Cheese-And-Sausage Quiche Recipe

Cheese And Sausage Quiche in a pie plate with serving pieces — Photo: Will Dickey

Active Time:

25 mins

Bake Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

Servings:

What is the secret to making good sausage quiche? A flaky crust, a few eggs, some cheese, and whatever refrigerator odds and ends you have lying around. It's truly that simple. Start with a store-bought or homemade pastry crust, mix up the egg-based custard filling, then bake the savory mixture inside the crust for the ultimate breakfast menu item, brunch addition, or breakfast-for-dinner recipe idea.

Quiche is a classic French tart recipe that's creamy and fluffy on the inside and buttery, and pie-wrapped on the outside. There's no wrong time of day to eat this easy entree—especially this Sausage-and-Cheese Quiche recipe that's oven-ready in just 25 minutes.

Ingredients for Cheese-and-Sausage Quiche

Before you preheat your oven, gather these sausage and cheese quiche starring players.

Ground pork sausage: Mild, medium, or hot bulk sausage are all terrific. Or try chorizo, plant-based sausage, or even bacon strips. Begin with uncooked meat; this sausage egg and cheese quiche recipe will talk you through how to prep it for the filling.
Onion: Choose your favorite: Red, white, yellow, Vidalia. You'll need thin slices of ¼ of a medium onion.
Chopped green bell pepper : We love the flavor and color this lends to the sausage and cheese quiche, but orange, red, or yellow bell pepper work wonderfully as well. Alternatively, swap in chopped hot peppers, fresh spinach, chopped mushrooms, or halved cherry or grape tomatoes.
Freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese : No matter the recipe or the style of fromage, freshly shredded cheese melts better than pre-shredded store-bought cheese. (The latter comes with preserving agents that prevent the shreds from sticking in the bag. These same ingredients also hamper the cheese's ability to melt.) Shredded Colby Jack, pepper Jack, Gouda, American, or even goat cheese crumbles all taste fantastic if you prefer one of those instead.

All-purpose flour : Just a tablespoon will do to thicken the quiche filling enough so it sets well while baking.
Frozen unbaked deep-dish piecrust shell: One 9-inch round of pastry will act as the delicious, edible shell for this sausage, egg and cheese quiche. If you're feeling ambitious, make your own Single-Crust Pie Pastry from scratch.
Large eggs: We know, two eggs sounds a bit shy. But with the evaporated milk and mix-ins, this fills the crust nicely. You don't want an overflowing quiche volcano-ing into your oven, right?
Evaporated milk: A cup of this shelf-stable dairy item makes the egg custard for this quiche remarkably rich and silky.
Fresh flat-leaf parsley: Any fresh herb you have handy can stand in here, if you like.
Seasoned salt, garlic salt and black pepper: Seasoned salt and garlic salt pack a punch. We dialed in the seasoning to our Test Kitchen pros' palate preference, but if you're sensitive to sodium, you might want to scale back just a bit.

How To Make Cheese-and-Sausage Quiche

Now that you have the ingredients lined up, how do you make sausage egg and cheese quiche? Here's a quick rundown.

Step 1: Cook sausage. Preheat your oven to 350°F. As that warms up for action, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage (or your meat/meat substitute of choice), stirring often, for about 8 to 10 minutes or the until the meat is lightly browned and crumbles (if it's the crumbling kind). Remove the protein from the skillet, and leave about 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the skillet. If using a meat like bacon, chop into ½-inch pieces.
Step 2: Sauté vegetables. In those drippings, sauté onion and bell pepper (or your chosen veggies) for 3 minutes, or until they're tender.
Step 3: Add cheese. In a large bowl, stir together the cheese, flour and sausage, and once they're ready, the onion and bell pepper, too.
Step 4: Add crust to pie plate. Place the piecrust shell on a sheet pan, then top that crust with the cheesy sausage mixture.
Step 5: Make egg mixture. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, evaporated milk, parsley (or desired herb), seasoned salt, garlic salt and black pepper until smooth. Pour this egg mixture over the protein-topped crust.

Step 6: Bake the quiche. Bake the sausage and egg quiche for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and set. (See below for more guidance about how to tell when the quiche is set to serve.)

How To Serve Cheese-and-Sausage Quiche

Room temp, chilled, or steaming, there's no wrong way to serve this sausage and egg quiche. Allow it to rest about 10 minutes before slicing straight-from-the-oven to allow the filling to set so you can carve cleaner slices.

While quiche is plenty filling and can act as the centerpiece, don't serve it solo! Quiche loves a supporting cast, and everything from sweet carbs to crunchy veggies play nicely with this egg tart. Some of our favorite ideas for what to serve with quiche:

How To Store Cheese-and-Sausage Quiche

Cover any leftovers tightly with aluminum foil or transfer to an airtight container and store this sausage and cheese quiche in the refrigerator for up to thre days. Feel free to make it a day in advance of when you plan to devour it; that will still give you enough time to enjoy any possible leftovers while letting you get a jumpstart on meal prep. Simply reheat in the oven at 350°F or in the microwave until the quiche is warmed to your liking, or dig into a chilled slice.

To freeze quiche, allow the baked sausage, egg, and cheese quiche to cool entirely, then wrap it in a two-ply layer of plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil. Freeze the savory pie for up to two months.

When you're ready to enjoy it, allow the quiche to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Slice and serve it chilled, straight from the refrigerator, or reheat in a 350°F oven until the filling registers at 165°F.

Editorial contributions by Karla Walsh.

Ingredients

1 (1-lb.) package ground pork sausage
½ cup thinly sliced onion (about 1/4 medium onion)
⅓ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 ½ cups (6 oz.) freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (9-inch) frozen unbaked deep-dish piecrust shell
2 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Brown sausage:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until sausage crumbles. Remove from skillet; reserve 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
Cook onion and pepper to tender:

Sauté onion and bell pepper in hot drippings over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until tender.

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
Combine quiche ingredients:

Stir together cheese, flour, sausage, onion, and bell pepper.

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
Place piecrust shell on a baking sheet, and spoon mixture into piecrust.
Combine egg mixture:

Whisk together eggs and next 5 ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Pour over sausage mixture.

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn
Bake quiche:

Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and set. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a quiche different from a frittata?

It's all about the crust and the baking method. Frittatas are crustless egg bakes, often started on the stovetop and finished in the oven/broiler. A quiche is encased in a pastry crust, and most often bakes entirely inside the oven. Quiche recipes also often feature milk or cream in the custard, which lends a fluffier, lighter consistency.
How can you tell when a quiche is done?

Give the quiche a gentle shake. Does it jiggle throughout, not just in the center? It likely needs more time. Look for a top that's golden brown and nearly set (it will continue cooking slightly after you remove it from the oven, so the center will solidify if the edges are set). Your safest best is to take a temp check; a finished quiche should ring in at about 165°F.
Can I substitute whole milk for evaporated milk in quiche?

Yes, this recipe only calls for 1 cup evaporated milk, so a swap to whole milk won't make much of a difference in flavor or texture. You could also use 2 percent milk, but we don't recommend milk alternatives like soy milk or oat milk. The custard may not set.