Quiche Lorraine Pie with Bacon and Gruyere

Bacon going crisp in a cast iron. Sweet potatoes turning the color of old wood. That’s the moment everything clicks. Had a deep dish pan sitting around, three pounds of bacon I needed to use, and this happened—turned into the kind of quiche that fills a table and doesn’t apologize for being rich.

Why You’ll Love This Bacon & Cheese Quiche

Tastes substantial in a way that actually holds until dinner. Not some wispy egg thing. Works as breakfast, lunch, or whenever—cold the next day too, maybe better. The roasted sweet potatoes add sweetness without trying. Doesn’t taste like dessert. Just balanced. Crispy bacon scattered through, Gruyere melted in. No fussing with multiple components. Takes 67 minutes total but most of that’s oven time. Maybe 15 minutes of actual work. Hands-on time is minimal. Cleanup isn’t nothing—one pan, one bowl, done.

What You Need for This Bacon & Cheese Quiche

One unbaked deep 9-inch pie crust—store-bought works fine. Don’t overthink it.

Sweet potatoes. One and a quarter pounds. Peel them, dice them. Could swap one for a parsnip if you want earthier, but not required.

One medium yellow onion, chopped coarse. Size doesn’t matter exactly.

Two tablespoons olive oil. Extra virgin. Coating for the vegetables.

Salt and pepper—half teaspoon pepper, one teaspoon fine sea salt for the custard. Add the salt to the eggs, not to the vegetables beforehand.

Six slices thick-cut bacon. Cooked crisp, crumbled. Not limp. The texture matters because it distributes and holds through the slice.

Parsley. Fresh. Two tablespoons chopped. Sounds small but adds a green note.

Four large eggs. Room temperature if you want to be pedantic about it. Changes nothing.

One cup half and half. Or substitute whole milk plus two tablespoons cream—gets you there. Don’t use skim. You’ll taste the difference and hate it.

Fresh rosemary, one teaspoon, finely chopped. Not dried. Dried tastes like pine needles.

One and a half cups Gruyere, divided. Sharp, nutty. Matters more than any other single ingredient here. Cheddar works. Swiss doesn’t—too bland.

How to Make a Bacon & Cheese Quiche

Start with the crust. Oven to 350°F. Unwrap it, drop it into a deep 9-inch dish. Don’t fuss with the edges—rustic is better. If you want them neat, pinch and fold once, then stop. Overwork dough and it gets tough.

Fork the bottom and sides. Multiple times. Sounds pointless. It stops sogginess dead. Pre-bake it 8 to 12 minutes until it smells nutty and has faint golden flecks—not hard brown, just set. Pull it out. This matters because the custard won’t have enough time to cook the bottom otherwise.

While that happens, get the vegetables ready. Sweet potatoes and onion go into a bowl with two tablespoons olive oil and half teaspoon pepper. Mix loosely. Spread on a rimmed sheet in one layer—no piling. Bake 22 to 27 minutes, stirring once halfway through. You’re looking for the fork to slide through soft but the shape to hold. Don’t let them go mushy or burnt on the edges. They should finish with a slight crisp at the edges, still tender inside. Let them cool a minute.

How to Get This Quiche Crispy and Golden

The eggs go into a large bowl. All of them—four. Add the cooked bacon, the parsley, the cup of half and half, the teaspoon of rosemary, the teaspoon of sea salt, and one and a half cups of Gruyere. Whisk it together—light, not frothy. Air bubbles crack the filling. The salt here brings out the sweetness of the potatoes. The rosemary adds something pine-y and subtle. Mix until you can’t see the cheese anymore but don’t beat it.

Sweet potatoes scattered into the pre-baked crust. Even layer but don’t pack them. They need room for the custard to seep.

Pour the egg mixture over slow. Stop when it barely brushes the top edge of the crust. Excess spills over, burns, wastes. You’ll have some leftover—that’s intentional. This keeps it from getting dense and waterlogged.

Into the oven. 25 to 30 minutes. The center should jiggle like a gentle wave when you move the pan—soft, not liquid. A toothpick comes out nearly clean, maybe slightly moist. If the crust edge starts too brown around minute 18, cover it with foil. Just drape it loose.

Remove it. Right away, sprinkle the remaining half cup Gruyere on top. Don’t bake it again. The warmth from the quiche melts it into a gooey golden blanket. If it’s too cool, cheese clumps and stays dull. This is why timing matters.

Bacon & Cheese Quiche Tips and Common Mistakes

Under-roasted potatoes make the custard watery. Test them at the halfway point. Fork should slide through but not fall apart.

Onion browning adds depth—let it happen a little. But burnt tastes bitter. Watch it.

Bacon has to be crisp. Limp bacon releases fat into the filling later and it pools. Tastes greasy then.

Crust gets overworked and tears. It happens. Don’t remake it. Patch the hole with a small piece of dough and press it. Works fine.

If you’re using dairy-free, coconut cream replaces the half and half, dairy-free cheese for the Gruyere. Reduce the roasted potato amount slightly because coconut cream releases more moisture than dairy.

Phyllo stacks work instead of a pie crust if you hate pie crust. Gluten-free crusts work too—bake times vary, so watch the edges.

The quiche needs 10 to 15 minutes to rest after coming out. Center sets up properly. Slices clean instead of falling apart. Warm leftovers slowly—stovetop pan on low heat or a moderate oven. Keeps the custard tender.

Quiche Lorraine Pie with Bacon and Gruyere

By Emma

Prep:

32 min

Cook:

35 min

Total:

67 min

Servings:

8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked deep 9-inch pie crust
• 1 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup half and half, or substitute whole milk with 2 tablespoons cream
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups Gruyere cheese, divided
• Twist: Swap one sweet potato for a parsnip for earthier sweetness and texture

Method

1. 1 Oven at 350°F but trust the crust’s color and firmness, not timer alone. Unwrap pie crust and nestle into deep 9-inch dish. Rustic edges, no fuss; if you want neat, pinch and fold but avoid overworking dough or tears. Fork-pierce bottom and sides several times, stops bubbling and sogginess later. Bake 8-12 minutes until faint golden flecks appear. Remove; crust should smell nutty and look just set, not browned hard.
2. 2 Toss diced sweet potatoes and onion in olive oil + pepper; aroma starts uplifting immediately. Spread on rimmed sheet single layer avoids steaming. Bake 22-27 minutes, stirring once halfway, until fork slides into tender cubes but holds shape. Don’t let caramelize black or mushy. Remove when edges begin slight crisp. Let cool a bit.
3. 3 In large bowl, combine cooked bacon, parsley, eggs, half and half, rosemary, sea salt, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere. Whisk lightly until mixed but not frothy; air bubbles invite cracks. The salt brings out subtle sweetness, rosemary adds pine-y freshness. Toss gently to fold in cheese evenly but keep some texture.
4. 4 Sweet potato mixture scooped into pre-baked crust, spread evenly but don’t pack. Sheltered pocket for custard to seep without overflow or gaps.
5. 5 Pour egg mixture over potatoes slowly. Stop when custard barely brushes top edge of crust. Excess spills over edges, burns, waste. Custard level is visual guide here; some leftover is expected and intentional. This prevents sogginess and fissures.
6. 6 Bake quiche 25-30 minutes until center jiggles like gentle wave; not liquid but soft. A toothpick will come out nearly clean but slightly moist. If crust edge gets too brown early, shield with foil tent. This protects and helps gentle even cooking.
7. 7 Remove quiche from oven, immediately sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup Gruyere on top. Cheese melts from radiant warmth forming gooey golden blanket without extra baking. If too cool, cheese clumps or stays dull. Serve warm or room temp.
8. 8 If substitutions necessary: dairy-free use coconut cream and dairy-free cheese but reduce moisture in potatoes. For crust alternative, sturdy gluten-free crusts or phyllo stacks work but bake times vary.
9. 9 Common hiccup: under-roasted potatoes make custard watery, over-roasted lead to bitterness. Test bites halfway through roasting. Onion browning adds depth but don’t burn. Bacon must be crisp to prevent fat pooling later.
10. 10 Final tip: rest quiche 10-15 minutes after baking before slicing. Allows filling to settle, makes slicing cleaner. Warm leftovers heat slowly in moderate oven or stovetop pan to keep custard texture.

Nutritional information

Calories

320

Protein

12g

Carbs

20g

Fat

22g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Bacon & Cheese Quiche

Can I make this quiche ahead? Yes. Assemble it the night before, cover it, refrigerate. Bake the next day—add maybe 5 minutes to the bake time because it’s cold. Or bake it fully, cool it, reheat gently in a 325°F oven for 12 minutes. Tastes almost the same.

What if I don’t have Gruyere? Sharp cheddar works. Swiss doesn’t—too mild. Gouda adds smokiness if that appeals to you. Avoid pre-shredded cheese. It has anti-caking stuff that melts weird.

Can I add spinach or other vegetables? Sure. Spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers—pre-cook them first and squeeze out moisture if they’re wet. Too much liquid in the filling makes it curdle. Add bacon and spinach together and it’s closer to a traditional quiche lorraine variation, just with sweet potatoes instead of potatoes.

Why is my custard cracked on top? Usually means it baked too long or the oven ran hot. The center should jiggle, not set solid. Next time, pull it at 25 minutes and check. Also, air bubbles in the whisked eggs cause cracks—whisk gently.

How do I know when it’s actually done? Jiggle test. The very center should move like water when you shake the pan. Not liquid, but soft. A toothpick comes out with custard still clinging slightly. In a few minutes it firms as it cools. Overbaking makes it dry.

Can I freeze leftovers? Yeah. Cool it completely, wrap it tight, freeze up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, reheat slowly in a 325°F oven. Texture changes slightly—gets a tiny bit more rubbery—but tastes fine.

Is this actually bacon quiche lorraine? Traditional Lorraine uses bacon, cream, and eggs in a custard tart. No cheese usually. This adds Gruyere and sweet potatoes, so it’s a riff. But bacon and cheese and eggs is the core of the thing, so yeah—it counts. Call it what you want.