Deep-Dish Bacon and Cheddar Quiche

Grace your holiday table, Easter brunch, or Sunday supper with this show-stopping Deep-Dish Quiche. It’s as beautiful as it is delicious. Make it ahead, freeze, and reheat when needed. What is better than that?

By
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas

Sally is the author of four cookbooks and is a regular correspondent for the Boston Globe Wednesday Food Section. She also is a food photographer.

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Updated January 22, 2023
Sally Vargas
A white platter is on a white plate set on a wooden table. The platter has a homemade deep-dish bacon and cheddar quiche on it. The crust and filling are golden brown and some parsley is visible in the filling. Two wine glasses, plates and forks are above the quiche on a cream colored table linen.
Sally Vargas

If you’re looking for a centerpiece holiday dish, a stunner for a Sunday supper, or brunch with friends, then a mile-high Deep Dish Quiche is just the thing you need.

The inspiration for this recipe comes from a road trip to Vermont last summer. The slice of mile-high quiche served at our café lunch stop was a vision to behold and tasted even better than it looked. Now you can have your version at home!

This quiche is tall, you could say downright regal, filled with bacon, scallions, a lot of parsley, sharp cheddar, and, most importantly, cream. Heavy cream! (No holds barred here.)

This luscious and rich dish is large enough to serve at least eight people. The golden crust is buttery and flaky, just the right complement for the rich filling.

What Is Quiche?

Quiche is a French tart with a buttery crust filled with savory custard that can include all manner of vegetables, cheese, meat, and even seafood. The most famous quiche is quiche Lorraine, made with ham or bacon and Gruyere or Swiss cheese and baked in a shallow tart pan.

It can be served warm or at room temperature, and is an ideal brunch or supper dish.

A slice of best deep dish quiche on a decorative china plate. A handful of arugula is to the right of the quiche and a table linen and glass are above the plate.
Sally Vargas

Why Make Deep Dish Quiche?

I reserve this rich and elegant quiche for when company comes; it’s a splendid dish for a spring holiday brunch or a light supper and serves eight nicely.

Its generous size (made in a 9-inch springform pan) requires more of a time commitment than ordinary quiche. Luckily, the time involved is mostly hands-off time – prebaking the crust and then baking the quiche – and it can be parsed out in chunks so you are not in the kitchen full stop.

Serve it with a salad or green vegetable, and for a brunch, you might want to have some strawberries or fresh fruit and crisp, cold white wine on the table, too.

Tips for Making Quiche Crust

I adjusted my favorite all-butter crust recipe to fit into a springform pan, which is much deeper than a tart pan or pie plate. I like this crust because it’s very buttery and stands up well in a springform pan.

This recipe makes a generous amount of dough, so you don’t have to worry about having to skimp on the crust. A few tips and tricks will yield perfect results every time.

  • Once you’ve fit the pastry dough to the springform pan, chill it.
  • Line the chilled dough with foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans up to the brim (you’ll need about 6 cups). This prevents the dough from collapsing on the sides when you par-bake it.
  • Once the crust is golden brown, remove the weights, fill it with custard and bake it again.

The crust’s long pre-bake may seem like overkill, but it ensures that both the crust and filling are cooked to perfection.

A mile high quiche is on a white platter. The crust is golden brown as is the filling. Partial view of plates and forks to the upper left of the quiche.
Sally Vargas

How to Tell When Quiche Is Cooked?

The best way to tell if the quiche is set is with visual cues and a thermometer. (I like to use both.)

  • The edges should be slightly puffed and look set
  • The very center should still be slightly jiggly. If it looks soupy, continue to bake it.
  • A toothpick inserted into the center of the quiche should come out clean
  • If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should register from 165 to 170 degrees. Once it gets into the 180-degree range, the custard will be overcooked.

Bear in mind that the quiche will cook a bit more once it comes out of the oven. Also, if the top is golden and the center is not done, cover loosely with foil for the last few minutes of baking.

A slice of best deep dish quiche on a decorative china plate. A handful of arugula is to the right of the quiche. A fork is to the left of the plate and a table linen is above the plate.
Sally Vargas

Make Ahead and Freezer Tips for Deep Dish Quiche

Freeze the crust: The crust can be frozen in several ways.

  • Freeze the dough disk (up to 3 months): Wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Thaw and roll as directed.
  • Freeze the unbaked pie shell (up to 3 months): Wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Remove from the freezer, line the pan with foil, add the beans, and bake—no need to thaw first. Add extra time to account for the frozen pastry.
  • Freeze the baked pie shell (up to 3 months): Wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. Remove from the freezer, add the filling, and bake as directed—no need to thaw first.

To freeze the baked quiche: Bake the quiche and let it cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold, and wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil. For individual slices, freeze them, unwrapped, until solid and then wrap in plastic wrap and foil.

Reheat frozen quiche: Thaw in the refrigerator, remove, and let come to room temperature (1 hour). Bake in a 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until hot all the way through.

Need More Quiche Recipes?

Deep-Dish Bacon and Cheddar Quiche

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs 30 mins
Chill 60 mins
Total Time 4 hrs
Servings 8 to 10 servings
Yield 1 quiche

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 2 3/4 cups (330g) all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 10 to 13 tablespoons ice water

  • 1 cup (2 sticks/8 ounces/224g) cold, unsalted butter, cubed

  • Extra flour, for rolling the dough

For the filling:

  • 8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

  • 6 large eggs

  • 3 cups heavy cream

  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped parsley

  • 6 ounces (2 cups) grated sharp cheddar

  • 1 bunch scallions, finely sliced, including some of the green part

Special Equipment

  • 1 springform pan

Method

For the dough:

  1. Start the dough:

    In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt until blended.

    Add the butter cubes to the flour and toss to separate and coat them. Between your thumb and index finger, squish and flatten each cube, and toss in the flour as you flatten them.

    Cubes of butter are in a flour mixture inside a glass bowl on a marble countertop.
    Sally Vargas
    A glass bowl is on a marble countertop and the dough mixture for the homemade quiche crust is inside.
    Sally Vargas
  2. Add the water and mix the dough:

    Drizzle 10 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour and butter and toss together like you toss a salad. Continue to mix with your hands until the dough clumps together. If the dough seems very floury and doesn’t clump together, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

  3. Form the dough into a disc:

    Tip the clumps onto the countertop gather them together with your hands, pressing and kneading briefly until the clumps come together to form a dough. Shape it into a round, flat disc that is about 7 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic and chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator, or for up to 3 days. You can proceed to roll the dough after 10 minutes, or when it is convenient.

    A shaggy dough for homemade deep-dish quiche is on a marble countertop.
    Sally Vargas
    A disk of homemade quiche dough is sprinkled with flour and is on a marble countertop.
    Sally Vargas
  4. Roll the dough:

    If you’ve refrigerated the dough for more than 30 minutes, remove it from the refrigerator to soften slightly before rolling.

    On a generously floured surface roll the dough with a floured rolling pin into a 14 or 15-inch circle that is about 1/8-inch thick. Keep lifting the dough as you roll it to make sure it isn’t sticking to the work surface. If it starts to stick, sprinkle some flour underneath it.

  5. Line the pan:

    Roll the dough over the rolling pin to lift and drape it over and into the springform pan. Lift the edges as you press the dough into the bottom edge of the pan and up the sides; try to avoid stretching it. Once the dough is securely in the pan, roll the rolling pin over the top edge to “cut” away the excess. If you like, make a pattern with the tines of a fork all around the edge.

    Mile high quiche crust dough is on a marble countertop and is rolled around a rolling pin. An empty springform pan is to the right.
    Sally Vargas
    A springform pan has an unbaked quiche crust inside. A wooden rolling pin is rolling over the top of the pan.
    Sally Vargas
    A springform pan has an unbaked quiche crust inside. Scraps of dough and a wooden cutting board are to the right of the pan.
    Sally Vargas
    A springform pan with uncooked quiche crust inside. The crust is decorated with fork tine lines around the outside. A wooden rolling pin and scraps of dough are to the right of the pan. A fork is to the left. All are on a marble countertop.
    Sally Vargas
  6. Chill the dough:

    Cover the dough with plastic and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

  7. Blind bake the crust:

    Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill the pan to the brim with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until the crust is golden brown. Let the crust rest for 5 minutes then remove the foil and pie weights.

    While the crust bakes cook the bacon and make the filling.

    Homemade quich crust is ready for parbaking. It is covered with foil and has dried beans inside.
    Sally Vargas
    Mile high quiche crust baked in a springform pan.
    Sally Vargas
  8. Cook the bacon:

    In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned but not quite crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

  9. Make the filling:

    In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until they are fully combined and homogenous. Whisk in the cream, salt, pepper, and parsley.

    A large glass liquid measuring cup is on a marble countertop and a whisk with a white handle is inside. A smooth egg filling for the best deep-dish bacon and cheddar quiche
    Sally Vargas
    A large glass liquid measuring cup is filled halfway with a creamy filling with chopped parsley inside.
    Sally Vargas
  10. Assemble the quiche:

    Spread 1 cup of the grated cheese over the bottom of the crust and sprinkle the bacon on top. Sprinkle with the scallions. Pour the filling over the ingredients and leave about 1/8-inch headspace. Do not overfill—you need to have room for the quiche to expand as it cooks. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese on top.

    Alternatively: If you’re concerned about spilling the quiche, fill it halfway with the filling, pull the oven rack out partly, transfer the quiche to the oven, fill it the rest of the way and top it with cheese.

    A springform pan with a golden brown crust has shredded mozzarella cheese at the bottom of it.
    Sally Vargas
    A springform pan with a golden brown crust has chopped scallions and crispy chopped bacon at the bottom of it.
    Sally Vargas
    A homemade deep-dish bacon and cheddar quiche is on a countertop with an unbaked filling. The crust is golden brown and in a springform pan. Creamy filling with bacon, parsley and sliced scallionsns are visible in the crust.
    Sally Vargas
    A homemade deep-dish bacon and cheddar quiche is on a countertop with an unbaked filling. The crust is golden brown and in a springform pan. Creamy filling and shredded cheese are inside the crust.
    Sally Vargas
  11. Bake the quiche:

    Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Check to see if the cheese on top has browned, and if so, cover loosely with foil.

    Continue baking for 25 to 30 additional minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is still a little wobbly. Total baking time is 70 to 75 minutes.

    The quiche is done when a knife inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean. Remove from rack to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

    An Easter quiche baked in a springform pan and cooling on baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
    Sally Vargas
  12. Cool the quiche:

    Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
867 Calories
70g Fat
30g Carbs
29g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 867
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 70g 90%
Saturated Fat 40g 201%
Cholesterol 308mg 103%
Sodium 1115mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 30g 11%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 13mg 63%
Calcium 414mg 32%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 353mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.