Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
How to Make Easy, Delicious Quiche with Fresh Eggs – A Simple Recipe for Breakfast or Brunch
There are certain times on our homestead when we are swimming in fresh chicken eggs, and one of my favorite ways to use them up is by making this simple quiche recipe! Not only is it a delicious and protein-rich meal, but the filling can be frozen and thawed for later use, making it a perfect option for busy mornings or last-minute brunches.
I like to make a big batch of quiche filling – usually a quadruple batch – and freeze it for the leaner times of the year, like during chicken molt or mid-winter, when the hens aren’t laying as much. It’s truly a feast or famine situation with chickens! Freezing quiche ensures we can enjoy fresh, protein-packed eggs all year long, and it makes a quick, tasty breakfast or brunch option to pull out of the freezer whenever we need it.
The quiche filling can be frozen in various containers such as vacuum seal bags, ziplock bags, or mason jars. If you’re using mason jars, be sure to opt for wide mouth mason jars and only fill them up to ¾ full to allow room for expansion when freezing.
When it comes to the pie crust for this quiche recipe, I’ve used many different kinds, including frozen store-bought pie crust, gluten-free pie crusts, and my personal favorite, my flaky butter pie crust recipe (see below). They all work beautifully, making this quiche a versatile and adaptable dish for any diet or preference.
For those who need a gluten-free quiche crust, one of our favorite options is the Wholly Wholesome frozen gluten-free pie crust. It’s an easy, premade option that works wonderfully with this quiche recipe. You can even freeze entire quiches with my homemade pie crust for even more convenience!
This particular recipe is for a broccoli cheddar quiche, but the beauty of this dish is its versatility. You can easily swap in other ingredients to create a quiche with different vegetables, cheeses, and meats. Some of our favorite flavor combinations include:
- Bacon Gouda Quiche
- Ham and Cheddar Quiche
- Spinach Mushroom Swiss Quiche
- Sausage Red Pepper Quiche
Each variation is delicious, so feel free to get creative with your quiche fillings!
Every year, on Easter Sunday, we host a large potluck brunch and egg hunt on our farm. We invite about 8 other families and hide thousands of eggs filled with goodies! I always make 6-8 different quiches, each with a unique filling to ensure there’s something for everyone. Needless to say, the quiches are always the first to go, and they’re always a crowd favorite!
By incorporating terms like “easy quiche recipe,” “gluten-free pie crust,” “broccoli cheddar quiche,” “protein-rich eggs,” and other keyword phrases naturally throughout your blog post, it will likely perform better on search engines like Google and Safari. This should help attract more readers who are searching for delicious, adaptable quiche recipes and tips for using fresh eggs.
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Salted Butter
- 1 Small Onion (or as much onion as you like)
- ½ Tsp Sea Salt
- ⅛ Tsp Pepper
- 6 Eggs
- ¾ Cup Whole Milk or Cream (We use raw goats milk)
- 1 Cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Cup Broccoli florets chopped
- 1 Cup Spinach
- 1 Cup Desired meat chopped like cooked bacon or ham
Instructions
- Saute chopped onion in butter till soft and golden. Add your chopped veggies to the pan after about 3 min to soften and cook the rest of the way with the onion. Add a pinch or two of salt.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Add a half tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, grated cheese, your sauteed veggies and any chopped meat you might want to add like bacon or ham to the bowl and mix.
- Divide evenly into two pie shells.
- Bake at 375 F until the center of the quiche is set (about 40-45 min)
- Remove from oven and let sit on the counter for 10 min before serving.
Notes
Pie Crust Recipe
Flaky Butter Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Tsp Sea Salt
- 1 Tbsp Sugar
- 1 Cup Very cold butter cut into 1/2 in pieces
- 6-8 Tbsp Ice cold water or more if needed
Instructions
Making by hand
- Put 1 1/2 cups of the flour, salt, and sugar into a medium bowl and mix
- Add chopped butter pieces to the flour mixture and mix around enough to cover the individual pieces of butter with flour
- Using a pastry cutter, work the mixture until it has the texture of bread crumbs.
- Add remaining flour and work in with the pastry cutter until dough is crumbly with pea sized pieces
- Sprinkle ice water over the mixture starting with 4 Tbsp. Add more if needed. Using a spatula press dough into itself to combine. The crumbs should begin to form large clusters. If you pinch some of the dough together and it holds then its ready. If the dough falls apart add 2- 3 more tbsp water and continue to press the dough.
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean surface work the dough enough to form a ball.
- Cut the dough ball in half and press down into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
If using a food processor
- Add 1 ½ cups flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times until combined. The remaining cup of flour will be added later.
- Scatter butter cubes over flour and process until a dough or paste begins to form, about 15 seconds. (There should be no uncoated butter).
- Scrape bowl, redistribute the flour-butter mixture then add remaining 1 cup of flour. Pulse 4 to 5 times until flour is evenly distributed. (Dough should look broken up and a little crumbly.
- Transfer to a medium bowl then sprinkle ice water over mixture — start with 4 tablespoons and add from there. Using a spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough falls apart, add 2 to 4 more tablespoons of water and continue to press until dough comes together.
- Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut the ball in half then form each half into disks. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using it).
Rolling out pie crust
- Remove one or both of the dough disks from the refrigerator onto lightly floured work surface, and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or more as needed. (When the dough first comes out of the refrigerator it can be stiff, making it hard to roll out. Leave it on the counter for a few minutes to warm up slightly, then try rolling it out again.)
- Flour the surface of a rolling pin and the top of the dough, and roll dough into a 12 inch circle. Add flour as necessary to make sure the dough isn't sticking to the surface or rolling pin. Crust should be about 1/8 inch thick.
- Transfer dough into pie dish, with about 1 inch overlap around the edges of the dish.
- Gently press the dough down all around the inside of the dish
- Trim the edges of the dough with a knife all of the way
- If making a single pie crust gently press the edges with 2 fingers all of the way around to give it a crimped look. Place crust in the refrigerator for 20 min.
- If making a pie with a double crust, fill crust and add the top crust then trim and crimp edges.
- Bake according to pie recipe.
Par Baking Crust alone
- Heat the oven to 425 F.
- Place crust in the oven and reduce heat to 400F. For a par baked crust that will be baked again (like you would use for a quiche) bake for 10 min. For a fully baked crust bake for 20-30 min
