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    You are here: Home / Breakfast / Make Ahead Quiche

    Make Ahead Quiche

    March 21, 2013 by Danelle 77 Comments

    Jump to recipe

    MAKE AHEAD QUICHE — Mix up this Make Ahead Quiche, then put it in the freezer so it’s ready to go whenever you need something for brunch or a light dinner.


    Make Ahead Quiche

    This Make Ahead Quiche is absolutely, hands-down, my favorite freezer meal ever!

    Every time I make a ham and have leftovers (which is pretty much every time I make a ham), I put together two or three of these quiches and keep them in the freezer for those times I just don’t feel like cooking.

    This is hands down one of my most go to recipes. Perfect every time and I can put all kinds of combinations together as long as I keep the egg base the same. I keep 2-3 in the freezer all the time. ~ Alexandria

    I love that this quiche can go straight from the freezer to the oven! Of course, you have to be careful transferring the unbaked quiche to the freezer not to slosh around the egg filling too much, but once you get it in the freezer, you’ve got a wonderful freezer meal ready to go!

    And this quiche really does bake up beautifully! People are always skeptical–I know I was–but this recipe hasn’t failed me yet.

    I’ve also given this quiche to friends and neighbors who were getting ready to have a baby, or surgery, to keep in their freezer. It always gets rave reviews!

    Make Ahead Quiche

    This quiche is wonderful for breakfast or brunch, but I usually serve it as a light dinner with a fresh fruit salad.  I’ve also used cooked bacon in place of the ham.

    I’ve made this quiche countless times. I always make it ahead of the day I need it, freeze it, bake it directly from the freezer to the oven. Perfect and so, so good! ~ Minnie

    You can make your own crust, but I usually resort to a pre-made frozen crust. It’s a great, basic recipe that I think would do well with all kind of additions and variations.

    My whole family loves it! And I love knowing I have a delicious ready-to-bake meal on hand for those nights (or mornings) when I’m just not in the mood to cook.


    Be sure to save this Make Ahead Quiche recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.


    Make Ahead Quiche

    I made one of these as part of my pre-baby freezer cooking. Freezer meals that don’t have to be defrosted first are the best!

    It turned out perfectly…the texture was lovely, the filling was evenly set, and done in 1 hour. Will definitely be making again and passing the recipe on to friends! ~ Emma


    Here’s what you’ll need to make Make Ahead Quiche


    • Pie crust
    • Cheddar cheese
    • Monterrey Jack cheese
    • Flour
    • Ham
    • Eggs
    • Half and Half
    • Green onions
    • Spices: mustard powder, salt and peper
    Continue to Content
    Make Ahead Quiche

    Make Ahead Quiche

    Yield: 8 servings
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

    Mix up this Make Ahead Quiche, then put it in the freezer so it's ready to go whenever you need something for brunch or a light dinner.

    Ingredients

    • 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    • 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
    • 1 tablespoon flour
    • 1/2 cup cooked ham, diced
    • 4 eggs
    • 1 cup Half and Half
    • 2 green onions, chopped
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon ground dry mustard
    • Dash of pepper

    Instructions

    1. In a medium bowl, toss the flour with the grated cheese. Evenly spread the cheese over the bottom of the pie crust. Top the cheese with the diced ham.
    2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, salt, pepper and dry mustard. Stir in the green onions. Pour the egg mixture over the ham and cheese.
    3. Cover the unbaked quiche with plastic wrap, then with foil, sealing the edges well. Place the prepared quiche in the freezer.
    4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Do not thaw the quiche!
    5. Remove the foil and plastic wrap. Place the foil around the edges of the crust to prevent burning.
    6. Place the frozen quiche in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, or until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown.
    7. To cook the quiche immediately (without freezing first), preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

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    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 336Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 138mgSodium: 512mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 14g

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a comment, or tag @LetsDish on Instagram.

    © Danelle
    Cuisine: American / Category: Breakfast

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    Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from allrecipes.com.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cindy

      March 22, 2013 at 6:04 am

      I have some ham I need to use–this looks like the perfect dish. I’ve never met a quiche I didn’t love and to have one in the freezer would be awesome. Great post. It’s pinned.

      Reply
    2. Gina @ Kleinworth & Co.

      March 22, 2013 at 6:23 pm

      Ohhhhh- awesome. Hubs was just saying how he wanted to make some. Thanks Danelle!

      Reply
    3. Shannon

      March 23, 2013 at 4:45 pm

      I love quiche and I usually get up extra early to fix it. I can’t wait to try these. Sleeping in is always a plus!! 🙂

      Reply
    4. Amy

      March 26, 2013 at 12:11 am

      What a great idea! I am going to use up some of the leftover easter ham and try this out!

      Reply
    5. Jennifer Lee

      April 02, 2013 at 11:36 pm

      I made this tonight and it was a huge success! I just baked it immediately, but now I plan to make a few more and freeze them for later. Thanks for sharing a great recipe.

      Reply
    6. Linda

      August 02, 2013 at 12:42 am

      I made this tonight for my husband-test run- he loved it. So easy to make. Plan to make more and freeze for our family get-together. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
    7. Janet K.

      September 04, 2013 at 7:20 am

      Hi, I was curious…..why cook the frozen one at a higher temp than the fresh (unfrozen one)? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Danelle

        September 04, 2013 at 11:26 am

        The higher temp just helps the frozen one get past that frozen state a bit quicker. I suppose you could cook it at the same temp as the unfrozen one, but you’d have to cook it longer.

        Reply
    8. Patricia @ ButterYum

      January 10, 2014 at 12:58 am

      I love that this quiche can be frozen before baking – great idea for dinner on busy weeknights.

      Reply
    9. Eleanor

      April 18, 2014 at 3:05 pm

      Hi – I;m a bit curious – are you using a glass pie plate? Thanks:)

      Reply
    10. bridget

      December 10, 2014 at 12:59 pm

      I am also wondering what dish do you freeze and bake it in? Also on step 7 it says remove the pastic wrap and foil but then says cover the crust with the foil. So are you just removing the plastic wrap and then recovering it with the foil?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        December 10, 2014 at 1:20 pm

        I use a premade pie crust (Marie Callender brand) and just bake it in the pan it comes in. But any similar pie pan would work. And you do remove both the plastic wrap and foil, and then just put foil over the edge of the crust so it doesn’t burn, but you don’t cover the whole quiche. You can use the same foil if you want though and tear it into long strips to go around the edge. Or if you have a pie crust shield to put around the edge of the crust, that does the same thing.

        Reply
    11. Tracy

      December 27, 2014 at 9:57 am

      I just realized I only needed to cover the crust with foil…so it’s been baking for well over an hour now and not set. I found it a little difficult to keep the foil just on the edges – can you post a picture of what yours looks like when you put it in the oven?

      Reply
    12. Helen

      January 16, 2015 at 8:37 pm

      What on earth do you mean by 1 cup half and half? Half and half of what??!!

      Reply
      • Cass

        February 15, 2015 at 9:21 pm

        You can find half and half in your dairy case. It will be near the heavy cream. It is often used for coffee and is lighter than cream. It usually comes in pints.

        Reply
        • Mike

          July 26, 2015 at 4:24 pm

          Bravo. That was a tough question!

          Reply
      • Kristina

        April 13, 2017 at 9:00 pm

        Half and half is literally just half cream half milk. It comes premixed in cartons for convenience but you can absolutely mix it yourself.

        Reply
    13. Kathy

      April 17, 2015 at 1:13 pm

      How long can these be kept in the freezer?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        April 17, 2015 at 2:08 pm

        I’ve baked them after 2-3 months in the freezer and they still tasted good.

        Reply
    14. Connie Wheeler

      August 07, 2015 at 1:02 pm

      can I substitute tortillas for the pie crust?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        August 07, 2015 at 3:07 pm

        I’ve never tried it that way, but if you do, I would love to hear how it turns out.

        Reply
    15. Jennifer

      September 29, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      Hi! Have you tried baking two at a time in the same oven? If so, what adjustments did you make? I just made two of these and froze them to use for a party. It would be convenient if I can cook both quiches at the same time.

      Reply
      • Danelle

        September 29, 2015 at 3:45 pm

        The only adjustment I think you would possibly need is to add a some cooking time. Maybe 5-10 minutes. But you may not even need to do that. They should both fit on the same oven rack, so it shouldn’t be a problem to cook both at once.

        Reply
        • Jennifer

          September 30, 2015 at 8:13 pm

          Thank you! I did increase the time but it was probably because I added veggies to the quiche (fresh mushrooms and spinach that I sauteed). I think the veggies released some extra liquid so the center still looked soggy at 1 hour. I sliced the quiche and left it in the oven for a few more minutes. It was a big hit at the party! Thanks!

          Reply
    16. Amy

      October 06, 2015 at 12:27 pm

      Do you precook the pie crust of just load it with all theningredients while its frozen?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        October 06, 2015 at 4:23 pm

        I just put everything into the frozen crust. If you were going to cook the quiche right away you could pre-cook it though.

        Reply
    17. theresa benedick

      July 28, 2016 at 5:48 pm

      i want to use my Emile Henry pie dishes width i always use for my quiche but I’m wondering if I can get a good product freezer to oven with these dishes.. what do you think? gotta make about 8 ….thanks t nenedick

      Reply
      • Danelle

        July 29, 2016 at 1:01 pm

        I think the recipe would turn out fine. You would just need make sure that your pie dishes are capable of going from the freezer to the oven without being damaged. And if you don’t need to make ahead, you can skip the freezing step and cook the quiche the day it’s made, which shouldn’t be a problem at all for your dishes.

        Reply
    18. barbara

      September 15, 2016 at 3:35 pm

      can you freeze the liquid quiche (without the pie crust) in a container for future use? when you want to make you bake the crust and pour the defrosted quiche liquid into the shells or pie crust to bake?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        September 15, 2016 at 4:14 pm

        I have honestly never tried that, but I’d love to know how it works if you do!

        Reply
        • Mary Moody

          June 23, 2019 at 12:01 pm

          I would say that would work. You use to be able to buy a product called Pour a Quiche. It was in a carton in the frozen food section. You had to let it thaw, then poured into a raw crust & bake. It was really good. Had about 3 different varieties.

          Reply
    19. Karen

      January 15, 2017 at 8:47 am

      Hello,
      I wanted to use Swiss cheese and bacon (pre cooked and crumbled) instead of the cheeses and ham listed in your recipe. Can swiss cheese be substituted and should it also be 2 cups? And 1/2 cup of crumbled bacon? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Danelle

        January 15, 2017 at 9:40 am

        Yes, you should be able to make those substitutions, using the same amount of cheese.

        Reply
    20. Maria

      March 19, 2017 at 7:21 am

      I want to add leeks instead of green onions, do you think I should saute them first?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        March 19, 2017 at 7:17 pm

        Hmmm….that’s a good question. My first thought is to say yes, but it does cook for a long time, so you might be able to get away without it, if you chopped the leeks finely enough.

        Reply
    21. Alexandria Gilbert

      March 29, 2017 at 6:35 pm

      This is hands down on of my most go to recipes.Perfect every time and I can put all kinds of combinations together as long as i keep the egg base the same. It is perfect for my husbands work week or when we have weekend company. I keep 2-3 in the freezer all the time.

      Reply
      • Danelle

        March 30, 2017 at 12:01 pm

        Wonderful! Thank you!

        Reply
    22. E.

      May 09, 2017 at 9:37 pm

      I made one of these as part of my pre-baby freezer cooking… Freezer meals that don’t have to be defrosted first are the best! It turned out perfectly… The texture was lovely, the filling was evenly set, and done in 1 hour. Will definitely be making again and passing the recipe on to friends! Thank you!

      Reply
    23. Beatriz Cruz

      July 25, 2017 at 8:44 pm

      How do you prevent the plastic wrap from touching the top of the quiche when you prepare to freeze? Or does this not matter?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        July 25, 2017 at 9:24 pm

        It doesn’t matter. It should peel right off the frozen quiche when you go to bake it.

        Reply
    24. Samantha

      December 10, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      My pie crusts were very full when I put the plastic wrap over the top before freezing. Some of the egg mixture even leaked out. Do I have to worry about them running over once I get them in the oven? Or since they are frozen will I be ok?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        December 11, 2017 at 7:12 am

        They sound a little more full than mine usually are, but the egg puffs up like an omelet when you bake it, so I think it will be fine. I usually bake mine on a sheet pan anyway, just in case.

        Reply
    25. Mona

      December 21, 2017 at 1:20 pm

      Hi,
      Thank you for the recipe!
      Would I be able to use precooked sausage In the Quiche instead if ham?
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Danelle

        December 21, 2017 at 3:41 pm

        Yes, that should be fine.

        Reply
    26. Mona

      December 24, 2017 at 9:48 am

      Could I use 2%. Milk i stead if half and half?
      Thank you.

      Reply
    27. Mona

      December 24, 2017 at 9:50 am

      Could I use 2% milk instead of half and half?
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Danelle

        December 24, 2017 at 12:21 pm

        Yes.

        Reply
    28. Jean

      April 15, 2018 at 4:59 pm

      I want to make this for a luncheon at work. I won’t be able to watch it while it cooks. Have you ever cooked it, then rewarmed either part or all of it?

      Reply
    29. Danelle

      April 16, 2018 at 8:49 am

      I have rewarmed slices in the microwave, and that worked well.

      Reply
    30. Minnie

      June 25, 2018 at 7:10 am

      I’ve made this quiche countless times. I always make it ahead of the day I need it, freeze it, bake it directly from the freezer to the oven. Perfect and so, so good!

      Reply
      • Danelle

        June 25, 2018 at 9:30 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
    31. Dianne

      July 27, 2018 at 9:27 am

      I need 2 quiche for a luncheon in a couple of weeks. I also use MC frozen crusts. Worried about a soggy crust. Should I freeze unbaked for a week then bake or bake then freeze and bake frozen? Or bake 3 days ahead, refrigerate and reheat when I need?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        July 27, 2018 at 10:16 am

        I would do it the way it is suggested in the recipe. Freeze unbaked, then bake the day before or day of your luncheon as outlined in the instructions. I don’t think the crust will be any more or less soggy using any other method, or more soggy than a traditional quiche that is baked immediately. I don’t find the crust in this recipe soggy either the day it’s baked, or the next day as leftovers, reheated.

        Reply
    32. Domenique

      October 30, 2018 at 8:16 pm

      I’d like to use this recipe but make my own pie crust. I think the recipe says to put the egg mixture in a frozen crust. Do you think the crust would be too soggy if I used fresh pie dough and then froze?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        October 31, 2018 at 7:42 am

        I honestly don’t know. Sogginess isn’t a problem with a frozen crust, so maybe the safest bet would be to make your fresh dough, freeze it in the pie pan, and then go from there. But if you try it with unfrozen crust and it works well, I’d love to know!

        Reply
    33. Beverly L Ager

      November 28, 2018 at 12:51 pm

      I would like to make this recipe weeks ahead, using frozen broccoli and no crust. Do you forsee problems?
      Thank you.

      Reply
      • Danelle

        November 28, 2018 at 7:09 pm

        I haven’t tried it without a crust or with frozen veggies, but I think it should work.

        Reply
    34. Kaara King

      December 07, 2018 at 4:22 pm

      I’ve made this twice now and it’s so good I practically eat the whole thing in one day it’s just so yummy! Thanks for the recipe! Today I used 6 eggs instead of 4 and added broccoli. I have omitted the ham both times, and I don’t really miss it. It’s just so good with the green onions and cheese on it’s own! Yum!

      Reply
    35. Ann

      December 09, 2018 at 3:57 pm

      I’d like to make two of these quiche for a family breakfast that we have planned. I’d like to make one just as your recipe is written and the other with just vegetables, what vegetables would you suggest and should the vegetables be sautéed before adding them to the quiche, I would imagine that using fresh would be better than frozen, any other help or suggestion you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much

      Reply
    36. Danelle

      December 10, 2018 at 6:43 am

      I have never made it with just vegetables, but I think peppers, broccoli, onions, etc. would be good. I think if you chop them small, you would not need to saute them first. And yes, I think fresh would be best.

      Reply
    37. Carla

      December 23, 2018 at 9:48 am

      Thank you so much for the recipe. Do you think I could make it just one day ahead and refrigerate it, or do you think it has to be frozen?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        December 23, 2018 at 9:51 am

        It doesn’t have to be frozen. The cooking time for that is in the recipe–it’s just slightly shorter.

        Reply
    38. Lori

      April 05, 2019 at 6:45 pm

      I have been doing this for years. However, I don’t wrap the quiche until after it’s frozen. Makes it much easier and a lot less messy. Just sit the quiche on a baking sheet, sit it in the freezer for a couple of hours (or overnight) and then wrap well.

      Reply
    39. Debbie

      October 14, 2019 at 2:28 pm

      I have made this several times, it is wonderful and every time I make it someone wants the recipe. I make my own crust, do not freeze the crust, add the filling then freeze, the crust does not need to be frozen first it does not get soggy. I have added mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, broccoli and red peppers in varying combinations. I saute them first as I’ve been afraid of the extra moisture they may add. It turns our perfectly every time. Also, almost any combination of grated cheese has worked. Great recipe. Thank you.

      Reply
    40. Lindsey

      November 09, 2019 at 9:30 am

      The Saran Wrap froze/stuck to the mixture . Is there a trick to that???

      Reply
      • Danelle

        November 09, 2019 at 1:51 pm

        I usually just pull it off without any issues. You could always let it sit for 10 minutes or so, then it should come off fine.

        Reply
    41. Nicole

      November 30, 2019 at 12:29 pm

      Wow! First of all, I had no idea you could freeze an unbaked quiche. I was pretty skeptical, but I took a risk and made one because we were hosting a get together right after hosting Thanksgiving and I just wasn’t going to have the time or energy to make anything in the morning. I used your instructions and keep all the proportions the same except I subbed bacon and leeks for ham and green onion becuase it’s what I had. I also only used 1 cup of cheese (gruyere for mine) I took it strait out of the freezer and panicked a bit because the plastic wrap ripped and stuck to the center of the quiche, but by the time the oven had preheatd the rest of the plactic wrap came. It cooked for 50 mins and thank god you mentioned to cover the curst. I could not believe how perfect it looked and tasted and the texture was perfection!! I am so grateful for your post.

      Reply
      • Danelle

        November 30, 2019 at 8:25 pm

        Thank you SO much!!! 🙂

        Reply
    42. R & J

      December 19, 2019 at 1:42 pm

      Have you ever blind baked the frozen crust–then refrozen it to use later in makeing this quiche?

      Reply
    43. Lisa

      December 22, 2019 at 10:50 am

      I made this the other day and it was in the oven for over an hour at 400° with just the crust covered and the middle was still not set. am i doing something wrong? It went straight from the freezer to the oven.

      Reply
    44. Melissa

      August 14, 2020 at 4:31 am

      Can I use heavy whipping cream in this recipe and it still freeze well?

      Reply
      • Danelle

        August 14, 2020 at 12:47 pm

        Should be fine.

        Reply
    45. Susan Puckett

      December 24, 2020 at 1:40 pm

      Hi! I am making this for Christmas breakfast…tomorrow! I want to make ahead though tonight. What is the best way? My dish is glass (Anchor brand – ok in microwave or oven) but I am using a premade (Pillsbury) refrigerated pie crust. Should I make and bake tonight and just reheat tomorrow with my grand kids…or…. can I “build it tonight and put it in the fridge and just bake it in the morning…or… should I build it tonight and freeze it and then bake it in the morning?

      Also…if I refrigerate it or freeze it tonight how long should it sit out before I bake it so as to avoid breaking the glass dish?

      Thanks so much!!!

      Reply
    46. kat

      January 31, 2021 at 10:08 am

      This was wonderful and so easy! thanks for a great recipe and all of the replies to the comments – it helped me a lot!

      Reply
    47. kat

      January 31, 2021 at 10:10 am

      meant to add – I substituted plain greek yogurt for half and half and just made sure to incorporate it in to the eggs and it cooked beautifully – still right at an hour!

      Reply

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