One of those restaurants was a charming French brasserie called Balthazar, in New York City. If you have never been, Balthazar is an iconic spot in SoHo in Manhattan, where it is almost always guaranteed to spot a celebrity. Having been open since 1997, it is also one of those spots in the city that stood the test of time. Their menu consists of various French dishes that are mostly catered for American clientele with classics like steak au poivre, beef stroganoff, French onion soup, profiteroles, and this goat cheese quiche with caramelized onion and thyme. While it is usually hard to pick what to eat, I have always been a fan of this quiche and eventually found a way to make it in my own kitchen. Since I published this recipe back in 2014, most of my readers must have thought so, because a quick glance in my analytics show that this is one of the most popular recipes on the blog, especially when it comes to breakfast and brunch. So today, I am here to update this fan favorite with some new photos, more helpful information, and a quick update to the recipe.
How to Make Goat Cheese Quiche
The recipe for this goats cheese quiche has 3 folds. First, you make the crust. This is the only change that I make to the original recipe that I published back in 2014. However, if you have been a fan of that crust recipe, do not worry. Because you will still be able to find that version in the recipe card below.
The All-Butter Pie Dough
So you rightfully might ask, why do you change a crust recipe that works? The original crust recipe, adapted from Cooks Illustrated cookbook (affiliate link), was made with vegetable shortening. While I have nothing against it, I made a decision to no longer use that ingredient in my cooking/baking a few years ago, mostly for health reasons. Instead, nowadays my go-to crust recipe is this all-butter crust pie dough I used in this updated version. Nowadays, I use this recipe for all my tarts, pies, and quiches. It works every time and delivers great results. Again adapted from the Cooks Illustrated, the magic ingredient in this all-butter crust dough is sour cream, which is what makes it tender and flaky. What I love about it the most is that it is an easy to handle crust recipe that even not-so-experienced-bakers like me can get good results. The process of making the crust is pretty simple. Simply whisk together sour cream with water and set it aside. Then mix together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Process a few times to make sure all dry ingredients are mixed well. Then add in the butter and process until butter is the size of large peas. Add in the sour cream and water mixture through the tube as the machine is running and process until the dough holds together when pinched and no dry flour remains. As with all crust recipes, it is imperative that all your ingredients are cold. If you want you can make several batches of this all-butter crust recipe and keep them in the freezer up to 2 months. I usually make the crust a day before and keep it in the fridge until I am ready to assemble.
Make The Filling
The second part of the process is preparing the filling. First, you cook the onions until they are fully caramelized. This can also be made a day in advance. You can place caramelized onions in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. As a matter of fact, every time I caramelize onions I make lots of them and add them in salads and soups for additional flavor throughout the week. If you are new to it, be sure to check out my detailed post on How To Make Caramelized Onions. The liquid mixture is a classic quiche mixture where you use milk and heavy cream along with eggs and egg yolks for additional silkiness (and fat).
Assemble the Quiche
Last but not least, you assemble the quiche. As the name of the recipe suggests, I used fresh goat cheese in the filling. I am a big fan of the caramelized onion-goat cheese- thyme combination and cannot recommend it enough. To assemble, you roll out the dough, place it in a tart pan (more about baking it in different sized pans is below), line with aluminum foil, fill it with pie weights (or beans), and par-bake it for 30 minutes. Once it is baked, remove the weights and aluminum foil, and scatter the crust evenly with goat cheese and caramelized onions. Then pour the milk-heavy cream-egg mixture over it. Don’t be alarmed if it is quite full. It will be fine after it is baked. I think a freshly baked single-serving quiche served with a simple green salad is one of the nicest presentations when it comes to treating your guests. That is why nowadays I make this quiche in smaller tart pans. The recipe below makes three single-serving quiches with these 5-inch tart pans (affiliate link) or four with these 4-inch bottom tart pans (affiliate link.) If you choose to use smaller tart pans, you will have to roll the pie dough twice. With this being said, you can still make this savory tart in a 9-inch tart/quiche pan.
Can I Make This Quiche with Goat Cheese Ahead?
Yes, you can. If you decide to do so, you have two options. First, you can prep all components of the recipe; crust, caramelized onions, and filling in advance and store them in the fridge (wrapped tightly) a day in advance and assemble it right before baking. Second, you can assemble and bake it. Let it come to room temperature, wrap tightly, and store in the fridge to serve the next day. Admittedly, the freshly baked, right out of the oven goats cheese and onion quiche is better, but the one you serve the next day is still good.
Can I Freeze This Recipe?
Yes, you can. Simply bake the quiche and let it come to room temperature. Then cover it tightly with stretch film and freeze up to a month. To serve, unwrap and thaw at the kitchen counter for 4 hours. Reheat at a 250 F degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Again, I find that the freshly baked and served version is the best, but if you are serving a crowd and need to make this ahead freezing is a great option.
Can I Use Other Cheeses And Vegetables To Make Quiche?
Yes, you can take the recipe below as a basis simply by using the same crust and liquid filling and make it with different vegetables. While I personally think that fresh goat cheese is what makes this recipe so delicious, you can use shredded cheddar, Swiss or even mozzarella cheese. In terms of vegetables, I recommend using frozen spinach and steamed and chopped broccoli. Alternatively, if you are serving meat eaters, you can add in prosciutto or ham into the filling as well.
If you Liked This Goat Cheese Quiche Recipe You Might Also Like:
Goat Cheese, Mushroom, and Asparagus Tart Maple Sweetened Mixed Berry Goat Cheese Bread Pudding Baked Goat Cheese Salad Thanksgiving Bruschetta Baked Goat Cheese Balls Baked Goat Cheese Dip Want more? Get all my Goat Cheese Recipes Don’t like goat cheese? Then try this Heirloom Tomato Ricotta Tart
Whether you make it treat your family over the weekend or serve it to a crowd for a special breakfast/brunch, this caramelized onion and goats cheese quiche is a delicious and visually impressive dish that is guaranteed to please.
