A good, simple quiche with heaps of sweet roasted onions and salty sharp
cheddar encased in silky egg and a crisp pie crust!
inspiration
This is not the quiche I planned on making.
I originally envisioned a caramelized onion and feta quiche inspired by a certain Trader Joe’s appetizer (and I’ll probably make that at some point) but I just did not feel like standing at the stove and stirring onions for an hour. So instead of caramelizing them, we’re going to toss them in the oven and walk away instead—you don’t even have to peel them first—and use cheddar instead of feta, because that sounded right.
When I sit down to write a blog recipe, I try to walk the line of creating dishes that are interesting while still being approachable, accessible, and familiar. Sometimes that means introducing a new ingredient or streamlining a process. And I love doing that! I love testing different things and doing research and taking culinary risks. But sometimes we don’t want something new. Sometimes we just want a cheese and onion quiche.
why i love this recipe
I am not passionate about eggs. I sometimes get what kids on the internet call “the egg ick.” However, there are exceptions to every rule and this is one of them. This roasted onion & cheddar quiche is simple, classic, and delicious. The egg mixture is tender and silky. Onions, when roasted, get soft and sweet and pair perfectly with salty orange cheddar. Savory and rich yet not too much, it’s great for breakfast, packed lunches, or a light dinner.
Heaps of sweet roasted onion and salty cheddar flavor the tender egg mixture and it’s all encased in a crisp brown pie crust. Even the egg ick is not strong enough to keep me away.
details
As usual, it is very easy to make this roasted onion & cheddar quiche. The cook time is long but almost all of it is hands-off, so you can do the hands-on stuff very quickly and then go about your business while the oven does its work.
Did you know you don’t have to peel an onion before you roast it? Just slice them in half and place them flesh-side-down on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil. Once they’re roasted, they’ll be sort of a golden color with some browning where the onion touched the pan, your house will smell incredible, and the papery skins will come right off. You’ll want to pat them dry and chop them up—what size doesn’t matter. I liked the rustic look of bigger pieces, but do whatever you want.
Prebaking the crust will require you to have either pie weights or dry beans. Personally, I always use dry beans because they’re about ninety-nine cents and there’s no need to buy something fancy if you don’t need to. You’ll also need foil or parchment paper to line the crust with before you pour the beans in. The beans or weights will help the pie keep its shape as it prebakes.
details, continued
The crust will take two short rounds of baking, so while it’s in the oven for a second time, make the filling. Most of these ingredients are regular quiche things: egg, milk, salt, cheese. I also add ranch seasoning. You won’t be able to identify it; it just adds a savory kick. Then you just pour the filling into the crust and bake it.
You’ll have to keep an eye on the quiche a bit the first time you bake it; ovens vary widely. Check it after 40 minutes, but don’t be surprised if it takes up to 55.
The combined time you’ll actually be doing things? 15 minutes. That’s it. It’s so easy to have this cooking while you go about your business on a Sunday afternoon. And then you’ve got a gorgeous, golden quiche to eat for the next few days.
cook’s notes
onions: yellow, red, or white.
cheddar: this is a time where pre-shredded works well!
milk: you can use heavy cream or half of each if you want it a bit richer.
ranch seasoning: I used the traditional Hidden Valley one. You won’t be able to recognize it–ranch seasoning just lends a savory, flavorful kick to eggs.
pie crust: Listen. some people really need to make their own pie crusts and I respect it. go for it if you want. i do not enjoy making crusts so this is my explicit permission to use storebought pie crust and feel just fine about it.
What to serve with it: Quiche is great with a side salad or some fruit, and some kind of bread. I packed it into lunches with magic broccoli from recipetin eats.
I hope you love this roasted oniion & cheddar quiche! If you’re looking for other tasty, brunchy things, try sausage rolls, british bacon sandwiches, grilled pb & j with cinnamon honey butter, and spinach parmesan eggs with toast & tomatoes.
roasted onion & cheddar quiche
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Roast onions. Preheat the oven to 350F. Drizzle a baking sheet with a generous amount of olive oil. Slice the unpeeled onions in half, perpendicular to the roots. (The roots need to stay intact.) Place the onions flesh side down in the oil on the baking sheet. Don’t crowd them. Roast until they are golden, with some browning where they touched the pan. Time will depend on your oven; it could take as little as 40 minutes or as long as 60. Remove the skins, sprinkle the onions with salt, then chop them into your desired size, pat them dry, and set them aside. 1 hour
- Par-bake crust. Turn the oven temp up to 375F. Roll the crust out and place it in an ungreased 9 x 9 cake pan—it should be easy to work with but still cold. Press the crust into the corners so it fits snugly into the pan. Shape the edges however you wish. Place parchment paper or foil on top of the crust and pour in pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights or beans and parchment paper, prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork, and bake for a further 8 minutes. 33 minutes
- Prepare quiche. Turn the oven temperature back down to 350F. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs very well until no clear streaks of remain and the mixture is dotted with tiny, frothy bubbles. Add milk, salt, pepper, ranch seasoning, cheese, and roasted onions. 10 minutes
- Bake quiche. Bake quiche at 350F for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is mottled golden and brown. Keep an eye on the crust—if it starts getting too brown, cover the edges with foil. Serve warm or at room temperature. 50 minutes