Easy Broccoli Cheddar Quiche (Frozen Pie Crust)
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
A flakey golden pie crust filled with broccoli in a rich, creamy egg custard augmented with savory sharp cheddar & parmesan cheeses. This easy Broccoli Cheddar Quiche is perfect for any breakfast, brunch, luncheon, or dinner.
During the week, time is short. So, I will make baked peanut butter oatmeal or cinnamon and sugar donut muffins for breakfast. However, on the weekends, you find us enjoying Blueberry Pancakes, Nutella Crepes, and Cheese Danish along with this Broccoli Cheese Quiche.
Table of Contents
What We Love About This Recipe
- Looks as Good as It Tastes! This quiche isn’t just pretty—it’s packed with incredible flavor.
- Effortless Crust Hack Grab a frozen pie crust, no thawing needed. Easy peasy!
- Make It Your Way Use a homemade or refrigerated crust if you prefer—bake it in your favorite pie plate for a personal touch.
- Anytime Is Quiche Time Perfect for brunch, holidays, or when you’re just craving something cheesy and delicious.
- Fridge Clean-Out Friendly Toss in any veggies or cheese you have on hand—this quiche is all about flexibility!
What Is Quiche?
Quiche is the quintessential Sunday brunch mainstay, enthusiastically adopted by most cultures from French cuisine. This elegant French tart may sound complicated but is simply a savory egg custard in a pastry shell. I’m not inclined to be that formal, so we just call it a pie crust around here!
Filling a golden pie crust with creamy egg custard and enhancing with the addition of various meats, cheeses, and vegetables is a perfect dish for any meal! The variations are as unique and adaptive as your imagination (or culinary skill)!
You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and tasty this broccoli cheddar quiche is to make; with a delectable creamy texture, nuanced layers of mild, tender broccoli, robust aged cheddar, and the peerless umami of parmesan cheese.
Ingredient Notes
For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Half & Half and eggs form the custard in the quiche with various spices. (Steer clear of regular milk or “fat-free” half and half!)
- Frozen pie crust is the key to keeping the custard mixture from making the broccoli quiche crust soggy. If you want to use a store-bought refrigerated or homemade pie crust, just freeze it first or blind bake the crust. (see how to blind bake below)
- Fresh broccoli florets with the stems removed will bake more evenly. To make smaller, more uniform pieces, break apart the florets by hand. You can substitute frozen broccoli, but it must be thawed and drained. If you use fresh broccoli, cook it in the microwave covered for 3 minutes to soften a little.
- Slaw mix will primarily contain shredded cabbage with julienne carrots adding flavor and texture.
- Cheese. Sharp cheddar and Parmesan pair perfectly with broccoli.
Do you have to bake the crust first for a quiche?
Not at all!! I have found by using a frozen pie crust, I don’t have trouble with a soggy crust. If you don’t want to use a pre-made frozen crust, you can use store-bought refrigerated crust or homemade pie crust. Roll the pie crust to fit slightly larger than a 9-inch standard pie plate (NOT deep dish). Fold the overhang underneath and crimp as desired and freeze for 30 minutes. Fill and bake as directed in the recipe below.
What is blind baking, and how do I do it?
You can blind bake a refrigerated or homemade pie crust for 10-20 minutes before adding the filling if you want to make sure you have a crisp bottom crust.
Blind baking, or pre-baking, is a nifty hack for pie crust or pastries that require more baking time than the filling. It is also used if the crust contains a wet filling that could cause a doughy crust.
The process of successfully blind baking a pie crust is relatively easy and revolutionary to neophyte bakers. Place your pie crust in the pan, crimp the edges, and line the crust with a sheet of parchment paper. Add an even layer of your preferred pie weights (dry rice, dry beans, or pie weights) on the parchment paper, chill for about 30 minutes, and bake.
The weights should be heavy enough to allow the crust to bake but not to rise or bubble.
For this quiche broccoli recipe, blind bake 10- 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, return to the oven and continue baking until just starting to brown, (about 10-12 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly before pouring your filling into the crust. Bake as directed in the recipe below.
Kitchen Tip
If you use dried beans or rice as pie weights, you can store the baked “weights” in a sealed bag and reuse them each time you need to blind bake a crust. It is not recommended that you cook the beans or rice used as weights for consumption.
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche Easy Instructions
When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Prep the Crust: If using refrigerated or homemade dough, roll it out to fit a 9-inch pie plate (not deep dish), crimp the edges, and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Mix the Filling: Whisk eggs, half-and-half, garlic, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and hot sauce until smooth. Pour into the frozen crust.
- Prepare the Veggies: Microwave fresh broccoli to soften, or thaw and drain frozen broccoli. Evenly distribute broccoli and slaw mix over the egg mixture.
- Add Cheese & Bake: Sprinkle with cheese and bake until the center is set.
- Cool & Serve: Let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.
Great Tips For Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
- Cut the stems off the broccoli and use your hands to break the florets into small pieces.
- Due to the higher fat content of half and half, don’t replace it with milk. This will ensure a rich, creamy egg custard base for the broccoli quiche.
- Keep an eye on the crust as it bakes, you don’t want it to get too brown. If needed, use a pie crust shield or foil to avoid overcooking the crust.
- Allowing a slight wobble in the center of the broccoli quiche and a resting period of at least 10 minutes will provide a light and overall pleasing custard pastry.
Tasty Additions For Broccoli Cheese Quiche
- Crispy crumbled bacon or sausage
- Diced ham, pre-cooked turkey, or chicken
- Onions and/or sweet yellow or red peppers*
- Well-drained and chopped pickled jalapenos or Kalamata olives*
- Pepper jack, smoked gouda, or Gruyère Cheese
Broccoli Quiche FAQs
Can You Make It A Crustless Broccoli Cheddar Quiche?
Absolutely! This broccoli quiche will bake perfectly in a greased 9” pie plate without a crust. Follow the directions for the egg custard/filling, temperature, and bake on the middle rack.
Check the broccoli cheddar quiche at 30 minutes for doneness. You want a light and fluffy egg custard, not the firm texture of a frittata.
How Do You Tell If A Quiche Is Done?
The foolproof way is to use a good instant-read thermometer to find your custard sweet spot between 165°F – 185°F (74°C – 85°C). Allow the quiche to rest between 10 – 20 minutes; while the outer portion cools, the center will continue to cook.
You can also use a tried and true method of inserting a knife blade about one inch from the middle and see if the knife comes out clean. BUT, in proper quiche form (not frittata texture), the custard should be slightly jiggly in the center because it should continue to set up after removing from the oven.
Always allow a hot from the oven quiche 10 minutes to cool before cutting and serving.
What Goes With Quiche?
If you want to serve broccoli quiche as the main dish of your meal, here are a few good side dish options as well as drinks to serve with it. Pair it with a simple side salad, hot German potato salad, or a bowl of roasted tomato soup. For something heartier, try BLT red potato salad, triple berry salad, or fresh fruit. A sweet touch like banana crumb muffins is always a good idea, and for drinks, a Kir Royale or Raspberry Iced Tea makes the meal feel extra special.
Whether you’re serving it for brunch, dinner, or sneaking a slice straight from the fridge, this broccoli cheddar quiche never disappoints. It’s the kind of dish that feels a little fancy but takes hardly any effort—our favorite kind of kitchen magic!
Broccoli Cheddar Quiche
Easy BROCCOLI CHEDDAR QUICHE - A flakey golden pie crust filled with broccoli in a rich, creamy egg custard with sharp cheddar & parmesan cheeses. Perfect for any breakfast, brunch, luncheon, or dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 5 drops hot pepper sauce
- 1 (9-inch) frozen pie crust - do not thaw (see notes)
- ¾ cup broccoli with stems cut off (fresh or frozen)*
- ¾ cup slaw mix
- 1½ cups extra-sharp shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesean
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- If using a refrigerated or homemade pie crust; Roll the pie crust to fit slightly larger than a 9-inch standard pie plate (NOT deep dish). Fold the overhang underneath and crimp as desired. Freeze for 30 minutes. (see notes)
- Whisk together, eggs, half and half, garlic, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and hot sauce in a large bowl until smooth. Pour filling into frozen crust.
- If using fresh broccoli, cook it in the microwave covered for 3 minutes to soften a little. If using frozen broccoli, thaw, and drain. Distribute broccoli and slaw mix evenly over the egg mixture.
- Sprinkle with cheeses bake 30 to 35 minutes or until custard is just set and no longer giggly.
- Cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve quiche warm or at room temperature.
Notes
If using a frozen pie crust, do NOT thaw. If you'd like to use a refrigerated or homemade pie crust, simply place the pie crust in the pan, crimp and freeze for 30 minutes before filling. (If you'd rather blind bake a crust, see blog post for detailed instructions)
Cut the stems off the broccoli and use your hands to break the florets into small pieces, and measure ¾ cup.
- Don't replace half and half with milk. The higher fat content makes for a creamier custard
- STORE LEFTOVERS cooled and covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- TO FREEZE BAKED QUICHE: Let the quiche cool completely. Once cooled wrap in 2 layers of plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- TO REHEAT: Remove the foil and plastic and bake in 350°F oven covered with foil to keep the pastry flake for about 25 minutes, or until heated through. In a hurry? Heat a slice of quiche in the microwave at 50% power for about 3 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 380Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 164mgSodium: 625mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 14g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used.
This recipe was originally posted in Feb 2022.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
Tidymom is a participant in the amazon services llc associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Please respect my work, recipes and photographs. If you do use a recipe in your own writing, please give proper credit and link back to the original post.
I am curious about the 3/4 cup of slaw mix. Nothing was mentioned how to use it. Is it presoftened or put in with the broccoli raw from the bag of coleslaw mix?
I use it straight from the bag.
I’m a little confused by the directions. Which is it?
“For this quiche broccoli recipe, blind bake 10- 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, return to the oven and continue baking until just starting to brown, (about 10-12 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly before pouring your filling into the crust. Bake as directed in the recipe below.”
Below: Pour filling into frozen crust. Distribute broccoli and slaw evenly over the egg mixture. Sprinkle with cheeses.
there are several choices for the crust:
* you can buy a pre-made frozen crust – fill and bake.
* you can make your own crust – freeze it for 30 minutes, then fill and
bake
* you can make your own crust and blind bake it, then fill and bake (the blog post explains how to blind bake pie crust)
All three steps will help prevent a soggy crust.
What is slaw mix?can you use something else?
Slaw mix is shredded cabbage and julienned carrots – you can certainly just shred cabbage and julienne carrots yourself.