This vegetarian butternut squash quiche is filled with caramelized onions and goat cheese, is easy to make ahead of time, and is perfect for brunch!
A few years ago, my friend Megan and I went to lunch at a little French cafe in Carytown, Virginia.
And that’s where I had my first bite of quiche— the rich and creamy French egg dish that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and even dinner.
I was in love with quiche.
Sadly, my one and only attempt to make quiche at home was a little disappointing, and I abandoned all cooking attempts of this seemingly simple egg-filled pie dish– until recently, when I got help.
Quiche help from a quiche expert— a.k.a. my best friend Ann, the baking queen.
This butternut squash quiche is easy to put together, and can be made ahead of time for a quick meal option.
What is Quiche?
Quiche is a French dish that’s made by whipping together eggs, milk, and cheese, pouring the mixture into pie dough, and baking until it’s golden.
Quiche needs to rest after baking to allow the egg mixture to fully set. If you don’t let it rest, you won’t be able to cleanly cut the quiche.
For this butternut squash quiche, we’re adding roasted squash and caramelized onions to the mixture.
Want more eggs? Try these perfectly poached eggs with dijon sauce or this masala omelette.
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- Add Caramelized Onions, Squash, + Half the Cheese
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- Top with the Egg, Milk, + Cheese Mixture
Ann says yes.
Blind baking simply means to bake the crust before you add the filling– it helps save you from a soggy pie crust after baking.
For this butternut squash quiche, we’re blind baking for about 10 minutes— just long enough for the dough to start cooking, but before it takes on a lot of color.
If you decide to skip this step, be aware that the bottom of your quiche might not be quite as crisp as it would be with a partially pre-baked crust.
Where Can I Buy Butternut Squash?
Look with the fresh produce. It should be with other winter squash such as spaghetti or acorn squash.
Want more butternut squash? Try this butternut squash galette!
Can I Use Pre-Diced Butternut Squash?
Yes– absolutely! Look for pre-cut butternut squash with the prepared refrigerated produce.
Can I Whisk the Eggs by Hand instead of Using an Electric Mixer?
You can, but make sure to whisk them vigorously until the eggs double in size.
Want more quiche? Try this crustless spinach artichoke jalapeno quiche (at From a Chef’s Kitchen), or this kale, onion, and mushroom quiche (at Meg is Well).
Butternut Squash Quiche with Caramelized Onions
Ingredients
- 2 TB olive oil, divided
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup butternut squash, peeled + diced About 1/3 of a medium-sized squash
- 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 9" pie dough (prepared)
- 4 oz goat cheese, flaked apart with a fork
- 4 eggs, divided
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 sprig rosemary, destemmed + cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Caramelize Onions:
- Add half the olive oil to a large, heavy pot, and heat over medium heat. Add onions and half the salt. Cook about 5 minutes, and then lower heat to medium-low. Stir occasionally until onions turn golden brown.
Tip: Make sure the onions are dark and golden. If they aren't fully caramelized, they'll have extra moisture that you don't want in your quiche.
Roast Butternut Squash:
- Lay diced squash in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle with chili flakes, paprika, and remaining salt. Roast about 20 minutes until tender.
Blind Bake Pie Dough:
- Lower oven temperature to 350ºF.
- Arrange pie dough inside a pie pan. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork. Set parchment paper on top of dough, and add pie weights or dry beans. Bake 10 minutes. Remove weights and parchment paper.Tip: Pre-made, pre-formed, frozen pie dough will not need pie weights added while blind baking.
Make the Quiche:
- Gently press the onions and half the cheese into the pie dough. Add the butternut squash.
- Add 3 eggs, milk, cream, and rosemary to a mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to whip the mixture until it doubles in size. (Alternatively, whisk vigorously by hand.)
- Add the remaining cheese to the egg and milk mixture, and gently stir with a spoon. Take care not to over-stir.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pie pan. Tip: Do not overfill the quiche-- any extra mixture can be discarded, saved for another quiche, or used to dip bread in for French toast.
- Beat remaining egg, and brush onto any exposed pie dough.
- Tent quiche loosely with aluminum foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 15-20 more minutes until the quiche is golden and set. Quiche should jiggle slightly when moved.
- Allow quiche to cool for at least 1 hour, or refrigerate overnight. (Quiche will not be fully set until cooled.)
- Serve cool within 2-3 days, or check recipe notes for freezer directions.
Recipe Notes
- Freeze: Bake quiche, and allow to cool completely. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and slide into a freezer bag. Use within 2 months.
- Reheat from Frozen: Do not thaw. Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes, or until pie is warm.
- Tip: If freezing, bake quiche in either a disposable aluminum pie pan or in a tart pan with removable sides. (Allow quiche to fully cool before removing the pan.)
Love a good quiche, especially one that involves goat cheese! What a lovely dish for a brunch! Can’t wait to give it a go 🙂