Quiche aux Champignons: Mushroom Quiche Recipe
A creamy quiche baked in a flaky pie crust is the ultimate comfort food. While quiche Lorraine is the original quiche, mushrooms are one of the most popular modern quiche fillings. Their earthy, savory flavor pairs beautifully with a rich, cheesy custard, creating a quiche that feels both simple and satisfying. If you are looking for a vegetarian quiche for brunch, a weekend breakfast, or an easy picnic dish, a mushroom quiche is a delicious choice that fits almost any occasion.
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What is Quiche aux Champignons?
A quiche is a savory custard pie made with eggs and cream baked in a flaky pastry crust. The filling can include a wide variety of vegetables, meats, or cheeses, making quiche a versatile dish originating from France. Served warm or chilled, a slice of quiche makes an excellent breakfast, brunch, or light meal any time of day.
Mushroom quiches are a classic variation enjoyed around the world, including in France. Quiche aux champignons is simply the French name for a mushroom quiche. Most versions begin with sautéed mushrooms and diced onions or shallots folded into a traditional custard base, creating a rich, savory filling with plenty of depth and aroma.
A Brief History of Quiche
The earliest quiches come from the Lorraine region of France, where the dish began taking shape in the 1500s. These first quiches looked quite different from the quiches we know today. Instead of a deep pastry crust filled with custard, they were closer to a simple flatbread with a lightly enriched topping. Over the centuries, the dish evolved, and the modern quiches of today are more recent adaptations of the dish following WWII. If you would like a detailed look at how quiche developed over time, see my full post on quiche Lorraine.
Cheeses for Quiche Lorraine
Gruyère
The most commonly used cheese for quiche is Gruyère, a name-protected Swiss alpine cheese made from cow’s milk. Authentic Swiss Gruyère will have an “AOP” designation on the label, which certifies that it meets the strict standards for Gruyère produced in Switzerland. Gruyère AOP is crafted in the Fribourg region of the Swiss Alps and is known for its firm texture, nutty flavor, and savory aroma. It grates beautifully, melts smoothly, and infuses the custard with a salty flavor that perfectly complements savory flavors like mushrooms.
Affordable Substitutes for Gruyère:
If you want to branch out from Gruyère, you can experiment with other alpine-style cheese for quiche. There are several delicious options that share Gruyère’s meltability and complex flavor:
- Domestic Gruyère: Many U.S. creameries produce domestic versions of Gruyère that mimic the flavor and meltability of Swiss AOP cheese at a fraction of the cost. Once baked into your quiche, the difference is nearly impossible to tell.
- Gruyère-Parmesan Blend: Mixing grated Parmesan with your shredded Gruyère adds a touch of sharpness and volume while keeping the cost down. The Parmesan also enhances the savory edge of the custard, giving the filling a slightly nuttier depth.
Mushrooms for Quiche:
You can use nearly any sauté-friendly mushroom in a mushroom quiche. Each type of mushroom brings its own flavor and texture, and combining several varieties of mushrooms creates an even deeper, more complex filling.
- Cremini: Also called baby bellas, cremini mushrooms are firm, earthy, and easy to find in most American grocery stores. They work well in almost any savory dish.
- Shiitake: Common in Japanese cooking, shiitake mushrooms offer an intense umami flavor with a subtle smoky note.
- Chantrelle: Chanterelles are fragrant and delicate, often golden in color. They are usually more expensive, so they are best used sparingly and mixed with other mushrooms.
- Maitake: Also known as hen-of-the-woods, sheep’s head, or ram’s head mushrooms, maitake grow in clusters and are excellent for sautéing or stir-fries.
- Button: One of the most common mushroom varieties and the same species as cremini and portobello. The difference lies in harvest timing during the mushroom’s growth cycle.
- Portobello: The fully mature version of button and cremini mushrooms. Portobellos have a meaty, robust flavor and a dense texture. Because of their size, chop them into bite-sized pieces rather than slicing them for quiche.
What Mushrooms Not to Use for Mushroom Quiche:
A few mushroom varieties do not perform as well when sautéed or baked in quiche. Enoki and wood ear mushrooms lack the flavor and texture that quiche fillings need. Oyster mushrooms can work in small amounts, but they contain a high amount of water and can become mushy, so they are not the best choice for this recipe.
Step-by-Step Mushroom Quiche Recipe:
Crust:
A traditional pastry crust works best for quiches, providing a crisp, buttery base that complements the rich, creamy filling. For this recipe, aim for a dark-baked crust. A darker bake ensures the bottom stays crisp and flaky, even after the long bake time and moisture from the custard.
Mushroom Quiche Filling:
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 1⅓c Heavy Whipping Cream
- ⅔c Whole Milk
- 4oz Gruyère Cheese, grated (113g)
- ½t Salt
- ¼t Black Pepper
- 9oz Fresh Mushrooms (250g)
- ½ Yellow Onion, diced
- 2T Olive Oil
- 2T Heavy Whipping Cream (optional)
1.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
2.
In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the diced onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
3.
Add the assorted, chopped or sliced mushrooms, and continue to cook until the mushrooms are fully softened, about 5-7 minutes. Set the mushrooms and onions aside to cool completely.
Pro Tip: Always let the bacon and onions cool before adding them to your custard mixture. Adding them while still warm can begin to cook the eggs prematurely.
4.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, salt, pepper, and grated Gruyère cheese until smooth and fully combined.
5.
(Optional) Lightly brush the edges of your dark, blind-baked pie crust with heavy cream for a beautiful golden finish after baking.
6.
Spread the onions and mushrooms evenly in the pie crust.
7.
On a metal sheet pan, pour the quiche mixture into the prepared crust, filling it just below the rim to prevent overflow.
Pro Tip: Dunk all of the onion and mushroom bits at the top of the pie. If they’re coated in a layer of filling before baking the quiche, the exposed pieces are less likely to burn.
8.
Transfer the quiche to the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and the center is still slightly jiggly. The filling will continue to set as it cools.
9.
Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool on the countertop for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
How to Make a Perfectly Creamy Quiche
Ratio of Eggs to Dairy for a Quiche Custard:
A classic quiche should have a silky, custard-like texture that’s creamy but stable enough to slice cleanly. The key to achieving this is the right balance of eggs to dairy. Use roughly ½ cup (125 mL) of dairy for every large egg in your mixture. Adjusting the balance of milk to cream also affects richness. This recipe uses more cream than milk for an extra creamy and rich filling. For a lighter, fluffier filling that allows the eggs to shine, use more milk than cream.
Don’t Overbake the Quiche:
The most common mistake when baking quiche is overcooking it. Overbaked custard turns dense and rubbery instead of soft and creamy. For perfect texture, remove the quiche from the oven while the edges are set but the center still has a gentle jiggle. The residual heat will finish cooking the custard as it cools, leaving it creamy, tender, and perfectly set once sliced.
Other Types of Quiche:
There are seemingly endless varieties of quiches to try. If you want to try something new, try one of these. Additionally, once you’ve mastered the basic quiche custard, you can easily change up the fillings by swapping in different vegetables, cheeses, and meats to suit the season or your taste. Here are some of the most popular types of quiche:
- Quiche Lorraine: A classic quiche made with bacon, onions, and Gruyère. Quiche Lorraine traces its roots to the original quiches created in the Lorraine region of France in the 1500s.
- Quiche Provencale: Quiche Provençale features summery Mediterranean vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and olives.
- Cheese Quiche: A simple quiche made with just cheese and herbs is creamy, comforting, and always a favorite.
- Quiche Florentine: Quiche Florentine includes spinach in the filling and is another classic variation.
These are just a few classic types of quiche. There are nearly endless flavor combinations you can create by changing the mix-ins. We’d love to hear what your favorite kinds of quiche are and which ones you’d like us to make next.
How to Store Quiche:
Because quiche contains eggs, dairy, and meat, it should always be refrigerated if you’re not serving it right away. Quiche keeps well for 3–5 days in the refrigerator when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container.
You can also freeze a whole, baked quiche for longer storage. Wrap it securely in plastic, then place it in a freezer-safe bag to prevent freezer burn. Frozen quiche will keep for up to one month. When ready to serve, let it thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat it in a 325°F (165°C) oven for 15–20 minutes, or until warmed through.
We’d love to see your quiche creations! If you give this recipe a try, tag @doggone_baking on social media so we can share in the baking fun.
Mushroom Quiche
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 Dark, Blind-Baked Pie Shell
- 2 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream optional
Bacon, Onion, and Gruyère Quiche Filling
- 4 Eggs
- 1⅓ cup Heavy Whipping Cream (315mL)
- ⅔ cup Whole Milk (160mL)
- 4 oz Gruyère Cheese, grated (113g)
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper, ground
- 8 oz Fresh Mushrooms, sliced (250g) see notes
- ½ Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).
- In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the diced onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 3-4 minutes until translucent.
- Add the assorted, chopped or sliced mushrooms, and continue to cook until the mushrooms are fully softened, about 5-7 minutes. Set the mushrooms and onions aside to cool completely.
- Chop the cooled bacon into ¼-inch (½cm) pieces.
- (Optional) Lightly brush the edges of your dark, blind-baked pie crust with heavy cream for a beautiful golden finish after baking.
- Spread the onions and mushrooms evenly in the pie crust.
- On a metal sheet pan, pour the quiche mixture into the prepared crust, filling it just below the rim to prevent overflow. Dunk all of the mushrooms and onions that float to the top so that they're coated in quiche batter and don't burn while baking.
- Transfer the quiche to the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and the center is still slightly jiggly. The filling will continue to set as it cools.
- Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool on the countertop for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
One Comment
Made this for brunch yesterday! I did use a store bought pie crust because I am not good with pastry dough but it really was delicious.