This savory and satisfying sausage quiche is a perfect brunch dish. With a flaky crust and flavorful filling, it will surely be a family favorite!
I’ve made this sausage a few times now, and I must say it is a delicious recipe. What I love most about a quiche is that it’s not just for breakfast. This is a one-pan wonder that you can serve as a main course for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
I usually make quiche so David and I can have a quick breakfast treat during the work week. It reheats well, and you get a wholesome meal in one slice.
What is Quiche?
A quiche is a savory egg custard baked in a pie crust shell with vegetables, cheeses, spices, and, often, meat. The base of a quiche filling is milk, cream, and eggs. A quiche differs from an omelet or frittata because it has a soft, creamier texture because it has less egg.
Quiche originated in the French region of Lorraine, although the name “Quiche” comes from the German medieval word “kuchen,” which translates to “cake,” which is the same term used for many similar dishes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This is a very versatile recipe that can be altered to suit your taste and needs.
Pie Crust: You’ll need a 9-inch deep dish pie crust. Feel free to make it from scratch, but I use a frozen pie crust (i.e., Marie Callender’s).
Meat: about a pound of pork breakfast sausage, mild or hot, whichever you prefer. For a lighter quiche, use chicken or turkey sausage.
Vegetables: Diced red onion and fresh sauteed spinach. You can use any onion you may have on hand. Substitute the spinach with kale, collards, or Swiss chard, or leave it out altogether.
Cheese: grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese offers a nice bite and contrasts nicely with the savoriness of the meat, egg, and vegetables. Substitute with whatever cheese you have on hand.
Liquid: I use heavy cream to make the custard, but you can use whole milk or half-n-half if that’s what you have.
Eggs: use the freshest large eggs you can find.
Seasonings: garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Umami: Mustard powder and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce will help boost the flavor of the quiche. You can use prepared mustard instead of mustard powder and soy sauce, fish sauce, or balsamic vinegar if you don’t have any Worcestershire.
How to Make a Sausage Quiche
The cheese provides a barrier to the crust to keep it from becoming soggy, so it is unnecessary to thaw or blind-bake it. I like my quiche layered, but you can stir all the ingredients into the custard if you’d like.
Cook the Meat and Veggies: it’s important to cook the meat and vegetables before adding them to the quiche so the crust doesn’t become soggy from too much grease from the sausage or water from the vegetables.
Mix The Custard: Whisk the cream, eggs, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and mustard.
Build The Quiche: Layer half of the cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, followed by the sausage, spinach, and onions, before pouring the egg custard into the pie shell. Top with the remaining cheese for a pretty brown topping.
Bake: Pop the quiche in the oven and bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 45-50 minutes or until the center is set when gently shaken.
Cooling and Serving: Allow the quiche to cool for 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
Tips and Tricks To Make This Delicious Sausage Quiche
- Crumble sausage up finely so it distributes in the custard better.
- The garlic powder can be substituted with a fresh minced garlic clove. Saute for 1 minute after cooking the onion.
- Don’t skimp out on the mustard powder. If you don’t have any, use a little prepared mustard instead. The mustard enhances the flavor of the quiche without adding spice.
- Milk or half-n-half will not be as rich as heavy cream.
- Spice things up by serving with hot sauce. I’m not sure David and I could it this quiche anymore without hot sauce.
- Refrain from filling your pie crust. A deep dish pie shell works very well. Use a sheet pan underneath the pie shell to prevent overflow and a messy oven to clean later.
Storage and Reheating
You can store quiche in the fridge for 3-4 days. Ensure the quiche is cool, then wrap it in plastic or aluminum foil before setting it in the refrigerator.
Freeze baked quiche wrapped tightly in the freezer for up to three months.
Quiche can be served hot, warm, or cold. But I think it’s better warm. My favorite way to reheat it is in the air-fryer. The crust crisps up, and it’s a quick and easy way to the quiche taste, just like it did when it was hot out of the oven.
However, you can heat the quiche in the oven or microwave. Use the reheating instructions below for each:
- Air Fryer: 400 degrees F for 5-7 minutes.
- Conventional Oven: 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes
- Microwave: Microwave in 30-second intervals to prevent overheating.
What To Serve With Quiche?
This sausage quiche is a meal, but you may want something to go with it, especially if serving to a group. Check out the suggestions below:
- fresh fruit (fruit salad)
- muffins (carrot cake muffins, apple sauce, cinnamon roll, blueberry oatmeal)
- quick bread (blueberry bread, peanut butter bread)
Making this sausage quiche recipe? We’d love to hear your feedback. Leave us a comment and a star rating below. We really appreciate it!
See ya on the mountain!
Delicious Sausage Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 9- inch deep dish frozen pie crust (i.e. Marie Callender’s)
- 8 oz breakfast sausage mild or hot
- ¼ cup red onion diced small
- 2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cook the Sausage, Onions and Spinach
- Cook the sausage in a non-stick large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through and no longer pink, breaking it into small crumbles as it cooks. Drain the excess fat from the sausage by spooning it into a sieve or inside a bowl lined with paper towels. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the grease inside the skillet.
- Add the red onion to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, then add the spinach to the pan and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Mix the Custard
- Whisk the cream, eggs, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and mustard in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Build the Quiche
- Place the pie shell on a baking sheet. Spread half of the cheese in the bottom of the pie crust. Spread the sausage over the cheese. Spread the spinach over the sausage.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the sausage filling. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake
- Place the quiche (with the baking sheet underneath) into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the center is set when gently shaken. Check the quiche about halfway through. Lay a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent over-browning if needed.
Cooling and Serving
- Allow the quiche to cool for 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Notes
- Crumble sausage up finely so it distributes in the custard better.
- The garlic powder can be substituted with a fresh minced garlic clove. Saute for 1 minute after cooking the onion.
- Don’t skimp out on the mustard powder. If you don’t have any, use a little prepared mustard instead. The mustard enhances the flavor of the quiche without adding spice.
- Milk or half-n-half will not be as rich as heavy cream.
- Spice things up by serving with hot sauce. I’m not sure David and I could it this quiche anymore without hot sauce.
- Refrain from filling your pie crust. A deep dish pie shell works very well.
- Use a sheet pan underneath the pie shell to prevent overflow and a messy oven to clean later.
Leave a Reply