Loaded with sharp cheddar cheese, fresh broccoli florets, and crispy pancetta, this broccoli quiche is sure to get snapped up! A great brunch recipe, but can also be served for lunch or dinner. Blind baking the pie crust ensures a crispy shell!
Broccoli Cheese Quiche
We’re big brunch people! And I can’t think of a brunch-ier recipe than QUICHE!
It’s make-ahead friendly, can be served hot or cold, and pairs great with other brunch items like breakfast potatoes, sausage, bacon, and fruit salad.
Rare is the day I host a brunch shindig and quiche isn’t on the menu. Especially this broccoli cheddar quiche, which flies off the pan as soon as I place it on the table. And always yields requests for the recipe! Which is why I’m FINALLY sharing it here with you all.
Trust me, once you try this recipe it’ll become one of your go-to brunch recipes for years to come.
Did I mention unlike most of my recipes… this one is pretty darn adaptable?
Seriously… you can add almost anything to this quiche and it’ll be ok. So while I think the recipe below is perfecto, feel free to put your own spin on it. A few suggestion: swap bacon for the pancetta (or omit it completely if you’re a vegetarian household), use cauliflower instead of broccoli, or use pepper jack cheese for a spicy kick! And of course, feel free to add more salt and pepper (or less) based on your seasoning preference.
The two places I don’t suggest getting experiment? The egg mixture and crust!
The egg to liquid ratio has been tested and perfected and if you alter the ratios you may end up with a very dry quiche… or a very wet one. Neither option sounds very appealing, right?
Same goes for the crust. The actual crust recipe is *chef’s kiss perfection! If you follow it to a T it will bake up crispy, buttery, and so delicious. Just be sure to pre bake the crust as directed! The reason we bake the crust first is we want to let it get nice and crispy BEFORE we add a wet liquid to it. So be sure not to skip this part!
Blind Baking a Quiche Crust
- Remove the crust from the refrigerator and let it rest for a few minutes; cold crusts are almost impossible to roll out!
- Use a large *rolling pin until to roll the dough into a large circle.
- Press the crust into a *tart pan or *pie pan.
- Refrigerate for 20 minutes. This helps minimize the risk of your crust “shrinking” in the oven.
- Remove the crust from the fridge, line the crust with *parchment paper, and fill with *pie weights or dry beans.
- Bake in the lower third of the oven for 22 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Carefully remove the pie weights and parchment paper and prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Place back in the oven and bake for 18 more minutes.
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Can I make this a Crustless Broccoli Quiche?
You sure can! It won’t technically be a quiche… more of a frittata, but still really delicious. Here’s how I advise making this into a crustless broccoli quiche:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Lightly grease a 9″ pie plate or quiche pan
- Make quiche filling as directed into recipe box.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Slice and serve!
More Brunch and Quiche Recipes:
- Bacon, Onion, and Mushroom Quiche
- Crustless Quiche with Sausage, Spinach, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Eggs Benedict
- Easy Overnight Italian Breakfast Casserole
- Quiche Lorraine
Broccoli Quiche
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter very cold, cubed
- 1/2 cup (113ml) ice water
For the Broccoli Quiche:
- 2 Tablespoons (28ml) olive oil divided
- 5 ounces diced pancetta
- 2 cups broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup red onion diced
- 3/4 cup (170ml) heavy cream
- 3/4 cup (170ml) whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon (14g) cornstarch
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried ground mustard
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chives for garnish
Instructions
For the Crust:
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add in the cubed butter and toss with a spatula to coat the butter in the flour.
- Using a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture is a coarse meal. The butter should be about the size of peas.
- Using a silicone spatula, slowly blend in just enough ice water to form moist clumps.
- Pour the shaggy dough out onto a clean surface and knead it gently, until it comes together in a ball, adding more ice water only if absolutely needed.
- Form the dough into a neat ball and gently flatten into a disk.
- Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
Roll out the Crust:
- Remove the crust from the refrigerator and let it rest for 15 minutes. Lightly flour a rolling pin and a large clean work surface.
- Set the dough in the middle of the work surface and – beginning from the center of the disc – roll the dough away from you in one firm and even stroke. After each stroke, rotate the disc a quarter turn clockwise and roll again. Lightly sprinkle more flour on the work surface, pie dough, and rolling pin as needed. You want to use just enough to prevent the dough from sticking. As your disc of dough becomes larger, be sure not to overstretch the center of the dough. Continue rolling until the dough is about 16-inches in diameter, and around a 1/4" in thickness.
- Press the crust into a 9" tart or pie pan, firmly pressing it into the bottom and ridges.
- Trim excess dough, leaving a ¼” of overhang. Roll the overhand underneath the rim of the pie plate and crimp. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Blind Bake the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Remove the crust from the fridge. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans.
- Bake in the lower third of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Carefully remove the pie weights and parchment paper and prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.
- Place back in the oven and bake for 16 more minutes. Set aside until needed.
- Reduce the oven to 350 degrees (F).
For the Broccoli Quiche Filling:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pancetta until crisp and brown, stirring frequently. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel line plate. Set aside until needed.
- To the same skillet, add the olive oil. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the broccoli. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized at the edges, about 25 minutes.
- Add in the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the onions begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the cream, milk, cornstarch, salt, pepper, dry ground mustard, and eggs until well combined.
- Add the cooked pancetta, broccoli, onions, and the cheese to the egg mixture and stir together with a large spoon until evenly combined.
- Pour the filling into the partially baked crust placed on a large baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set and the crust is golden-brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh chives!
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