Goat Cheese and Bacon Quiche

A savory leek bacon and goat cheese quiche is a great lunch or light dinner option for these warm summery days. The ultra creamy filling is baked in a buttery, thyme infused pastry crust.

4.74 from 15 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1 20

Total Time: 1 50

Servings: servings

Calories: 368kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Crust:

2-1/2 cups 300 grams all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1-1/2 sticks cold butter cut into thin slices
1 egg yolk lightly beaten
6-7 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling:

8 ounces lean bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium leeks thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
6 whole eggs
1-1/2 cups whole milk
10 ounce log of soft goat cheese
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

For the Pastry Crust: 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom
In a food processor, add the flour, salt, dried thyme and butter. Pulse the mixture until small pebble-size pieces of butter are visible. Whisk the egg yolk and the cold water together and pulse quickly until the mixture just begins to come together in a ball.
Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and press into a ball with your hands. Do not knead the pastry dough. Flatten the ball into a smooth disk about 1-1/2 inches thick and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Remove the chilled pastry dough from the refrigerator and roll into a circle, (about 14-inches). Carefully fit the pastry into a 11-inch removable bottom quiche pan, fitting the dough into the edges of the pan with the back of a curled finger. Trim the dough about 1-inch and fold to the inside, creating a double thickness on the rim. Press and crimp all around the rim of the pan. Poke holes with a fork to the inside bottom and rim and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Spray a piece of foil with non-stick oil and press firmly against the frozen pastry. Fill with pie weights or dry beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10-minutes. Transfer to the workspace and remove the pie weights and foil. If the sides appear to have slumped, press back into shape with the back of a spoon.
Return the baking sheet with the pastry crust to the oven and bake an additional 6-minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325°FFor the Filling:

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard the fat in the skillet, reserving 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet.
Add the sliced leeks to the skillet, cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of crisp bacon and add the remainder to the bowl with the leeks, tossing to combine. Spread the bacon-leek mixture into the bottom of the quiche shell, then set the quiche onto a baking sheet.
In a blender or food processor or blender, combine the eggs, milk and goat cheese, process until well combined. Add the cream and process until smooth. Season lightly with salt and pepper and carefully, pour the custard over the bacon and leeks.
Sprinkle the top with the reserved bacon, transfer the baking sheet with the quiche in the middle of the oven.
Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through for even baking, until puffed at the edges and lightly browned all over. The center should still be a little jiggly but will firm up as it cools. Transfer the quiches to a rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove the outside rim and cut the quiche into slices and serve.

Notes

For variety try a different type of quiche crust....Quinoa, Black Rice, Polenta or Sweet Potato
Adding dried or fresh chopped herbs to the pastry during mixing will add an extra burst of flavor to the crust.
Before baking a pastry shell, prick it with a fork to allow steam to flow through, put the unbaked shell in the freezer for a few minutes, then line it with foil and fill with pastry weights or beans before baking.
Quiches are egg-based and need a gentle low temperature of 325°F to bake. Remove the quiche from the oven when it is golden brown, firm at the edges and a little jiggly in the center. The quiche will continue to firm up in the center as it cools.
A cooked quiche can be covered and held in the refrigerator for three days.
To freeze a cooked quiche set it on a baking sheet and place in the freezer. It will safely keep frozen for 3-4 months. The frozen quiche can then be removed from the baking pan/dish, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed inside a closable plastic bag.
When ready to serve a frozen quiche, unwrap the quiche, place it inside the original baking pan/dish and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Cover with foil to keep from over-browning and place in a pre-heated 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes until heated through. It should reach a temperature of 165°F when tested in the center with a thermometer.

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