Caramelized Onion Bacon Quiche (Printer version)

Flaky tart with caramelized onions, smoky bacon, and creamy custard filling, perfect for brunch or light dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pastry

01 - 1 sheet (approximately 8.8 oz) store-bought or homemade shortcrust pastry

→ Filling

02 - 7 oz smoked bacon, diced
03 - 3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 1 teaspoon sugar
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
09 - 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

→ Custard

10 - 3 large eggs
11 - 3/4 cup heavy cream
12 - 1/3 cup whole milk
13 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
14 - 2.8 oz grated Gruyère or Swiss cheese
15 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out the pastry and line a 9-inch tart pan. Trim excess edges and prick the base with a fork. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and set aside.
03 - Discard excess bacon fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add butter and olive oil to the pan. Add onions, sugar, salt, and thyme. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes until onions are deeply golden and caramelized. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, milk, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste until well combined.
05 - Scatter the caramelized onions and bacon evenly over the chilled pastry base. Sprinkle with grated Gruyère cheese. Pour the custard mixture gently over the filling.
06 - Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the quiche is set and lightly golden on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
07 - Serve the quiche warm or at room temperature. Pair with a crisp green salad and chilled Chardonnay wine.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Those onions become liquid gold if you give them time—they taste nothing like raw onion and everything like caramel sauce for savory things.
  • You can make it ahead and reheat it, which means you're actually relaxing when guests arrive instead of sweating by the oven.
  • It looks restaurant-quality impressive but honestly just sits there while the oven does the work.
02 -
  • Don't skip the chilling step for the pastry crust—a cold crust doesn't absorb moisture from the custard and stays crisp instead of turning into pie-dough paste.
  • The caramelization of those onions cannot be rushed; medium-low heat for 25 to 30 minutes is not a suggestion, it's a requirement, and every time I've tried to speed it up the onions either burnt or stayed raw-tasting in the middle.
  • Pull the quiche out when it still jiggles slightly in the center—carryover cooking will set it perfectly as it cools, and overbaking makes it rubbery and weeping custard.
03 -
  • Grate your cheese fresh from the block instead of using pre-shredded; the coating on shredded cheese prevents it from melting smoothly into the custard, and you'll notice the difference immediately.
  • Taste the custard mixture before you pour it into the quiche—this is your last chance to adjust salt and pepper, and getting it right now prevents a bland finish.
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