There's nothing quite like waking up to the smell of breakfast cooking downstairs in the kitchen. I've always been a savory breakfast gal, even though I have quite a few sweet breakfast recipes such as my croissant french toast casserole or the best lemon poppyseed pancakes. I've never made a quiche before, but I felt compelled to have one on the blog. Now that I've dabbled in making one, I can guarantee there will be more. This broccoli cheddar quiche recipe is one for the books, with a homemade crust that is fool proof, you'll love it and devour it as quickly as I did.

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche Recipe

Broccoli and cheddar go together just like peanut butter and jelly, chocolate chips and pancakes, macaroni and cheese. You get the idea. Of course, when I began to draft recipe ideas for this quiche, I knew it had to be this classic pairing. Perfectly blanched/steamed broccoli florets tossed into an egg mixture filled with sharp cheese, I mean there's really nothing to dislike. Oh, and the crust is seriously crave-worthy. Flaky, buttery, and exactly what you want for a quiche.

What exactly is a quiche?

A quiche is a baked egg custard-like mixture in a flaky crust. Quiches don't always need a crust, but it's definitely one of the main reasons why I love them. Quiches are French by origin, and can be served at any temperature. I prefer to have mine warm, but this recipe is perfect for lots of different entertaining purposes.

When would I make this quiche?

I love making this for a variety of reasons!

1. Bring to a gathering with friends, or even on occasions such as the birth of a baby (for the new parents).
2. When you're hosting a holiday brunch
3. Meal prep for the week (I tested this when making this recipe in a toaster to warm up after being cold, and yep, it's still fabulous).
4. Breakfast with your family on the weekend.

No matter when, or why, you choose to make this quiche recipe, you're going to love it over and over again.

Do I have to stick with broccoli and cheddar for a filling?

No way! One of the benefits of making a quiche is the combinations of ingredients and flavors you can use for the filling. Of course, you want to stick with the classic egg and milk ingredients as the base, but it's baker's choice when it comes to add ins:

• Spinach and bacon
• Spinach and mushroom
• Pancetta, peppers, onions
• Full veggie such as onion, pepper, spinach, mushroom, broccoli.
• Meat lovers such as sausage, bacon, ham,

The combinations are endless, and you won't ever get bored!

Kitchen Tools

Making this quiche you will need a few staple items that you likely already have in order to first prepare the crust, then make the filling. You will also need some baking supplies:

• Blender or food processor: this will help to combine the flour and cold butter for the crust.
• Spatula: Helps with making the crust dough, and scraping bowls!
• Large mixing bowls (2-3): You'll want a few on hand for the crust and for the egg mixture
• Rolling Pin: to roll out the crust once it's done chilling.
• Quiche or Pie Dish: I use my trust handle one from Staub, but you can find a pie dish easily at most home good stores.
• Baking beans or rice: This is important here, as we will blind bake the crust before we bake the entire quiche. The reason? We don't want to crust to bake and pull away from the sides of the dish. We also don't want a soggy bottom when we go to slice and serve.

Ingredients

This recipe does require making your own crust, so we have two separate sets of ingredients:

For the crust:

• Flour: All-purpose flour is key here
• Cold Butter: I like to use salted cold butter so I don't have to add any additional salt. The colder, the better!
• Ice Water: The ice water is important as it'll keep the butter cold, and the water helps to combine to flour and butter to make the dough.

For the Filling:

• Broccoli: The veggie we use for the filling!
• Cheddar: I like sharp cheddar here, but you can use mild.
• Half and Half: This helps make the egg filling more like a custard.
• Eggs: We need eggs, of course!
• Butter: To use for sautéing the aromatics (garlic and shallot)
• Shallot: Adds a depth of flavor to the overall quiche
• Garlic: Who doesn't love garlic?!
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions

For this recipe, you'll have two separate sets of directions.

For the pastry crust:

1. Blend the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles small pea size pellets.
2. Pour the flour and butter mixture into a large bowl then add in a few tablespoons of the ice water, mixing together with a spatula until it forms a rough dough
3. Knead the dough a little until it comes together, then wrap in some saran wrap and flatten into a disc.
4. Place in the fridge for up to one hour, or for two days if you are not ready to use right away. If after 2 days, you can place in the freezer for up to two months, tightly wrapped.

For the filling/assembly of the quiche:

1. Lay out the pastry dough and roll until ½ an inch thick, then lay across the top of the pie dish.
2. Put a piece of parchment over the top of the pie dough and pour in baking beans or dry rice to blind bake the crust.
3. Bake the crust at 350º for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the parchment and baking beans or rice and set aside and cool for 15 minutes.
5. As the crust cooks and cools, sauté the garlic and onions in butter until fragrant.
6. Meanwhile, boil a pot of water and in a steamer bowl, steam the broccoli until almost fork tender, approximately 5-6 minutes.
7. Pour the broccoli into the garlic and shallot and toss to combine, approximately for 1-2 minutes, then set aside.
   
8. In a large mixing bowl, crack in the eggs, then add in the heavy cream, cheddar cheese, salt, pepper and whisk. To the egg mixture, pour in the broccoli, garlic, and onion. Mix with a spatula and set aside.
9. Once the crust has cooled, pour the egg mixture into the crust and bake at 375º for 35 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Swaps and Tips:

Can I make the crust gluten free?

You can, but I cannot attest to the change in texture as I have not tested this with a gluten free flour.

Do I need to make my own crust?

Nope. You can buy pre-made pie crusts at any grocery store.

What can I do if I don't want to eat the quiche right away?

You can wrap really well with some saran wrap, place in a ziploc bag, and set in the freezer for up to two months.

Hungry for more?

Check out these amazing breakfast recipes to complete your brunch table:

• Pumpkin Honey Waffles
• Easy Brunch Charcuterie Board
• Coffee Cake Muffins