add the bacon and onion to the pie crust spread out in an even layer. Whisk together the eggs, milk and cheese and pour into the pie crust.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to rest on the stovetop for 10 minutes before slicing into 8 slices.
Notes
- Don't burn the bacon! Check and adjust the temperature and flip and stir often. Don't chop the onion too tiny or it could burn.
- Make Ahead - You can make a quiche in stages. The pie crust can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge, or frozen for up to 3 months. You could cook the bacon onion mixture a day in advance and store in the fridge. Then just assemble and bake. You could also make the quiche completely, let it cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave, or reheat the whole quiche in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes.
- Adding Veggies - You could add mushrooms or red bell peppers to cook along with the bacon and onions. You could also chop up a small handful of fresh spinach and add it to the egg mixture.
- Add a Salad - For a special occasion brunch, add this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad, Pear Parmesan Salad, or a Strawberry Blueberry Salad. For a simple weeknight dinner, try this Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette or this Spinach Arugula Salad.
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