Gluten Free Bacon, Onion and Swiss Quiche

A guest post by Rachel Ciordas of Next Level Gluten Free

Hello friends!

I have something special for you today! The delightful

Rachel Ciordas

is joining us and has kindly agreed to share her recipe for a delectable quiche. Her recipe marks the start of a series featuring some of my favorite springtime recipes. Quiche has been a long-time favorite of mine—there’s something so irresistible about a buttery crust filled with a savory custard.

Rachel’s beautiful GF Bacon, Onion and Swiss Quiche

Rachel is a treasure trove of gluten free baking knowledge. She has traveled the world, teaches cooking classes and has a supportive and inviting presence here on Substack! I love following Rachel and seeing all of her delicious looking gluten free bakes.

Rachel and her beautiful smile!

Rachel Ciordas (Ray-chel Chore-dash) has been a cooking teacher and food writer for 15 years. Rachel loves to share her knowledge and experiences through great storytelling and practical advice for every cook. She is well known for her sound recipes and approachable demeanor, making even complicated concepts seem easygoing and doable! She was once described at a speaking event as “Someone who makes you feel as if you are smelling fresh bread baking when she enters the room” She tries to live up to that description every day.

Here is what Rachel has to say about her quiche:

What is it about quiche that feels like quintessential spring?

A silky savory custard filled with tasty bits and encased in a flaky gluten free crust just makes me want to sit on the patio with my daffodils and songbirds breathing in the new life around me.

This is a make-ahead wonder that puts the above-mentioned moment of springtime bliss within reach. I always think that there is a reason some combinations are classics, and this variation on a Quiche Lorraine is well worth repeating and making it to the top of your go-to list. Although when you are in the mood for more vegetables swapping the meat for sauteed Swiss chard or spinach and fresh dill is a capital idea.

When preparing the crust for this recipe, please know that it is a multipurpose flaky pie crust that is just as wonderful filled with sweet tart cherries as it is with eggs. It also passes the sturdiness test and can be lifted right out of the pie tin and held without breaking in your hands—at least it did for me, and I’m generally quite a butterfinger.

It’s important to keep the butter in the crust recipe icy cold, semi-frozen if using the softer non-dairy butter and icebox cold with dairy butter. Shredding on the large side of a box grater helps with that, as it’s quick and keeps your hands out of the mix. Then I gently toss the shreds through the flour mixture by lifting and tossing with a regular dinner fork.

Once the liquid has been added to your dough, make sure you don’t skip the rest time. The liquid needs to soak into the crust before rolling out.

I always roll dough on parchment paper, rolling from the middle away from myself, and turn the paper so that I can get to all sides and make a large circle. I then gently roll the dough onto the rolling pin and lay it in the pie tin. Since you already have everything out and dirtied I should let you know that you can roll up the pie dough in the parchment like a jelly roll, wrap it up tightly and freeze that for the next time you need a pie crust - just like the frozen pie crusts sold at the grocery store (only gluten free and WAY flakier).

The custard filling is a snap to stir together, so other than the crust it’s just the bacon and onions that need to be sauteed. Make sure that they cool a bit before going into the pie crust so they don’t melt a hole in your beautiful crust.

Happy Baking!

Rachel

Gluten Free Bacon, Onion and Swiss Quiche

Recipe by

Rachel Ciordas

of Next Level Gluten Free

1 flaky pie crust (recipe follows)
3 large eggs
2 cups milk, or nondairy milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese, (or nondairy cheese)
1 onion sliced
½ pound bacon chopped

Prepare pie crust as directed and line a pie tin. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cook the chopped bacon in a sauté pan over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and drain all but 2 tsp of the oil in the pan. (Alternatively, remove it all and use 2 tsp olive oil) Add the sliced onion to the pan and cook stirring frequently until browned and wilted. Remove from the heat to cool slightly.

Whisk the eggs together and add the milk and seasonings.Add the cooled bacon and onions to the prepared pie shell. Add the shredded cheese. Pour in the custard. Place the pie tin on a baking sheet.

Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 40 minutes, until set and top is golden brown (185F). Let stand at room temp for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Gluten Free Flaky Pie Crust
yield: 1 pie crust

1 ½ cups (210g) gluten free 1 to 1 flour
½ tsp (3g) xanthan or guar gum (can be substituted with ½ the weight of additional psyllium husk)
½ (3g) tsp psyllium husk powder
1 tsp(4g) salt
¾ cup(170g) cold butter (or dairy-free stick butter)
1 large egg, beaten
1 (16g) Tb apple cider vinegar
¼-1/3 cup (or more) ice water

Mix the flour, xanthan, psyllium, and salt in a bowl. Grate the cold butter on the large side of a cheese grater. With a fork gently mix the butter shreds into the flour mixture.

Beat the egg with the vinegar and add to the dry mixture. Stir and drizzle in the icy water until the dough comes together and is cohesive. Form into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap, place in the fridge for 10 minutes. Roll out with a rolling pin into a circle and lay in the pie pan. Trim excess and use your fingers or a fork to pinch the perimeter into a pretty edge, and proceed with the pie recipe.

Note: If blind baking for a recipe that calls for an unbaked crust, prick holes in the bottom and sides of the unbaked crust with a fork, line the inside of the pie shell with parchment paper, and fill it with pie weights, dried beans or rice up to the top of the pie shell. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes.

Note 2: Dairy-free butter is softer than dairy butter, it may need to be frozen for 5-10 minutes to be shredded alternatively you can use a pastry cutter to work the non-dairy butter into small shred-sized chunks

Makes 8 servings