Easy Protein-Rich Quiche

August 26, 2024

This recipe has been an essential in our lives since 2020. I learned to make this meal with my partner’s mother once previously and I’ve been making it legitimately every month since. My partner is from Belgium and his family moved to the United States for a job promotion in the mid 2000s. I learned to make this recipe after my partner’s mother, Ann, has had years to perfect her American version of this delicious French cuisine staple. 

I love this dish for so many reasons:

1. It is simple to incorporate loads of vegetables!

Potentially the main source of mass in most of my quiche mixes are the vegetables. I always add onion and garlic but from there I can choose a variety of other vegetables to fill up the quiche! I love going to the farmers market with quiche on my mind and picking up a plethora of delicious, seasonal vegetables. Recently I’ve been making less bacon quiche and instead swapping the bacon for pinto beans and corn! Here is a list of vegetables (and near vegetables aka not a meat) that I’ve previously included in our quiche:

• onion

• garlic

• potatoes

• tomatoes

• bell peppers

• jalapenos

• Hungarian wax peppers

• mushrooms

• spinach

• broccoli

• corn

• beans

• eggplant

• carrot

• green onion

• radish

• and any other vegetable your heart desires!

2. It is protein-packed!

This recipe is different from other quiche recipes because one of the main components is cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is one of those protein-packed foods that most people either love or hate… well in this recipe it really doesn’t matter how you feel about cottage cheese, you won’t notice it! My partner doesn’t like cottage cheese but loves this dish. It is a great binder for all the ingredients and makes the recipe more than just an egg recipe. Cottage cheese is non-negotiable in my version of quiche. I typically choose low-fat, small curd, store-brand cottage cheese. The other major source of protein in this recipe are, of course, the eggs. Eggs are thought to be the main ingredient in many quiches and that’s no different here. I love how filling they become and how all the ingredients work together to make a beautiful pie! For 2 quiche pies, you’ll want one 16-ounce container of cottage cheese and 5 eggs and for freezing extras I use a 22-ounce container and 7-8 eggs. Here are other protein sources you can add to your quiche:

• bacon

• ham

• beans

• chorizo

• beef

• lamb

• sausage

• smoked salmon

• crab

3. It is actually easy to make and difficult to mess up!

Using a store-bought crust, effortless steps, and no technical cooking skills, this recipe is perfect for any chef - just bake and relax! If you’re not much of a cook or looking for a new recipe, give this a go and I promise you’ll be feeling proud of yourself!

4. It freezes well cooked or uncooked.

When I first started to make quiche, I would make 2 pies and have 8 large pieces to eat for the next 3 or so days. Since moving into an RV, there is only room for one pie at a time in the oven and it just made sense that I would switch up my approach. Now I’ve been making 1 pie to eat and the rest I’ve been freezing to cook later. This has been so helpful to have a delicious, warm meal ready to go in 40 minutes with the work already done days or weeks prior. My mom has also frozen the quiche after cooking by wrapping it in tinfoil and reheating later. To reheat later, you can either thaw on the counter and heat in the oven for 20 minutes or thaw and reheat in the oven altogether for longer. I love having fresh quiche to enjoy and I’m glad I switched my routine to include some meal-prepped pies!

Ingredients:

Serving: 2 quiche pies

Base Ingredients:

• 1 box (2 crusts) premade, store-bought pie crust

• 1 16 oz low-fat, small curd cottage cheese

• up to 1 cup heavy whipping cream *optional* (I used to never add cream but now I do more often)

• 5 large eggs

• 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella 

• salt

• pepper

Seasoning/oils (to your preference):

• olive oil

• salt

• pepper

• paprika

• garlic powder

• cayenne

Southwest Quiche:

• 2 garlic cloves chopped 

• 1 bundle of chopped green onion

• 1 onion

• 1 large tomato

• 1 can pinto beans

• 2 cobs sweet corn

• 3 jalapenos (substitute with red peppers, green peppers or whatever pepper for your preferred spice level)

• 1 pound of potatoes

Bacon Broccoli Quiche:

• 2 broccoli crowns and chopped stems

• 16 oz bacon

• 2 garlic cloves chopped 

• 1 onion

• 1 pound of potatoes

Classic Quiche Lorraine:

• Gruyère cheese instead of mozzarella

• 4 shallots

• 16 oz bacon

Mushroom Quiche:

• 8 oz of your favorite mushroom

• 2 garlic cloves chopped 

• 1 onion

• 2 cups spinach

Smoked Salmon Quiche:

• 1 cup feta instead of mozzarella

• 8 ounces of smoked salmon or pan-cooked salmon

• 2 garlic cloves chopped 

• 4 shallots

• 8 cups spinach

Directions:

Step 1: Bacon and Potatoes

If you are cooking bacon or potatoes, I typically get those going first. I use an airfryer for both my potatoes and my bacon but you can oven cook your potatoes or however you prefer. Bacon should also be cooked as you prefer and set aside. I cube the potatoes into small bites so it doesn’t make the quiche too chunky. Chop the bacon once it's done and both bacon and potatoes can be set aside when finished.

Step 2: Chop the vegetables

Chop all the vegetables into small pieces. It is easier to cook the vegetables down if they are all about the same size. Put all the vegetables into a bowl. Add olive oil and a pinch of salt and mix together.

Step 3: Cook the vegetables

Cook the vegetables in a pan until soft. I steam broccoli with in steamer basket. Some people may choose to pull their potatoes out of the oven half way and oven-roast the vegetables instead of cooking them over the stove. Whatever works for you to get the vegetables soft! I personally fear a crunchy pepper in my quiche. I do not precook canned beans or tomatoes. 

Step 4: Mix everything together

Add eggs, cottage cheese, heavy whipping cream *optional* and ¾-1 cup mozzarella to the bowl of vegetables. Add your cooked potatoes and chopped, cooked bacon. Add your preferred seasonings plus salt and pepper. Be sure to rinse canned beans in a strainer. Give everything a good mix.

Step 5: Preheat & pie crusts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line your dish with the ready-to-use store-bought pie crusts.

Step 6: Assemble the pies

Fill the pie crusts with the quiche mixture so they are full but not overflowing. Cover the top of the quiche in a thin top layer of your choice of cheese (mozzarella, Gruyère, feta, etc.). Fold the crust over the quiche, crimping and folding the crust where needed so that it lays flat. 

Step 7: Bake

Bake the pies for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Towards the end, you’ll know it's done when the cheese on top starts to crisp or brown. If you’re an RVer or have a propane oven, have patience and be sure not to turn the oven up too much to prevent burning. Don't forget at this point you can also freeze before baking to enjoy later!

Step 8: Enjoy!

Let sit for at least 20 minutes and cut once it cools down a bit. Serve warm and enjoy! We love ours with hot sauce and a Spindrift!

If you make this recipe, please send me your results on Instagram and tag me @jessmoutdoors!