Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche

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It would seem that Monday’s have become quiche days. This was not intentional, although I haven’t been cooking Sunday roasts for the last few weeks, so that may explain it. Plus we all love quiche in our house. It’s easy to make and bake in the morning, ready for a quick reheat in the evening for dinner. So today I give you my Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche.

Pinterest sized image of quiche with descriptive graphics.

Now if you’re a little quirky like I am, you’ll understand why quiche is one of my most favourite pastry dishes. It’s the ratio of pastry to filling that I love. Technically a tart, a quiche has no pastry top. So this Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche has sides and a base of delicious, homemade, all butter shortcrust pastry and lots of eggy filling.

A portion of quiche served with new potatoes and salad leaves.
Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche served with boiled new potatoes and homegrown salad leaves.

One quick word on eggs – I adore them and only ever buy free range or organic. They are my go to comfort food and also the one thing I can make myself eat when I’m tired or in pain. I still eat my boiled egg out of the chick covered eggcup holder I had when I was little. I love eggs in all guises but a really good dippy boiled egg, or soft fried egg are my favourites!

Quiche appreciation

Back to quiches and this Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche in particular. I’ve made a few over recent weeks and I’ll link them at the bottom, but now I’m actively trying to make vegetarian ones. Twitter has a #MeatFreeMonday hashtag and so it fits in nicely with that for the time being. Most of my quiche recipes can be switched to veggie versions if you want to.

A dinner serving of quiche on a plate with new potatoes and salad.
Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche

Pastry! I have written a recipe that is absolutely foolproof for making Perfect All Butter Shortcrust Pastry. Yes I totally get that we’ve all got busy lives and as yet, no I haven’t made my own puff pastry, but, my recipe is quick and simple. It’s also a lot cheaper than buying your own pastry, plus you know exactly what goes in it. So please be encouraged to try making it for this Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche. You’ll have twice as much as you need and you can easily freeze the other half!

Recipe: Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche

500g/1lb 2oz – 1/2 quantity of Perfect All Butter Shortcrust Pastry

Spare Plain Flour for dusting the work top and rolling pin

6 Large Free Range Eggs

2 Tablespoons Whole or Semi Skimmed Milk

2 Whole tomatoes – each cut into 6 wedges

150g/5oz Strong Cheddar Cheese Grated – I use Wyke Farms mature cheddar

Handful of Fresh Basil Leaves

Pinch of Salt – I use Maldon Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper

Method: Peheat the oven to 220C/200C fan, gas mark 7, 425F

Making and pre-baking the tart case

  • Dust the work top with flour and rolling pin. Form the pastry into a ball.
  • Roll out from the centre of the pastry, in one direction until you have a circle slightly larger than your quiche tin.
  • Ensure the quiche tin is placed onto a baking tray.
  • Transfer the pastry to the tin by wrapping the rolled out pastry around the rolling pin.
  • Ensure the pastry is pushed, not stretched into position, pressing firmly against the sides of the tin.
  • Roll the rolling pin over the top of the tin. This creates a nice clean edge to the quiche.
  • Cut a piece of baking parchment slightly larger than the filled tin. Scrunch it up and then place on top of the pastry.
  • Fill with ceramic balls or baking beans and place in the top of a preheated oven for 15 minutes.
  • After 15 minutes baking time has elapsed remove the baking tray from the oven.
  • Using the parchment paper lift out the baking balls.
  • Return the pastry case to the oven and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the pastry has just turned golden.
FF Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche
Place the tomatoes and half of the basil on the pastry base.

Filling and baking the Quiche

  • Next add the grated cheese in between the tomatoes.
  • Crack all the eggs into a large jug (I always crack mine into a separate bowl first).
  • Add the milk, salt and pepper and whisk lightly with a fork until combined.
  • Pour the egg mixture carefully over the filled quiche.
FF Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche
Decorate the top of the quiche with the remaining basil leaves.
  • Place the quiche, still on the baking tray, into the centre of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
  • The Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche is baked when it is golden and there is no wobble to the centre of the quiche.
  • Once baked remove the quiche from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
FF Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche
Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche so easy to make and easy to eat.

To serve slice into 6 portions. Serve warm with salad and new potatoes for a wonderful mid week meal. Likewise this delightful quiche is delicious at room temperature and is perfect for buffets, packed lunches, picnics and food on the go.

Ensure the Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche is cold before wrapping in cling film or foil and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Alternatively, why not swap Red Leicester Cheese for the cheddar and add British cherry tomatoes, for a delicious twist on this recipe!

Red Leicester and Cherry Tomato Quiche

If you have enjoyed the recipe for this Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche here are some other recipes you may also like:

Feta Red Onion Marmalade Quiche

FF Feta Red Onion Marmalade Quiche
Feta Red Onion Marmalade Quiche delicious layers of flavour.

Smoked Bacon Asparagus Quiche

FF Smoked Bacon Asparagus Quiche
Smoked Bacon Asparagus Quiche a delightful combination of flavours.

Asparagus Proscuitto Ham Tart

FF Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche
Asparagus Prosciutto Ham Tart made during a silicone baking mat review.

 

Quiches are so versatile. Layers of flavour can be built inside the egg tart. I’m particularly fond of quiches that use relish or condiments to build flavour. Likewise fresh herbs can really lift the flavour of a quiche. The basil in this Cheddar Tomato Basil Quiche turns a good quiche into a great one.

Play around with fresh herbs and good quality chutneys or relishes in your baking, especially in quiches. Their flavour can really add depth or freshness to the resulting flavour.

Whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun creating your feast to share with others. Thank you for sharing photos of your amazing creations on Twitter and Instagram and for taking time to leave comments. It really makes my day to see what you come up with and how you interpret my recipes.

Sammie xx

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Quiche Lorraine

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I was thrilled when my Mum yesterday, who is herself, a great quiche maker, complimented me. On seeing my Quiche Lorraine she said “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Although, thinking about it, that’s surely a compliment to her? Anyway, this cheddar cheese and smoked bacon tart is both easy to make and delicious to eat.

FF Cheddar Bacon Tart

I used a combination of bacon and lardons, as that’s what I had in the freezer and I’m trying to clear it out. So you get lovely chunks as well as pieces of delicious smoked bacon throughout the Quiche. Alternatively leftover cooked Gammon at Christmas, or indeed any other time of the year, works fabulously well in this Quiche Lorraine. Cut into chunks and use in place of the bacon, the beauty being no pre-cooking is required!

Quiche Lorraine a classic recipe using sharp cheddar, gammon or bacon in a shortcrust pastry egg tart.

Sooo I made the pastry for this quiche myself, but, umm, well let’s just say, I’m gonna leave that for another post. Which I know doesn’t help you, as you need pastry for this recipe. I’m sorry. Really I am. Either use your go-to shortcrust pastry recipe, or buy it!! Just know you’ll need 450g/1lb. I promise I will post my recipe ASAP. Finally I have the recipe, see the link in the recipe below for Pefect Butter Shortcrust Pastry.

Cheddar, bacon and egg tart slice served on a plate with fresh salad and a baked potato.
A slice of quiche lorraine served with salad and a baked potato.

Quiche Lorraine is also perfect, portable, picnic food. So easy to slice and pack up with chunks of cucumber and cherry tomatoes. And as the evenings stay light we can always take our food and eat outside.

Makes 1 x 25cm/10” Quiche Lorraine serves 6-8

450g/1lb Shortcrust Pastry – see my recipe here

8 Large Eggs – I use Burford Brown eggs from Clarence Court

125ml/4.5fl oz Whole Milk

300g/11oz Smoked Bacon/Lardons – cooked and cooled on kitchen paper

175g/6oz Sharp Cheddar – grated – I use Wyke Farms Mature Cheddar

1/2tsp Ground Black Pepper

Method : Preheat oven to 200C/180C fan oven, gas mark 4, 350F.

You will need a 25cm/10in tart tin, preferably with a loose base.

Preparing The Tart Case

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to approx 16″ across. This will ensure it fits easily inside the Quiche tin, without stretching.

If using a ceramic dish, grease thoroughly with butter before lining with pastry. For tins I don’t find it necessary, but grease if you’re worried about the pastry sticking.

Transfer the pastry by rolling it around the rolling pin and then carefully unrolling over the Quiche tin.
Transfer the pastry by rolling it around the rolling pin and then carefully unrolling over the Quiche tin.

 

I always place my quiche tin on a baking sheet. Gently press the pastry into the sides and bottom of the tin. Then using the rolling pin, roll it over the top of the tin. This creates a clean finish to the pastry. If using a ceramic dish, neatly trim off the excess pastry with a knife.

Nice neat pastry finish.
Nice neat pastry finish.

 

Next doc the pastry at the bottom of the tin with a fork. This will stop the pastry from rising up when baked.

Place parchment paper onto the pastry and fill with baking beans or ceramic balls. These keep the pastry from collapsing during the blind baking.
Place parchment paper onto the pastry and fill with baking beans or ceramic balls. These keep the pastry from collapsing during the blind baking.

 

Place the quiche tin into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and discard the parchment paper and baking beans. Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

The pastry case is now part baked. This ensures the egg mixture will not seep into the pastry. The quiche will have a crisp bottom, when fully cooked.
The pastry case is now part baked. This ensures the egg mixture will not seep into the pastry. The quiche will have a crisp bottom, when fully cooked.

Making The Cheddar Bacon Filling And Baking The Quiche

Whilst the pastry case is cooling gather the other ingredients together.
Whilst the pastry case is cooling gather the other ingredients together.

 

Add a good grinding of black pepper to the eggs and milk, then whisk together.

Sprinkle the cooked bacon evenly over the pastry base.
Sprinkle the cooked bacon evenly over the pastry base.
Then do the same with the grated cheese.
Then do the same with the grated cheese.

Slowly pour the egg mixture into the centre of the quiche, making sure that it doesn't flow over the top of the pastry.

Slowly pour the egg mixture into the centre of the quiche, ensuring it doesn’t flow over the edge if the pastry.

Reduce the oven temperature by 10C/25F, one gas mark lower. Place the Quiche Lorraine in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins until set and golden. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Quiche Lorraine

This Quiche is so versatile. It can be packed up for lunch, a picnic, or as part of a meal with an endless choice of sides.

If you have enjoyed this Quiche Lorraine recipe you may also like these:

Wigmore Cheese Red Pepper Tart

Wigmore Cheese Red Pepper Tart
Wigmore Cheese Red Pepper Tart

Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Basil Quiche

Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Basil Quiche
Cherry Tomato Mozzarella Basil Quiche

Smoked Bacon Asparagus Quiche

Smoked Bacon Asparagus Quiche
Smoked Bacon Asparagus Quiche

Because I enjoy making quiches and tarts so much, it makes sense to make my own pastry. Since one batch of pastry makes two tarts I always freeze half to use later. Also this Quiche Lorraine freezes really well, simply defrost overnight in a refrigerator and then reheat until hot all the way through.

Sammie x

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Pleas see my Disclosure Policy.

Bacon and cheese, egg tart in tin.

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