How to make leek and asparagus quiche, with a buttery quiche crust, bacon, and Gruyère cheese. A perfect bacon and asparagus quiche recipe for breakfast or brunch!
Line deep dish tart pan with pie crust and remove overhang.
Preheat oven to 400° F. place a large baking sheet on the oven rack while the oven heats up. (See note)
In a large nonstick pan, cook then dice bacon, reserving 2 tablespoon bacon drippings. Remove and cover bacon pieces.
Add leeks, shallots and asparagus to pan with reserved drippings. Cook over medium heat until leeks are soft and asparagus are slightly tender, about 3-5 minutes. Place in colander to drain and cool slightly.
In a large bowl, beat eggs until smooth, then whisk in cream, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Stir bacon into vegetable mixture.
Spoon drained bacon/vegetable mixture into pie crust. Top with cheese, then sprinkle thyme evenly over cheese.
Pour on egg mixture, being sure to leave about ½ inch gap from the egg mixture to the top of the crust. Use a spatula to ensure the egg mixture is fully incorporated throughout quiche.
Tent lightly with foil and place in oven on preheated baking sheet. Bake for 65-75 minutes or until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove foil for last 20 minutes of baking.
Cool for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Pie crust: For this recipe I use my Easy All-Butter Pie Crust, but you can use any homemade or store-bought pie crust you like!Quiche pan: I use this quiche pan with a removable bottom for this recipe. I recommend using this one or a similar pan, since it makes removing the quiche and cooling it so much easier, and gives you a classic look for your quiche!Blind baking vs. hot baking sheet method: I typically make this quiche using a preheated baking sheet to quickly heat up the bottom of the crust while it bakes, but the most foolproof way to get a crispy crust is to blind bake. If you'd like to blind bake, just pop the crust in the quiche pan into the freezer for 30 minutes. Then line the crust with parchment paper and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes at 350F, then remove pie weights and parchment paper and bake for another 10 minutes.Make ahead: This recipe is SO make-ahead-friendly! You can:
Store prepared quiche filling in the fridge overnight with blind-baked crust wrapped on countertop, and assemble and bake the next morning.
Store baked, cooled quiche in the fridge, wrapped well, for up to three days. Reheat in 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes. (My favorite option!)
Freeze unbaked, assembled quiche until solid, and then wrap it in plastic wrap and foil to freeze for up to one month. Bake from frozen as directed above, adding 10-20 minutes to the cook time.
Freeze baked, cooled quiche in plastic and foil for up to 3 months. Reheat at 350 degrees F for about 30 min