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Whole bacon and mushroom quiche seen from top on wooden cutting board.

The Best Bacon and Mushroom Quiche (French Café Classic)

Marissa
This bacon and mushroom quiche is rich, creamy, and perfectly balanced. Just a handful of ingredients. Works for brunch, dinner, or meal prep for the week. Make it in one big 9-inch pie, muffin-sized quiches for brunch, or mini quiche bites for parties.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Brunch, dinner, lunch
Cuisine French
Servings 6 people
Calories 446 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Pan To saute the bacon and mushrooms
  • 1 Sharp knife To cut the veggies and bacon
  • 1 Measuring cups
  • 1 9-inch pie pan Or 12 muffin tins or 24 mini muffin tins (or silicone moulds)

Ingredients
  

  • 1 nine-inch pie crust about 9 oz/255g – I make my own pâte brisée, but store-bought works
  • 3 tbsp Unsalted butter (40 gr) or olive oil
  • 10 oz Mushrooms 3 cups or 300g, sliced (button or cremini)
  • 4 oz Lardons fumées 100g or 5-6 strips or thick cut smoked bacon, sliced
  • 2 shallots finely diced (or ½ red onion)
  • 3 large eggs 150g
  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream 100 ml
  • 3 tbsp Whole milk 50ml
  • ½ cup Gruyère or Comté 50 grams, grated or Swiss cheese
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Fresh black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives optional
  • Fresh parsley for garnish
  • 3 tbsp Butter 40g or olive oil
  • 1 cup baby spinach optional, about 30g/1 oz

Instructions
 

Prep your workspace and get your ingredients ready.

  • Heat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  • Wash and thoroughly dry your mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms, the shallots, the chives and the bacon.
  • Get your quiche crust ready
  • Blind bake your pie crust until lightly golden. If you're using my pâte brisée recipe (linked on the blog), prick the bottom with a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes.
  • Store-bought? Follow package directions.

Cook the bacon and dry it on paper towels.

  • In a frying pan over medium heat, cook bacon until cooked but not burnt. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Set aside.

Sauté the shallots and then sauté the mushrooms.

  • In a clean pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter and gently sauté shallots. Do not brown them. You want them soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add remaining butter and mushrooms to the pan with shallots. Here's where people mess up. You need to cook this mushroom mixture until all liquid evaporates. Like, completely. Mushrooms release a lot of water first, then it cooks off. Takes about 8-10 minutes. But don't overcook them. You don't want them grilled or fried. Keep a close eye and stir often. Evenly cooked but not overcooked. If you're using baby spinach, toss it in during the last minute and let it wilt.

Make the egg mixture.

  • In a large bowl, whisk large eggs with cream, milk, half the cheese, black pepper, and nutmeg. Don't go crazy with the whisking. You're not making a meringue. Just mix until combined. Overbeating adds too much air and can make your quiche puff up then deflate.

Add bacon, mushrooms and shallots and chopped chives to egg mixture in the bowl. Gently stir.

    Bake it.

    • Place in preheated oven and bake 30-35 minutes for a standard 9-inch pie. You want the center set but still with a tiny jiggle when you shake the pan. It'll firm up as it cools and turn golden brown on top.

    Baking times

    • Standard 9-inch pie (1.5 inches deep): 30-35 minutes
    • Deep dish pie (2+ inches deep): 45-50 minutes. The center takes longer to set
    • Shallow tart pan (1 inch deep): 25-30 minutes. Watch carefully, it can set faster
    • Mini muffin tins: 10-15 minutes
    • Regular muffin tins: 20-25 minutes
    • Whatever pan you use, always rely on the doneness tests above rather than just the clock. Every oven is different.

    Notes

     

    When is the quiche with bacon and mushrooms done?

     

    • Jiggle test: Center should jiggle slightly (like set Jello) but not be liquid
    • Toothpick test: Insert toothpick or knife in center. Should come out mostly clean with maybe a few moist crumbs, but no liquid
    • Visual cues: Top should be golden brown and slightly puffed
    • Temperature check: If you have a thermometer, center should read 165°F (74°C)

     

     
    Tip: If your crust edges are browning too quickly (around the 20-minute mark), loosely cover just the edges with strips of aluminum foil and continue baking. Especially common with store-bought crusts.

     

    Helpful success tips for this mushroom and bacon quiche recipe

     
    You might wonder why I'm so specific about certain steps. Here's what I learned from making hundreds of these:
    • Cook your mushrooms until the water is evaporated. Mushrooms are like little sponges. They're about 90% water. If you don't cook that water out completely, it releases into your custard while baking. That's what makes quiches watery and sad. But make sure you don't burn them either. Burnt or seared mushrooms do not taste nice.
    • Add a pinch of nutmeg to the egg mixture. It's traditional in French savory custards. Just a tiny pinch brings out the creaminess and adds warmth without tasting sweet.
    • Cook the bacon and mushrooms separately. I cook them separately because I want to taste both. If you cook mushrooms in bacon fat, they can get too smoky and lose their earthy flavor. The quiche should taste balanced, not like a bacon bomb.
    • Pre-Bake your pie crust before you fill it (Blind bake). A wet filling on raw pastry equals soggy bottom every single time. The French never skip this step. Never. You want that crust crispy and golden, strong enough to hold the custard.
    • Tip: Use a tart pan with holes to get a nice crispy pastry base.
    • Make sure you let the bacon and mushroom quiche rest before slicing. The custard is still setting as it cools. Cut it too soon and it's like cutting into a lava cake. Everything runs out. Give it time and you'll get clean, beautiful slices that hold together.

     

    To Make Mini Quiches with Bacon and Mushrooms

     
    1. Grease muffin tins well with butter or cooking spray. Or use silicone muffin tins and you won't have to grease them.
    2. If using pastry, cut circles slightly larger than muffin cups and press gently into each cup.
    3. For crustless: skip the pastry and just grease really well if not using silicone moulds. I skip the crust when making mini quiches.
    4. Divide bacon and mushroom mixture evenly among cups.
    5. Pour egg mixture to fill each cup about ¾ full.
    6. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top
    7. Bake at 375°F (190°C). Regular muffin tins: 18-22 minutes. Mini muffin tins: 10-15 minutes.
    8. They're done when tops are golden and toothpick comes out clean
    9. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from tin or mould.

     

    Make Ahead and Storage

     
    Make Ahead:
    • You can make this bacon egg and mushroom quiche a day ahead. Bake it completely, let it cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the fridge.
    • To reheat: Place in a 325°F (160°C) oven for about 15-20 minutes until warmed through. Don't microwave a whole quiche if you can avoid it as the texture gets rubbery.
     
    Refrigerator Storage:
    • Leftovers keep in the fridge for 4 days. Store in an airtight container or wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Individual slices reheat better than the whole quiche.
     
    Freezing Instructions:
    • 1. Let quiche cool completely to room temperature (important, or you'll get ice crystals)
    • 2. Wrap entire quiche or slices tightly in plastic wrap, no gaps
    • 3. Wrap again with aluminum foil (double wrapping prevents freezer burn)
    • 4. Label with date
    • 5. Freeze for up to 2 months
     
    To reheat from frozen:
    • Unwrap and place frozen quiche on baking sheet
    • Cover loosely with aluminum foil
    • Bake at 325°F (160°C) for about 30-45 minutes until heated through (less if just a slice of quiche)
    • Remove foil for last few minutes to crisp up the top

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1personCalories: 446kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 13gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 413mgPotassium: 354mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1247IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword Quiche
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