This Bacon and Pimento Cheese Quiche is a delicious Southern twist on the classic recipe and is surprisingly easy to make!
Just the word “quiche” sounds frou-frou and complicated. But guess what? It’s not. Not at all. In fact, when Jack was little, we called it egg pie just so it wouldn’t sound all weird to him. Four-year-olds are far more likely to eat something they can pronounce. 🤣 I mean, it’s really no more than that… a savory egg custard pie.
Fill them with cheese, cheese and ham, spinach, sautéed vegetables, etc. Or be like me and fill it with bacon and pimento cheese!
Is it spelled pimento or pimiento?
Y’all, I’ve been fighting this battle for the better part of the last 14 years. Should it be spelled pimiento or pimento?
The folks over at Southern Living lean towards the spelling with the extra “i,” saying that it’s listed as the first spelling in Merriam-Webster.
It seems that pimiento is the original Spanish spelling for the word that refers to the pimiento pepper. However, that spelling has evolved to be pimento – especially when referring to pimento cheese. Perhaps it has to do with the translation from Spanish to English. Perhaps we all just got lazy.
So which is the right one? Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve had some sponsors in the past that have required one spelling over another, so you’ll find it spelled both ways on Southern Bite. In fact, to keep things interesting, I might just randomly change the spelling in this post.
How do I keep my pie crust from getting soggy?
No one loves a soggy crust. No. One. But keeping that pie crust from getting soggy isn’t as universally agreed upon. I’ve tried all the methods listed here and included my thoughts.
Blind Bake the Crust – Blind baking is simply baking the crust before you add a filling. When talking about a traditional pastry crust and a non-cooked filling, the crust has to be completely cooked. When using the same crust and a filling that must be baked, blind baking typically only partially cooks the crust. However, some folks skip this step. The problem is that it can lead to a soggy crust. Blind baking can be a little cumbersome, though. The method often includes lining the formed crust with crumbled aluminum foil or parchment and filling the crust with pie weights, rice, beans or something similar and baking the crust partially. I’ve done this plenty of times, but it’s fussy. I don’t like fussy.
Brush the Crust with Flour – Many folks swear by the method of lightly dusting the crust with flour to prevent a soggy crust. The idea is the extra flour absorbs the moisture before it soaks into the crust. Some even use a mixture of equal parts flour and sugar. But sugar’s not going to work in this case since we’re aiming for a savory pie and my results with this method are a bit inconclusive. Did it help? Probably. Did it prevent it? Not really.
Brush the Crust with Egg – The idea here is that the egg seals the crust and acts as a barrier to keep it from getting soggy. When you’re using a filling that’s not just eggs, this makes sense. In this case, the filling is literally eggs, so… 🤣
Bake on a Hot Sheet Pan – For this recipe, this is my method of choice. It’s easy and seems to work well here. The theory is that placing the unbaked pie (with the filling already in it) on a hot baking sheet makes the bottom of the crust bake through faster, sealing it and keeping it from getting soggy. This method is still not foolproof, but it’s much easier to accomplish and does help. Simply place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and allow it to preheat with the oven. Then place the quiche on the hot sheet pan rather than directly on the oven rack. The added benefit of this is that if the quiche overflows, it’s caught on the baking sheet and not the bottom of your oven.
Ingredient FAQ and Variations
Pie Crust – I typically use the refrigerated rolled pie crust found in the section of the grocery store with canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls. You can certainly use the frozen pre-formed crusts in the aluminum pans as well. You can even be industrious and make your own. I recommend using a metal pan here – regardless. Feel free to blind bake it, if you wish.
Cheese – Since we’re not using pre-made pimento cheese in this and we still want that pimento cheese flavor, we use pimento peppers and cheese. I recommend using 2 cups or 1 (8-ounce) package (by weight) of thickly shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Yes, the bagged stuff will work here.
Bacon – You’ll need about 3/4 to 1 cup of crumbled bacon for this recipe. You can buy a 2.8-ounce package of precooked crumbled real bacon pieces as well. If cooking your own, you’ll need to start with about 10 to 12 slices of bacon.
Pimentos – You’ll need a 4-ounce jar of diced pimentos for this recipe. Pour them in a fine mesh sieve and allow them to drain for about 20 minutes to get as much moisture out of them as possible.
Eggs – I prefer my quiche to not be too eggy, so I only include 4 large eggs here.
Milk – I prefer whole milk here, but a lower fat version should work as well. I have not tested it with milk alternatives like almond and soy, so I can’t say if they work or not.
Heavy Cream – This gives the quiche a nice creamy texture. You can swap it for half and half it that’s all you have on-hand.
Salt and Pepper – Since you’re not going to taste a big spoonful of raw whipped eggs and milk, I avoided the “add salt and pepper to taste” verbiage and did include some measurements. With that being said, you can always adjust those amounts.
A few more tips for a perfect Bacon and Pimento Cheese Quiche…
- Allow the quiche to rest until it is nearly cool before slicing, otherwise the filling might be too liquidy and run everywhere. It thickens as it cools.
- Serve your quiche slightly warm alongside a nice salad, grits, biscuits, etc.
- Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator – tightly wrapped.
- Quiche can be frozen. Tightly wrap the cooled entire pie (or individual slices) in both a layer of aluminum foil and plastic wrap and store up to 3 months.
- Reheat the quiche in the oven at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Individual slices will take less time. If reheating from frozen, allow the frozen quiche to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then follow the reheating instructions.
Recipe Card
Bacon and Pimento Cheese Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) deep dish pie crust, unbaked
- 2 cups thick shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3/4 to 1 cup crumbled cooked bacon ([or 1 (2.8-ounce) bag precooked real bacon pieces])
- 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos, well drained
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a large rimmed baking sheet on the center rack of the oven to preheat with the oven.
- Sprinkle the cheese into the bottom of the crust. Evenly sprinkle the drained pimentos over the cheese. Add the crumbled bacon over the top.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, salt, and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the crust – being cautious not to overfill.
- Place the quiche on the hot baking sheet and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the quiche is set. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Bama Girl
I tried this recipe. It is great. I loved how quick it is to make.
Awesome to hear! Thanks!
Grady
What would be a good side to go with this Quiche.
I typically serve it with a side salad – if it’s more of a brunch thing. If it’s just breakfast, I often do biscuits, grits, hash browns, etc.
Esther Thurman
I have a large container of spicy pimento cheese that I would like to use. Can I substitute it for the cheese and pimentos? If so, should I use 2 cups or more? Thanks
I’m a little worried that the additional ingredients in the prepared pimento cheese (like the mayo) might make it a little oily or greasy. If you’re going to try it, I think I would certainly reduce the amount to more like 1 or 1 1/2 cups.
Joan in VA
This sounds like a winner to me. But, I rarely have whole milk, so I’ll try it with 1% milk. I think it will be fine, other quiches work with that.
It will work for sure, the texture and creaminess will be a little different, though.