Homemade bacon & Parmesan quiche recipe

Homemade bacon & Parmesan quiche recipe

It’s about time there was a proper quiche with homemade shortcrust pastry in the recipes! I used to make them all the time when I was cheffing, but somehow in the midst of nappies and weaning babies I stopped. However, I’ve no excuse now and they are such a fantastic meal for all of the family. I’ve kept it simple here and included just bacon and Parmesan, but other lovely combinations are red pepper and goats cheese, red onion, feta and thyme, or tomato, spinach and mushroom. Whichever filling I am making, I always add the Parmesan into the shortcrust pastry as I feel it turns a good pastry into a great one. Essentially a whole quiche made with a cheese straw base – YUM! If you’ve never made a quiche from scratch before – go for it! This is YOUR time. And if you need it gluten-free, simply replace the plain flour for gluten-free flour.

First make the pastry. Add the flour, butter and grated Parmesan to the food processor and season well with salt and pepper.

Blitz until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and blitz again until the pastry comes together in a ball. Wrap the pastry in clingfilm and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. This will make the pastry short and flaky.

Preheat the oven to 180/350/gas 4. Rub butter all over the flan dish. Take the pastry out of the fridge and slice it thinly. Press the slices into the buttered flan dish like a jigsaw and firmly push and manoeuvre the pieces together using the tips of your fingers. Cut smaller slices for the sides and repeat until the whole of the flan dish is covered in pastry.

On top of the pastry, line the flan dish with a big square of baking parchment large enough to cover it all. Add in the baking beans or rice to the baking parchment and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry has started to go golden brown.

This is called ‘baking blind’ and gives you a nice crust on the bottom of your quiche. The baking beans act as a weight, ensuring the pastry doesn’t rise while cooking. You can store them in a container with the baking parchment once you’ve finished with them and use them again and again.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Place a teaspoon of rapeseed oil in a small frying pan and cook over a high heat. Once cooked, leave to cool for 3 minutes.

Break eggs into a medium sized bowl. Add the grated Parmesan, chives and milk and season well with salt and pepper. Beat with a fork until the whites and yolks are incorporated.

Add the bacon and mix again. Pour into the pastry case. Place on the middle shelf in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the top is firm and springy to the touch. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving. This quiche is delicious either hot or cold.

DOWNLOAD OR PRINT RECIPE HERE.