This Caramelized Onion and Pancetta Quiche is perfect for breakfast or brunch! It’s a classic for Easter, baby or bridal showers, Mother’s Day and more. This quiche recipe looks very impressive and elegant but it is actually simple to make.
For a full brunch spread, serve the pancetta quiche with lots of fresh fruit, crispy air fryer bacon, and something sweet like this blueberry lemon breakfast cake.
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Ingredients
- Pie Crust - you can make your own or buy store bought
- Diced Pancetta - I buy mine in the package pre-diced in the deli. You can also swap in diced bacon instead. I also love using pancetta for dinner recipes like this Pancetta Pasta with Peas.
- Onion and Butter - for the caramelized onions. Caramelized onions are also in these Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions.
- Baby Spinach
- Eggs
- Half and half
- Salt and Pepper
Step by Step Instructions
- Blind Bake the Crust.
- Prepare the Mix-Ins. For this recipe, we caramelize the onions and cook the pancetta and spinach.
- Mix the Egg Filling.
- Bake. Pour filling into crust and bake until just set. The quiche will continue to set up as it cools.
Frequently Asked Questions
A quiche is a savory dish. It is an egg custard that is baked in a pie crust. The add-in options are limitless! Favorites include meat, cheese, and vegetables.
I recommend waiting 20 minutes so the filling can finish setting. This allows for cleaner cut slices.
Blind baking the crust is key! If you add the egg mixture to an unbaked crust, the liquid is going to seep into the pie crust which prevents it from becoming crisp.
Pie crust! A quiche is baked in a pie crust while a frittata is crustless. A quiche also has more cream/dairy vs a frittata.
What does 'blind baking' mean?
Blind baking is essentially pre-baking the pie crust. Blind baking can be either fully or partially. If you’re making a no-bake pie, you would fully blind bake the pie crust. But for a quiche, we only partially blind bake the pie crust as it will finish baking once we add the filling.
Pie weights (or dried beans) are added to the crust when blind baking to help the crust hold its shape.
Here's an in-depth post about blind baking.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing
Storage: Leftover quiche can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Quiche can be warmed up in the oven (for best results) or microwave.
Freezing: A baked quiche can be frozen, tightly wrapped to avoid freezer burn, for up to 3 months. Warm in the oven, from frozen and wrapped in foil to prevent over browning, at 325 degrees F until warmed. About 30 minutes. Individual frozen slices of quiche will only take about 10 minutes to reheat.
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PrintRecipe
Caramelized Onion and Pancetta Quiche
This Caramelized Onion and Pancetta Quiche can be eaten for almost any meal. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, or even dinner! It’s a classic for Easter, baby or bridal showers, Mother’s Day and more. This quiche recipe looks very impressive and elegant but it is actually simple to make.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven, Stove
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust, store bought or homemade
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- 1 medium-large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 3 cups loosely packed baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Blind Bake crust. Roll your pie dough into a 12-inch diameter circle. Place into your pie dish and gently press it in place. Crimp the edges with your fingers. Chill the pie crust for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line your crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake the chilled crust for 15 minutes - the edges should be just starting to brown. After crust is done, lower oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook Pancetta. Meanwhile, start your filling. First, in a large skillet cook the pancetta over medium until lightly browned - about 3-4 minutes. Remove from skillet.
- Caramelize Onions. To same skillet, add the butter and onion. Caramelize over medium heat until well softened and golden. About 20-25 minutes. Add spinach to cooked onions. Toss together until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and add back in pancetta.
- Egg Filling. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or a whisk, mix the eggs, half and half, pepper, and salt until well combined.
- Prepare Quiche. Sprinkle the onion, spinach, and pancetta filling over the bottom of your partially baked pie crust. Slowly pour over the egg mixture.
- Bake. Bake quiche at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes. After about 30 minutes you may want to loosely cover with foil so the crust doesn't get too brown. The quiche is done when the center is just set.
- Serve. Allow to rest and cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Leftovers - Leftover quiche can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 4 days. Quiche can be warmed up in the oven (for best results) or microwaved. It's also great eaten cold.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 313
- Sugar: 2.2 g
- Sodium: 366.2 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.8 g
- Protein: 8.6 g
- Cholesterol: 151.3 mg
Alanna says
Hi Kathleen! This recipe sounds divine and I’m planning on making it this week for my boyfriend and I :). Quick question- if I wanted to add some cheese to it, when would be the best time to do so? Thanks!
Kathleen says
Yay! Cheese is a great addition. You can either sprinkle some cheese on top of the pancetta filling when you add it to the crust or mix shredded cheese into the egg mixture. The results will be very similar for either. Enjoy!
Brenda Greenlee says
No cheese?
Kathleen says
Hi Brenda! No cheese in this recipe, but you could certainly add some shredded cheese if you'd like!