If you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen, but you’d love to make a homemade quiche, this 4 ingredient, simple recipe is exactly what you need. Using ready-made pastry and a 3 ingredient filling, it is simple and easy to make, plus delicious!
I make this quiche filling with ricotta cheese instead of milk or cream, I love the soft richness of it, plus it means this quiche is packed with natural protein! You’ll actually get 21g per slice if divided into 6 slices. You’ll get more if you have a larger serving.
We think the simple cheese filling is perfect as it is, but if you prefer, you can add in a meat like diced ham or cooked bacon, and pretty much any cooked vegetables you like! I like to serve this simple quiche with a side salad or coleslaw, I usually make it with my Christmas Carrot Salad with walnuts and dried cranberries, even in the summer.
If you have a toddler, weaning baby or fussy eater and are wondering how to adapt this easy cheese quiche recipe for your family, see here >
FAQ’s For My Simple Quiche Recipe
Can I add in other fillings?
Yes, if you like you can use the cheese filling as the base and add in other ingredients like:
- Cooked diced ham
- Fried onions (cheese & onion quiche, yum!)
- Steamed, chopped broccoli
- Fried, chopped bacon
- Fried red peppers
- Steamed spinach
I would avoid tomatoes as they contain a lot of liquid and the filling may not set. Add the first cheese layer, pour in the egg filling then sprinkle over your filling of choice. Then finish with the final layer of cheese.
What kind of pastry is best to use for this Simple Quiche recipe?
Shortcrust pastry is what you’ll need for a quiche. I usually use a ready-made block of shortcrust pastry that I roll out, and that is what I have used in this recipe, but I have also made it a couple times with a ready-rolled sheet of shortcrust pastry. Using a ready-rolled pastry sheet will cut down some of the prep time. However, as the sheets are rectangular, and pie or quiche dishes are round, you will need to cut off the excess pastry from one or two ends and use that to patch up the areas at the side where the pastry doesn’t cover the pie dish edge.
What short of dish should I bake it in?
You can use a regular round pie dish, a quiche baking tin or even a rectangular oven dish if that’s all you have. If you use a quiche baking tin, you can slice off the excess pastry so it’s flush with the tin edge.
Do I have to blind bake the pastry?
Yes, you will need to blind bake the pastry so it holds it’s shape and is cooked through otherwise, you could end up with a cooked filling but a soggy undercooked pastry base.
Do I have to chill the pastry case?
If you do pretty edging like a scalloped edge, I would recommend you chill the pastry case for 30 minutes before you blind bake it. This will help it hold its shape and the scalloped edge. If you don’t care what the pastry looks like, and are just concerned about the taste, I would skip this step.
Should I egg wash the pastry?
No, you don’t need to egg wash the pastry crust for a quiche. In fact, if you do so, the crust will go very dark and look over cooked.
How can I stop the pastry crust over-cooking?
Once I add the filling to the pastry crust, I like to use foil to make a cover for just the crust to stop it over cooking. You can see from the pictures below or the video above how to do that too.
Can I prepare this Simple Quiche recipe in advance?
You can make your pastry crust in advance, even the day before. Blind bake it, leave it to cool then cover it carefully in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave it at room temperature until ready to add your filling and bake again.
You can make the whole quiche the day before also if you need to, and you can serve it cold straight from the fridge, or heat it up in the oven.
Do I have to use mature cheddar?
You will want a sharper cheese for this quiche, to give it more flavour, especially if you are planning to leave it as a plain cheese quiche.
How can younger children help with this Simple Quiche recipe?
Have them help you to roll out the pasty, they’ll love it! They can also help to whisk the filling and sprinkle over the cheddar cheese.
Can I store leftovers?
You can store any quiche leftovers in the fridge, covered tightly in clingfilm for up to 3 days (cook day + 2). You can freeze leftovers also, just defrost them for 24 hours in the fridge. Leftovers can be eaten straight from the fridge, cold or reheated in the oven and served hot. Only reheat the quiche once though for food safety reasons. To reheat the quiche, preheat your oven to 190ºc/170ºc fan/375ºf/gas 5 and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until steaming hot all the way through.
More on safe food storage and reheating.
What diets is this recipe suitable for?
My Simple Quiche Recipe is suitable for nut-free diets and vegetarians. It is NOT suitable for those with egg, diary and gluten allergies or vegans.
Is this Simple Quiche recipe suitable for babies and toddlers?
This quiche is suitable for sharing with toddlers from 12 months +. Chop up their quiche into small bite-size pieces and serve with salad or salad veggies prepared for their age and stage.
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Simple Quiche Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g shortcrust pastry block see notes for using ready rolled sheet
- 250 g ricotta cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 160 g mature (or sharp) grated cheddar, divided in 2
- Salt and pepper
- Optional other fillings, see notes
Instructions
- Remove the pastry from the fridge ahead of time according to packet instructions. Grease the pie dish with a little butter. Flour the worktop and put the pastry block onto it. I like to round the edges, making it disc shaped before I roll it out. Then use a rolling pin to roll out a rough circle or pastry about 3mm thick. Carefully lift and place in your pie dish or quiche baking tin.
IF USING A PIE DISH
- Let the pastry hang over the dish edge about ½ inch and trim any off that’s longer. You can use a fork to go round the edges or crimp it like you see here (watch video near top of page). If you are using a pie dish and do care what the crust looks like, chill the crust now for 30 minutes (this will help it to hold its shape & the crimping).
IF USING A QUICHE TIN
- Use a sharp knife to slice off any excess pastry round the edges, so it’s flush with the tin edge.
TO BLIND BAKE
- With a fork, prick the base all over. Add a layer of foil over the pastry base and fill with dried pulses. Blind bake 200ºc/180ºc fan/400ºf/gas 6 for 15 mins. Then carefully remove foil and beans and bake 5 more minutes.
MAKE YOUR FILLING
- While that bakes, whisk the ricotta in a medium mixing bowl briefly using an electric whisk on medium, then add the eggs, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth.
ASSEMBLE & BAKE
- Once the pastry case has been blind baked, add half the cheddar in an even layer to the base. Then pour in the ricotta and egg filling. Spoon or sprinkle in any other fillings if using. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheddar. To keep the crust from over cooking when using a pie dish, I like to add a foil cover to just the crust. To do this, watch the recipe video near top of page.
- Bake 190ºc/170ºc fan/375ºf/gas 5 in the bottom of the oven for 30 mins. Once done, leave for 5 mins to set before serving. Can be eaten hot or cold.
Notes
USING READY-ROLLED PASTRY SHEET:
Go for a large one if possible. Lay it over the pie dish, trim off excess pastry (leaving half inch hanging over sides) and add the excess to any sides of the pie dish not covered in pastry. Use your fingers to pinch the pastry together and join it together.OPTIONAL FILLINGS
- Diced ham or cooked chopped bacon
- Fried onions
- Steamed, chopped broccoli
- Fried red peppers
- Steamed spinach
Baby & Toddler
STORAGE
Nutrition
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