I love French toast, and from there this idea emerged. When I made this crust-in quiche for the first time about 5-6 years ago (on a Saturday afternoon, I recall, kids were playing in the garden), just out of boredom. It was a hit! A delicious, easy, and super quick quiche or stratta recipe indeed. It really does come out impressively delicious every time. Kids loved it immediately, and it disappeared in a flash.
What is a crust-in quiche?
For this quiche recipe or stratta, there is no need for any pastry at all. All you will need is some stale bread (baguette ideally) to mix in with the eggs and the cheese, and voila!
You have a delectable outcome that will make a gorgeous breakfast recipe, a starter, or even lunch or dinner served with a side salad. Kids, in particular, love this crust-in quiche recipe.
It is an ideal dish for a party to prepare or take to. Even better, using some stale bread that might end up in the bin, which would be a shame to throw away. I am totally against throwing away any food, so this dish is one of those waste no food where we can see that no food should be wasted. If you are a fan of French baguette, yes, you know how nice they are when they're super fresh, but you cannot say the same the next day. They dry out and go stale fairly quickly, don't they?
So, if you happen to have a French baguette or two that you won't be able to do much with, this superb quiche recipe is simply the perfect one for it.
French baguettes go hard very quickly unless eaten super fresh, but if not, do not throw them away, just use them for this crust-in quiche.
I prepared this recipe a good few tens of times since, and it is especially good to take out for picnics, packed lunch, or a potluck party. It goes very well with a glass of beer. It's one of those dishes that can be served either almost straight from the oven or from the fridge the next day, and it really doesn't make much of a difference; it is as good!
Can I make quiche in advance?
Oh yes, it is quick to make and can be made a day or two in advance, as it can last for a good 2-3 days stored refrigerated in an airtight container.
Variations
I also make a sweet omelette ( as my kids call it) very similar to this using egg, milk, double or heavy cream, bread or brioche, sugar, vanilla, or check this French toast deliciousness, which is seriously delicious. It was one of my childhood favourites, my grandma used to spoil us with.
Here is the recipe for the savoury version for now, but keep an eye wide open, as the sweet version is coming soon...;-)
Tips
1. The cheddar cheese you can replace with any cheese you may like that melts.
2. The pancetta can also be replaced by bacon, gammon, and you can use a smoked or unsmoked version according to your preferences.
3. Instead of creme cheese, you can use creme fraîche, yoghurt, or double/single cream.
4. If you don't want to bake it and want to make a smaller quantity for one or two people maximum, you can also use the pan and cook it over very low heat, covered with a lid, and then you turn it halfway over on the other side. I'd say probably you need to cook it for about 7-8 minutes or less on each side, depending really on the quantity made.
Delicious crust-in quiche
Equipment
- chopping board
- knife
- bowl
- ovenproof dish
- grater
Ingredients
- 350 g pancetta (12.35 oz) or a nitrate-free bacon
- 6 large eggs
- 200 ml milk (6.76 fl oz)
- 50 g cream cheese (1.8 oz) I used Philadelphia cheese
- 1 pinch Himalayan salt
- black pepper to taste
- 300 g crusty bread (10.5 oz) preferably stale
- 300 g cheddar cheese ( 10.58 oz) (grated) or any melting cheese
- parsley (optional)
- red onion (optional) or spring onion
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the milk, salt and pepper, grated cheddar cheese, and the cream cheese.
- Add to the egg mixture the bread, cut or broken into chunks. Mix well and set aside, but remember to stir in occasionally so that the bread soaks well. It is best to keep it in the fridge, but do not forget to pay a mixing visit and stir it from time to time. Allow it to soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place a pan on medium heat and slightly cook ¾ of the pancetta and the chopped onion. Cook until these get slightly brown. Remove the pancetta and the onion from the heat and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.
- Spray or grease a 20-21 cm cake tin. When the egg and bread mix is ready, take it out of the fridge and pour it into the greased/sprayed oven dish. Spread evenly the mixture and scatter the ¼ pancetta left aside.
- Bake for 30 minutes until nice and golden brown on top.
- Serve warm or cold with some parsley sprinkled over. Enjoy!
MAry Schwartz says
Hands down the verrry best quiche ever. I love a traditional Lorraine, but this satisfies everyone at the table! , And the odd left over veggy, meat or cheese makes the variation on the original an interesting twist now and again. Thanks!
Ramona says
Thank you soo much dear Mary - I really appreciate your lovely comment and feedback. Thank you 🩷🙏🩷
Spencer W says
GREAT recipe! Made today. Easy to make, abs delish. Added couple tiny Roma tomatoes, bit of goats cheese & some Italian seasonings. A winner!
Ramona says
Thank you soo much dear Spencer, I’m thrilled you loved it. It is delicious, isn’t it and versatile too, you can throw in whatever you like or have in hand. Thank you again Ramona 🙏🙏
Becky says
How do you make the top look so fluffy? is that just the chunks of bread?
The directions weren't very clear, but I see the correction in the comments.
Thanks,
Becky
Ramona says
It is the bread indeed. I will have a look to see where I can change things to make it a little clearer 😉
Sonja says
This is amazingly tasty, so good that I have made it 4 times in the past two weeks. Everyone loves it here and I always tend to have leftover bread that goes stale or hard. Superb recipe! Thanks Ramona !!
Lathiya says
This sounds like a perfect recipe to try on weekends. This looks like an easy recipe that I love.
Ramona says
Thanks - I hope you will try it soon!
Jenni LeBaron says
I love the layers of flavor and texture in this quiche! The cream cheese, pancetta, and crusty bread really stand out to me as great additions that make this quiche extra delicious!
Ramona says
Thank you so much Jenni, this is a good quiche indeed. We love it every time and goes so well with guests too. Always need to make extra to make sure it’s enough for everyone to have a second bite 😉
Candiss says
This is a new to me version of a quiche but I love the idea. Sounds nice a hearty before a adventure filled weekend!
Ramona says
Thank you Candiss. I hope you’ve had a great weekend!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
There was a time when I made quiche almost every week. I don't know why I don't do that anymore. Thanks for the reminder!!
Ramona says
Thanks Cathleen, it’s great news to know I’ve inspired you to start making quiche again. Such a great dish, right?!
Emily says
Love this quiche recipe, and any quiche that uses a little cream cheese- it makes it so delicious!
Ramona says
So true, thanks Emily.
Erika says
This is such a great breakfast recipe! I can't wait to make it.
Ramona says
Thank you Erika, let me know how it came out for you and how you liked it. ??
Stine Mari says
What a perfect dish to serve at a brunch table! I'll have to save this recipe, it looks soo good and fluffy!
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Stine Mari. You will not be disappointed, it’s a great recipe that I’m sure you’ll make over and over again ??
Renu says
This looks like a perfect quiche to make for the upcoming weekend. I think I can throw in everything the night before and relax on the weekend while it is baking. Thanks for this delicious share.
Ramona says
Ha ha , that’s the spirit Renu 😉 just don’t leave it in the oven for the whole weekend though - lol Have a great weekend and enjoy the quiche 😉
Amanda says
I love a good quiche, and this recipe is great! I'll definitely put this on the regular brunch rotation.
Ramona says
Thank you Amanda. Enjoy!
Jacqui Debono says
I love quiche! I haven't had one in so long, will definitely be making this!
Ramona says
Thank you Jacqui, you will love this quiche, guaranteed! xx
Gene Hansen says
Good job, Ramona.
One thing the directions didn't make clear to me is what to do with the pancetta & onions. I "assume" it's supposed to be mixed in with the bread/milk mixture prior to spreading into the pan, but .....
I suppose you could substitute cooked breakfast sausage or ground pork chorizo for the pancetta and cilantro for the parsley?
Ramona says
Hi Gene,
Thank you so much for stopping by and for pointing that out to me. The pancetta and the onion you will need to add to the egg mixture and then place in the fridge together. I will amend these details shortly.
Yes, the pancetta can be replaced with sausages, frankfurters, bacon, chorizo, absolutely!, whatever you like and the herbs again you can choose to use whatever herb you have or like.
I am sure you will absolutely love it. Let me know what was the outcome like ?
Kelly Anthony says
Now this is breakfast. This will be perfect to serve when my parents or in laws come to town.
Ramona says
Thanks Kelly,
Yes, for sure they will be very impressed with a breakfast like this. I did think it’s good for breakfast mainly because of the eggs but truthfully this can be served any time and it’s an especially great one to serve the crowd at a party. Definitely a crowd pleaser ?. Enjoy your time with your in-laws.?
Lourae Ricciuti says
Where does the red onion come in?
Ramona says
Hi Lourae,
The red onion you'll have to cook with the pancetta together just to soften it slightly.
Let me know how you've found it.
We absolutely love it and it's always a hit when I make it for my family or parties.
Thank you
Ramona ??
Linda says
This is superb! I have made it a couple of days back and it came out absolutely beautiful. It disappeared in seconds! Thanks for sharing.
Ramona says
Thank you for your feedback Linda! ??