Goat Cheese Onion and Thyme Quiche Recipe

When flowers start blooming, the sun starts to warm, and with summer just around the corner I begin dreaming about dining al fresco again. In my opinion, there is no greater way to sit down for a summer meal than as a casual get together outside with friends and family as the sun is setting. A nice crisp salad with a homemade vinaigrette (recipe found HERE) paired with this savory quiche, and a glass of cava just calls my name. Plus, with Mother’s Day right around the corner there is no better time than to share with you a delicious quiche recipe perfect for any breakfast, brunch or dinner.

Don’t mistake quiche for a frittata with a crust though. While similar in some forms, quiche has a lot more liquid in it and the end result is a delicious savory custard pie.

In this post im sharing with you my pie crust recipe and a delicious goat cheese onion and thyme quiche. Ill also share an easy blistered cherry tomato topping to go on top of this quiche, if you want to take it an extra step further. I love how the flavor of tomato goes with this dish and I also LOVE how it looks as a garnish drizzled on top. So, I highly recommend giving it a try. But, its absolutely not necessary. The flavors are amazing in this quiche with or without the tomato topping.

Quiche can have as many flavors and seasonings or as plain as you like (DISCLAIMER: my children will not touch this quiche in any form, thats ok though, more for me!) Below, are step by step for each element then the assembly comes together in a snap! The best part about each element of this recipe is that each part can be made and prepped well ahead of time. (TIP: make a few batches of the pie crust and store in the freezer for a quick go to meal!)

Now, lets get on to the details. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do.

From my kitchen to yours,

~ Andrea

Flaky Pie Crust Recipe (found HERE) (Note: see detailed assembly description below)

Custard Quiche Filling

• 1 T Olive Oil
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 4 oz log of goat cheese
• 1/2 C. Gruyere cheese (shredded)
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 C. Heavy Cream
• 1/2 C. whole Milk
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 2 t. fresh thyme sprigs (stem removed ) or 2 t dried thyme

Blistered Tomato and Shallot topping

• 1 T. Olive Oil
• 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 shallot (thin sliced)

First, prepare your pie crust. Although this recipe uses my “flaky” pie crust recipe. The method to achieve a sturdy pie base to hold this custard mixture is a bit different than my ““flaky” pie crust recipe. Instead of using my hands like I do in the original recipe here we will use a food processor. Why? The reason for this is to obtain a “mealy” pie dough that is sturdy and will hold its structure when topped with the custard. achieve the “mealy” texture pulse Flour, sugar, salt and butter in food processor 10-15 times until mixture resembles corn meal. Next, add water, vinegar into the processor and pulse until just combined. Flatten into 2 discs, wrap with saran wrap. Take the second disc and place in the freezer for use another time. You will only be using one disc for this recipe. Place the dough disc in the refridgerator to chill for at least a half hour or overnight.

Quiche crust needs to be “blind” baked before the filling is added. To achieve this, roll out your dough and form into your pie plate. TIP: Return to the refrigerator to chill for another half hour to get the butter chilled again.

When ready to bake your quiche crust Preheat your oven to 400F. Line the inside of the pie dough with parchment paper or tin foil. Fill with dried beans, pie weights or rice grain. This ensures that your pie crust will not shrink as it bakes. Bake until the edges just start to brown – approximately 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully remove parchment and pie weights. Return to the oven to brown for an additional 7-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow your pie shell to cool.

To prepare your filling slowly caramelize the onions in 1 T of oil in a saute pan just before done add garlic and stir to release the flavors of the garlic being careful not to burn the garlic. Transfer to a bowl and cool on the counter.

In a bowl combine eggs, cream, milk thyme and seasonings. Place onions, guyrere cheese directly onto pie shell. carefully pour cream/egg mixture on top and then crumble goat cheese on top. Carefully, stir to distribute evenly. Place into the oven on a lower rack and bake for aproxamtly 45-50 minutes. The custard filling should still be slightly jiggly in the center when done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 2 hours before serving to ensure the quiche is set properly.

Serve your quiche warm, room temperature or cold. If you want to make your quiche ahead of time. Simply cover, place in the refridgerator and then reheat in a 350 oven for aproximatly 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!