Quiche is a delightful dish that makes a filling breakfast, a sophisticated brunch, and even bite-sized appetizers at a party.
The egg and cream-filled pie may have ham and cheese, an assortment of vegetables, or even seafood.
Since this is typical party food and is often served at or just over room temperature, you should consider how long the quiche will be sitting out to avoid any spoiling.
Quiche, due to its egg and dairy content, is susceptible to bacterial growth if left out at room temperature for too long. According to food safety guidelines, quiche should not sit out for more than 2 hours in a typical room environment. In warmer conditions, above 90°F, this time is reduced to just 1 hour to prevent the rapid growth of bacteria. To ensure food safety and maintain quality, it’s best to refrigerate quiche if not consumed within these time frames.
Continue reading for instructions on properly storing quiche, reheating quiche, and some recipes for making a variety of quiches.
Serving Cooked Quiche
Quiche is a creamy egg pie often combined with a variety of cheeses, meats, and vegetables.
After baking, you should let the quiche set up for 10-20 minutes before serving it so that the slices will come out neatly and hold together.
Due to the number of perishable ingredients in quiche, you should be careful about preventing foodborne illness by properly storing quiche.
You should store quiche at room temperature for only 2 hours, then refrigerate or freeze it.
Quiche is typically served at or just above room temperature rather than piping hot. When you are serving it for a meal at home, you should go ahead and store it in the refrigerator or freezer as soon as your meal is done.
However, if you are serving quiche as party food, you may need to pay a little more attention to the serving times and methods.
Quiche should not sit out at room temperature longer than 2 hours. In a buffet or party setting, you can extend the serving time of quiche by keeping it in a chafing dish or warmer at 165 degrees.
According to the FDA, Quiche (or scrambled eggs) will maintain its flavor and texture for 4-5 hours when served at this temperature.
The FDA further recommends that you keep quiche in the refrigerator and then heat it just before serving for the best result.
If you don’t have a warmer, or your party is at home, you can turn the oven down to 165 degrees to keep food warm throughout the event.
A crockpot on low or warm will also serve to keep mini quiches warm for several hours.
Refrigerating Cooked Quiche
Be sure that the quiche has cooled to room temperature completely before refrigerating. If it is still warm, the crust may become soggy in the refrigerator.
You should cover a quiche tightly with plastic wrap before placing it in the refrigerator.
In order to preserve the best texture of the quiche, only reheat the serving that you want to eat. Multiple reheating and chillings will cause the texture of the quiche to deteriorate.
You can cover the whole pie and place it in the fridge, or you can cut the quiche into individual slices and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap independently.
Cooked Quiche will remain good in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Freezing Cooked Quiche
You can freeze cooked quiche for up to 3 months. Before you freeze it, consider whether you will want to serve the whole quiche or individual servings.
Because it doesn’t tolerate multiple reheatings well, you may have the best results by freezing individual portions and only reheating what you intend to eat at one time.
Cut individual slices of quiche and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Then follow up by wrapping heavy-duty foil around each piece of quiche.
You can stack the wrapped pieces in an airtight container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. Be sure to note the date on the bag and eat within 3 months.
Reheating Quiche-Best Methods To Preserve Its Flavor
1.Heat Quiche In The Oven
The best way to reheat refrigerated or frozen quiche is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet with foil. Unwrap your refrigerated or frozen quiche and place it on the baking sheet.
Bake for 10-15 minutes (refrigerated) or 15-20 minutes (frozen). Although this method takes a few minutes, it provides the best result by helping keep the crust crisp and flaky.
2.Heat Quiche In The Air Fryer
The air fryer will also produce a crisp, flaky crust for your quiche. Cover the baking surface with foil and preheat to 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add 1 or 2 slices of quiche to the air fryer and cook for 8 minutes.
3.Heat Quiche In The Microwave
If you are in a hurry and are not too worried about a crispy crust, you can reheat quiche in the microwave. This method retains the flavor of the quiche, but the crust will not be crisp.
Unwrap your quiche slices and place them on a plate. Cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 – 2 minutes until it reaches the desired temperature.
Storing Uncooked Quiche
If you are preplanning for a meal, you can mix up a quiche and freeze it before baking it.
That way, all you have to do is pop it in the oven on the day you are ready to serve it. You can keep an uncooked quiche for about 1 month in the freezer.
Mix up your quiche filling and pour it into the pie crust. Place the filled pie on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer.
In about 3-4 hours, when it is frozen, remove it from the freezer, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, label it with the ingredients and date, and return it to the freezer.
Baking Frozen Raw Quiche
You don’t need to thaw a frozen quiche before baking it. Remove the quiche from the freezer and take off the wrappings.
Place it on a baking sheet. Follow the original baking instructions, but make sure to add 15-20 minutes of baking time to the original recipe.
Identifying Spoiled Quiche
If your quiche has been in the fridge for a few days and you wonder whether you can eat it, look for these signs to see if it has turned bad.
Eggs that have become hard, dark-colored, or smelly are no longer good to eat, and you should discard them.
Furthermore, if the quiche has separated, is runny, and the crust is soggy, then it is probably not safe to eat any longer.
If the pie smells like rotten eggs, it is way past its prime and should be thrown out immediately.
Basic Quiche Recipe
Use this basic recipe as a platform to start with and build your favorite quiche from. You can make your own pie crust or start with a store-bought rolled crust that you just press into a pie pan.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and press a premade pie crust into a pie pan. Crimp the edges if desired.
In a large bowl, whisk together 6 eggs, ¾ cup of milk (You can substitute half and half or heavy cream), ¾ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
Distribute 1 cup chopped ham, 1 cup shredded cheese, and 3 tablespoons of chopped green onions around the pie crust. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust and top with ½ cup of shredded cheese.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the center of the pie is completely set. Let the quiche cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Substitutions and Additions for Quiche
Quiche is an extremely flexible meal. You need the eggs and cream, but beyond that, you can change up the recipe to suit your taste or your leftovers!
Crustless Quiche
Whether you eat a gluten-free diet or you don’t have a pie crust, you can make the quiche crustless.
Just spray the pan well with non-stick cooking spray and pour the ingredients directly into the pan.
Mix Up The Meat
Keep the meat to about one cup for a regular 9-inch pie crust. You can use chopped bacon, browned sausage, ground beef, salmon, or crab.
Take a look at whatever you have left in the refrigerator and elevate your leftovers.
Choose Your Cheese
Ham and cheddar cheese is a traditional combination, but don’t let that define the limits of your quiche creativity.
Try a 3 cheese quiche with sharp cheddar, mozzarella, and swiss. Add some Mediterranean flair with feta, parmesan, or asiago.
Vary The Veggies
Spinach and onion make a lovely, traditional quiche. But add some mushrooms for an earthy flavor.
Make a quiche with hash browns for a kid-friendly version. Pile one up with summer squash and zucchini to use up the overflow from your garden.
Interesting Ideas For Using Your Leftovers
Make a cheeseburger quiche. Use up some leftover ground beef, bacon crumbles, cheddar cheese, and a scoop of brown mustard for a weeknight quiche that even the kids will enjoy.
If you’ve got chilis left from Chile Rellenos, chop the chiles, and use some cojita cheese or queso fresco.
Throw in some roasted tomatoes and sauteed onions for a well-rounded and delicious treat.
Make Mini Quiches (And Freeze Them For Easy Breakfasts)
Cut a pre-made roll-out pie crust into circles. Press the circles into muffin tins. Fill with your choice of toppings and the egg, cream, and grated cheese mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let the mini quiches return to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or wrap them individually and freeze for up to 3 months.
Concluding Thoughts
You can keep quiche out for about 2 hours at room temperature. After that, store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Note
If you are serving quiche at a party or buffet and need to have it out longer than 2 hours, keep it in a warmer or a chafing dish at 145 degrees.
Freeze individual servings or muffin-sized quiches for an easy breakfast on the go.
My name is Keren Tayler. I am a stay-at-home mama to three lovely girls, Sarah + Rachel + Hannah. Prior to becoming a mom, I had a successful career in the accounting field, steps away from becoming a CPA. I decided to give up on my career in order to raise my own kids (as opposed to letting a nanny do it, no judgment here :)) I learned a lot and I love sharing it with other moms. Along the way, I also became a Certified Food Handler.