Meat Quiche Recipe

Make pie dough

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups flour and 0.5 tsp salt. Add 6 tbsp cold cubed butter and, using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter remaining.

Sprinkle 3 tbsp ice water over the mixture a tablespoon at a time, tossing gently with a fork until the dough just comes together when squeezed. Do not overwork. Gather into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 12-inch circle and transfer to a 9-inch (23 cm) tart or pie pan. Trim and crimp edges. Line the crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind-bake for 12 minutes, then remove weights and parchment and bake 5–7 minutes more until the crust is set and just starting to color. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).

While the dough chills (or during blind-bake), cook the meats and vegetables. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add 0.5 cup chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3–4 minutes.

Add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Push onion and garlic to the side and add 8 oz sausage (removed from casings). Break sausage into small pieces with a spoon and cook until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes.

In a separate pan, cook 6 bacon slices until crisp (or cook in the same skillet after removing sausage). Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Reserve about 1 tsp bacon fat and discard excess (or keep for extra flavor).

Combine the cooked sausage, chopped bacon, halved 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cooked onion/garlic, and 2 tbsp chopped parsley in a bowl. Season mixture with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Let cool slightly so it won't scramble the eggs when added to the custard.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 large eggs until homogenous. Whisk in 1 cup whole milk and 0.5 cup heavy cream until combined.

Stir in 1.5 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar, 0.125 tsp ground nutmeg, 0.5 tsp salt, and 0.25 tsp black pepper. Taste a small amount of custard (optional) to check seasoning, remembering flavors will concentrate slightly upon baking.

Spread the meat and tomato mixture evenly across the pre-baked pie crust. Pour the egg-cheese custard over the filling, pressing gently so the custard fills gaps. Sprinkle 0.25 cup additional grated cheddar evenly over the top.

Place the quiche on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until the center is just set (a knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean with a slight jiggle). If the crust or top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let the quiche rest for 10–15 minutes to finish setting. Garnish with 1 tbsp chopped parsley. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.