This easy cheese and onion quiche is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and get-togethers. It’s made with everyday ingredients and is so simple to make it practically cooks itself. Cheese and onion on their own is a classic flavour combination, and the addition of cream cheese in the custard guarantees that this tart is packed with even more cheesy goodness.
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Cheese and onion quiche
My cheese and onion quiche is a delicious savoury tart, made with cheese and caramelised onions in a crispy pastry shell. It’s covered with a savoury egg custard and then baked in the oven. This is a delicious quiche that will see you through all the summer picnics, barbeques and get-togethers. It also makes a tasty light lunch when served with a fresh green salad.
The egg custard is made with a mixture of eggs, milk, cream, and cream cheese, flavoured with mustard and paprika. The addition of cream cheese to the custard is my top tip for enhancing the delicious cheesy flavour of the filling.
The pastry is light and crisp, and has only two ingredients – butter and flour – and mixes up in no time. If you have a food processor you can whizz this up in seconds; if you mix the pastry by hand it will take slightly longer, but whichever way you chose to go, there’s no difference in the taste or texture.
To prevent a ‘soggy bottom’ on the quiche, the pastry is blind-baked for 20 minutes. Don’t worry if you’ve never done this before, it’s easy. And I’ve included photos to show you exactly how to do it.
So let’s get on with the recipe!
What you will need
Equipment
You will need a 10″ loose-bottomed flan dish (that’s 25 cm in metric terms). You could get away with using a 9″ dish but you may find you have a little filling left over.
For making the pastry you will need either a mixing bowl or a food processor, a rolling pin and some baking beans or blind-baking the pastry. Don’t worry if you don’t have baking beans, you can use dried beans or rice instead.
You will also need a saucepan for frying the onions, a box grater for grating the cheese.
Ingredients
This recipe will make10″ diameter cheese and onion quiche.
For the pastry
Flour – this has to be plain all-purpose flour, not self-raising flour. We don’t want the pastry to puff up when it bakes.
Butter – you can use either salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted butter then don’t add any extra salt to the pastry.
Salt – I find that half a teaspoon of salt enhances the taste of the pastry. You can leave it out if you prefer.
For the filling
Grated cheese – I’ve used a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella, but you can use any cheese you prefer. You will need one cup of grated cheese in total.
Cream cheese – this adds an extra creamy cheesy flavour to the filling (because you can never get enough cheese – right?). If you don’t have any you can substitute with an additional half cup of either milk or cream.
Onions – the onions should be finely sliced into semi-circles and separated. You will need 2 cups of sliced mushrooms which is the approximate equivalent of 2 medium-sized onions.
Milk and cream – I’ve used half a cup of each because I find using only cream makes the quiche too rich. If you prefer a richer quiche, then by all means use only cream. You will need one cup of milk and cream in total.
Eggs – you need 2large eggs, but if your eggs are on the small side then use three.
Mustard – Dijon mustard because it has a mild flavour – if you prefer a stronger mustard flavour then use English mustard.
Paprika – I think paprika goes really well with cheese and onions. Leave it out if you don’t like it.
Black pepper – for seasoning.
Oil – sunflower or canola oil plus extra butter, for frying the onions.
What to do
I’ve tried to list the steps in the order that makes the most sense in terms of time usage. The steps are all pictured below.
- The pastry needs to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator before you line the baking dish, so we’ll make the pastry first.
- While the pastry is resting we can fry the onions and let them cool.
- While the onions are cooling we can line the baking dish, blind-bake the pastry, and let it cool.
- (While the pastry is cooling you can have a cup of tea – you’ve earned it).
- The final step is to assemble the quiche and bake it in the oven.
Make the pastry
Cube the butter and place it in a mixing bowl with the flour and salt. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
You can do this step in a food processor if you prefer.
Add water (one tablespoon at a time) and mix with a flat-bladed knife until the mixture just comes together in a shaggy dough.
Tip the dough out onto a work surface and press it gently with your hands until it comes together in a ball. Don’t knead the dough, handle it gently.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest.
The reason we rest the dough in the refrigerator is to give the butter time to harden up and to allow the gluten to form in the flour. This will help to prevent the pastry from shrinking as it bakes.
Fry the onions
Cut the onions in half (from root to tip) and then slice them thinly into semi-circles.
Melt butter with the oil in a saucepan and then add the onions. Adding oil to the butter ensures the butter will not burn.
Cover the pan with a lid and fry the onions on a very gentle heat for 10 to 15 minutes until they have softened and started to caramelise.
Keep your eye on the onions and stir occasionally so they don’t burn. If they look as though they are browning, turn down the heat.
Set the onions aside to cool.
Make the pastry case
Once the pastry has rested, remove it from the refrigerator and roll it out into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your baking dish.
The pastry should be approximately one-eighth of an inch thick.
Carefully lift the pastry and use it to line the base and sides of your baking dish.
You can use the rolling pin to help you lift the pastry.
Using a sharp knife, trim away the excess pastry.
If you are worried that the pastry may shrink when it is baked, you can blind-bake the pastry case (see next step) without cutting off the pastry. You can trim the excess pastry once the pastry case has been baked.
Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill it with a layer of dried beans. If you have ceramic baking beads you can use those instead. If you don’t have dried beans you can use rice.
Store the beans or rice in a clean jar and you can reuse them next time you blind-bake a pastry case.
Bake the pastry case in a hot oven (200C / 400F) for 15 minutes.
Remove the beans and baking parchment (be careful – they will be hot) and bake the pastry case for another 5 minutes until it is starting to brown.
Set it aside to cool.
If you didn’t trim the excess pastry away before baking the pie crust, you can trim it with a sharp knife once the pie crust has cooled.
Prepare the egg custard mixture
Beat the eggs in a jug and mix in the cream cheese. A fork will help you to get most of the lumps out. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps still remaining – the cheese will melt as the quiche bakes in the oven.
Now stir in the milk and cream and add the paprika, mustard and black pepper. Season with salt.
Assemble and bake
Turn the heat on the oven down to 180C / 360F.
When the pie crust is cool, spread the onions on the base of the pastry and sprinkle with half of the grated cheese.
Pour the prepared egg custard mixture over the top.
Sprinkle the quiche with the remaining grated cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes until the filling is set and the cheese is melted and golden.
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FAQ
This cheese and onion quiche can be eaten hot or cold.
It is perfect for taking on picnics or potlucks, or for handing round as a starter at a barbeque.
For a light lunch, why not serve a slice of cheese and onion quiche with a fresh green salad.
And for a more substantial meal, serve with buttery boiled new potatoes, or with a jacket potato topped with sour cream.
It also makes a great addition to a ploughman’s platter, with slices of ham or other cold meat and a dish of cherry tomatoes.
You can freeze the cooled cooked quiche. Wrap it in a layer of tinfoil and then cover with a double layer of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2 months.
To use, remove the wrapping and let the quiche defrost in the refrigerator. You can serve the quiche cold, or reheat it on a baking tray in a hot oven for 10 minutes.
You can keep the quiche in the refrigerator for up to three days either on a plate covered with tinfoil, or in a plastic container.
Save for later
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Other recipes
If you enjoyed this cheese and onion quiche you my also like to try some of my other savoury bakes:
- Creamy mushroom tarts with puff pastry
- Crustless ham and cheese quiche with sweetcorn
- Sausage and egg picnic slice
- South African savoury tart
- Bacon and egg pie
- Crustless vegetable quiche
The recipe
Easy cheesy and onion quiche
(Click the stars to rate this recipe)
Ingredients
Pastry
- 8 ounces / 230 grams plain all-purpose flour 1½ cups plus 2 tablespoons
- 4 ounces / 115 grams butter ½ cup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
- 2 medium onions thinly sliced Approximately 2 cups
- 1 cup / 125 grams grated cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup / 120 ml cream
- ½ cup / 120 ml milk
- ½ cup / 60 grams soft cream cheese optional – substitute with cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoon / 30 grams butter
Instructions
Pastry
- Cut the butter into cubes and place it in a mixing bowl with the flour and salt. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.8 ounces / 230 grams plain all-purpose flour, 4 ounces / 115 grams butter, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add water (one tablespoon at a time) and mix with a flat-bladed knife until the mixture just comes together in a shaggy dough. Add just enough water to bind the dough – it should not become wet and sticky.2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
- Tip the dough out onto a work surface and press it gently with your hands until it comes together in a ball. Don't knead the dough, handle it gently.Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to rest.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F
- Once the pastry has rested, remove it from the refrigerator and roll it out into a circle large enough to cover the bottom and sides of your baking dish.The pastry should be approximately one-eighth of an inch thick.
- Carefully lift the pastry and use it to line the base and sides of your baking dish.
- Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill it with a layer of dried beans. If you have ceramic baking beads you can use those instead. If you don't have dried beans you can use rice.
- Bake the pastry case in a hot oven (200C / 400F) for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and baking parchment (be careful – they will be hot) and bake the pastry case for another 5 minutes until it is starting to brown.Set it aside to cool.
Filling
- Cut the onions in half (from root to tip) and then slice them thinly into semi-circles.2 medium onions thinly sliced
- Melt butter with the oil in a saucepan and then add the onions.Cover the pan with a lid and fry the onions on a very gentle heat for 10 to 15 minutes until they have softened and started to caramelise. Keep your eye on the onions and stir occasionally so they don't burn. If they look as though they are browning, turn down the heat.Set the onions aside to cool.1 tablespoons sunflower oil, 2 tablespoon / 30 grams butter
- Beat the eggs in a jug and mix in the cream cheese. A fork will help you to get most of the lumps out. Don't worry if there are a few lumps still remaining – the cheese will melt as the quiche bakes in the oven.2 large eggs, ½ cup / 60 grams soft cream cheese
- Now stir in the milk and cream and add the paprika, mustard and black pepper. Season with salt.½ cup / 120 ml cream, ½ cup / 120 ml milk, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon ground paprika, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, salt
Assemble and bake
- Turn down the oven to 180°C / 360°F
- When the pie crust is cool, spread the onions on the base of the pastry and sprinkle with half of the grated cheese.1 cup / 125 grams grated cheese
- Pour the prepared egg custard mixture over the top and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the filling is set and the cheese is melted and golden.
Notes
It is perfect for taking on picnics or potlucks, or for handing round as a starter at a barbeque.
For a light lunch, why not serve a slice of cheese and onion quiche with a fresh green salad.
And for a more substantial meal, serve with buttery boiled new potatoes, or with a jacket potato topped with sour cream.
It also makes a great addition to a ploughman’s platter, with slices of ham or other cold meat and a dish of cherry tomatoes. Nutrition is based on cutting the quiche into 10 slices, and is per slice.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
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