Ready to enjoy the quiche of your dreams, but it's languishing in your freezer? We got you.
Follow these steps to prepare a delicious quiche, whether it’s already frozen or needs to be preserved for later.
What is Quiche?
Quiche is a savory egg custard that is typically baked in a fluffy pie crust shell.
You can think of it as an open-faced egg pie.
We'd argue even a basic recipe for traditional quiche and relying on fresh produce can quickly become the best thing about weekend brunch!
Some people prefer crustless quiche, which is also delicious and may meet the requirements of more restrictive dietary needs.
The base of a quiche is milk, cream, and eggs. From there, the possibilities are endless!
Some excellent quiche add-ins are seafood, meat, cheese, spices, and vegetables.
A popular quiche recipe you may have heard of is Quiche Lorraine, which contains cheese and bacon.
Quiche has a soft, light texture that is loved because it almost melts in your mouth.
While the flavors are rich and the meal is filling, each bite is meant to be delicate and light — a stunning combination that is easily achieved even for novice bakers, making it a great meal to experiment with.
Because it’s simple and versatile, it’s an ideal recipe to use when you include young bakers in the kitchen.
Studies also show that children are more likely to try new foods if they have helped prepare them, so introducing your child to a new way of eating eggs will likely go over quite well if you ask them for help.
Here’s a breakdown of a frittata vs. quiche, if you want more information.
Is Quiche Healthy?
Egg recipes are popular because eggs are an easily accessible and affordable option.
Eggs are high in protein and have been proven to decrease malnutrition, improve muscle health, and increase satiety.
Egg protein also helps protect against infection and decreases blood pressure.
In addition to protein-rich eggs, quiche is a one-dish meal that will provide fiber, calcium, and essential vitamins and minerals.
Some adjustments can be made to make quiche healthier.
Replacing regular types of cheese with low-fat cheese and swapping heavy cream or whole milk with fat-free evaporated milk are two quick and easy changes you can make.
This will lower the fat and calorie content of your quiche without taking away from the delicious flavor.
Also, making a crustless quiche, which is similar to a frittata but lighter and fluffier, will reduce calories and excess carbs.
This will make the nutritional value similar to that of an omelet.
Using lean meats and a hearty helping of vegetables also creates a quiche that is filling and more nutritionally dense.
Salmon, kale, and garlic are all ingredients that have large quantities of nutritional value in smaller portions, keeping your quiche flavorful and lean.
Need inspiration? Consider making this spring vegetable quiche recipe!
While what you add to quiche can arguably make it more or less healthy, it is important to note that most ingredients you will include are part of a healthy diet when used in moderation.
So, while the caloric content may be intimidating, it’s vital to remember that a slice of quiche is as filling as a visually larger meal and contains vegetables and proteins that are part of a balanced diet.
Can You Freeze Quiche?
Quiche can be homemade or store bought. It comes fresh in the refrigerator or frozen when purchased at a store or bakery.
Quiche can be frozen and, with proper storage techniques, will keep for approximately three months in a typical household freezer.
It’s helpful to write or otherwise label your quiche with the date you froze it — or the date it expires — so you can keep track of your frozen items with ease.
You may be surprised to discover that quiche freezes very well.
Baking the quiche first will guarantee that the entire quiche was cooked through and ready the first time, so it will be easier to reheat and enjoy the second time.
While you can freeze an uncooked quiche, it can be difficult to cook perfectly and doesn’t save much time.
It is recommended to freeze the filling separately from the pie crust if your quiche was not baked before freezing.
This can add complicated steps and time to your day that will be more frustrating than useful.
For this reason, we recommend freezing quiche after baking. You can make more than one quiche at a time and bake them simultaneously, or set aside a time of day where you can cook multiple quiches.
You’ll thank yourself on a busy weeknight when, with little effort, you have a fresh, delicious dinner.
How to Freeze Quiche
As stated, the best results come from freezing an already baked quiche, so our instructions will go from there.
- Allow the quiche to cool to room temperature. This works for an entire pie as well as leftover slices.
- Slice and wrap in aluminum foil. You can separate the quiche into individual pieces to freeze alone, or a couple of pieces at a time so you can enjoy quiche with someone else or for a couple days in a row. You can also freeze the entire pie as a whole, but cutting it beforehand is still recommended. Make sure the pan is metal, as it freezes safely and you will be looking to place it into the oven once thawed.
- Seal well. Place individual pieces in a resealable plastic bag. Remove excess air from the bag with a straw, or by lightly pressing the area surrounding the quiche. If you’re freezing an entire pie, wrap the quiche in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil.
- Label with a “use by” date that extends up to 3 months in the future. The sooner you enjoy your quiche, the better — some people shorten the use by date to remind themselves to enjoy it before that time period.
How Do You Cook a Precooked Frozen Quiche?
The best texture and flavor will come from thawing out your frozen quiche.
This helps preserve the custard-like texture and flaky crust.
To defrost and thaw your quiche, place it in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to cooking, which will ensure that the center is thawed.
Oven Method
To cook a frozen quiche using your oven, preheat your oven to 375°F. Remove quiche from wrapping.
If you’re reheating smaller amounts, place the slices on a rimmed baking sheet.
If you’re reheating an entire quiche, leave it in the metal pan. Place the quiche in the oven.
Timing will vary: one or two slices of quiche, if thawed, will take around 20 minutes.
A large quiche will take anywhere from 20-40 minutes, on average.
Check every 10 minutes as cooking time will vary.
If the quiche is not thawed, cook times will be increased and will vary.
You will want to cook the quiche until it is flaky and golden brown, with an internal temperature of 165°F.
Why we like the oven method: It may be the best way to provide equal heat distribution that results in a well-cooked and evenly heated quiche. The crust will stay crispy, flaky, and golden brown.
This is a great way to get a traditional, oven-baked taste and texture, and is perfect for all sizes of quiche but particularly larger ones.
Stovetop Method
You can also reheat your quiche on the stovetop.
To do this, remove the quiche from its packaging and place it in a skillet over medium heat.
Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is hot.
Why we like the stovetop method:It’s a great alternative to the oven method and provides a nicely browned crust. Direct heat reaches the crust, which keeps it crispy and fresh.
This method is a useful alternative to ovens, especially for smaller amounts. And it’s fast!
Microwave Method
Another method that is quite simple but may change the texture or consistency of your quiche is the microwave method.
Place your quiche slices (or single slice) on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 5-7 minutes, or until the filling is hot.
You can optionally place a moist paper towel over the egg portion to keep the eggs softer.
Why we like the microwave method: It’s convenient and quick. There’s not always time to make a meal the way you want to — this happens to anyone.
Whether you’re in a rush, tired, unmotivated, or just want a simple solution, the microwave is the best method for convenience.
While you may lose some of the crispiness of the baked or skillet-cooked crust and the egg texture may change, it will still look, taste, and smell like the quiche you love.
Tip: After reheating your frozen homemade quiche, add just a little bit of sea salt on top to help bring out more of the flavor of the filling and take your formerly frozen slice of leftover quiche up a notch.
Looking for an easy quiche recipe to try? Try our ham and asparagus quiche recipe or popular roasted red pepper quiche option. Mini quiches are also a great choice, especially if you like egg bites!
Nicole is a self-published author of fiction novels, and a lover of food and spending time in the kitchen with her six children. She lives in coastal Maine where she loves exploring new recipes especially those that can save time, money and wow a crowd.
