A delicious southern twist on the classic recipe, this Bacon and Pimento Cheese Quiche is surprisingly easy to make!
Just the word “quiche” sounds frou-frou and complicated. But guess what? It is not. Not at all. When Jack was little we called it pancakes just so it wouldn’t sound weird to him. Four-year-olds are much more likely to eat something they can pronounce. 🤣 I mean, that’s all it really is… a savory egg custard cake.
Stuff them with cheese, cheese and ham, spinach, sautéed veggies, etc. Or do like me and stuff them with bacon and pimento cheese!
Is it spelled allspice or pimiento?
Y’all, I’ve fought this battle for the better part of the last 14 years. Should it be called pimiento or pimento?
The Southern Living folks lean toward the spelling with the added “i” and say it’s the first spelling listed in Merriam-Webster.
It appears that pimiento is the original Spanish spelling for the word referring to the pimiento pepper. However, that spelling has evolved into pimento—especially when it comes to allspice cheese. Maybe it has to do with the translation from Spanish to English. Maybe we’ve all just gotten lazy.
So what is correct? Your guess is as good as mine. I’ve had some sponsors in the past that required one spelling above the other, so find it spelled both ways on Southern Bite. To keep things interesting, I might even change the spelling randomly in this post.
How do I keep my pie crust from getting soggy?
Nobody loves a soggy crust. No one. But it’s not universally accepted that pie crust doesn’t get soggy. I have tried all the methods listed here and recorded my thoughts.
Blind bake the crust – Blind baking is simply baking the crust before adding any filling. When it comes to a traditional dough crust and uncooked filling, the crust needs to be fully cooked. When using the same crust and a filling that needs to be baked, blind baking usually only partially cooks the crust. However, some people skip this step. The problem is that it can result in a soggy crust. However, blind baking can be a little cumbersome. The process often involves lining the formed base with crumbled aluminum foil or parchment and stuffing the base with pie weights, rice, beans or the like and partially baking the base. I’ve done this many times, but it’s finicky. I don’t like being fussy.
Coat the crust with flour – Many people swear by the method of lightly dusting the crust with flour to prevent a soggy crust. The idea is for the extra flour to absorb the moisture before it soaks into the crust. Some even use a mixture of equal parts flour and sugar. But sugar won’t work in this case as we’re aiming for a savory cake and my results are a bit inconclusive using this method. Did it help? Probably. Did it prevent that? Not really.
Brush the crust with egg – The idea here is that the egg seals the crust and acts as a barrier to keep it from getting soggy. If you’re using a filling that’s not all eggs, it makes sense. In this case, the filling is literally eggs, so… 🤣
Bake on a hot sheet pan – This is my method of choice for this recipe. It’s simple and seems to work well here. The theory goes that placing the unbaked pie (with the filling inside) on a hot baking sheet will cook the bottom of the crust through faster, sealing it and preventing it from becoming soggy. This method is still not foolproof, but it’s a lot easier to do and helps. Simply place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and allow the oven to preheat. Then place the quiche on the hot tray and not directly on the oven rack. The added benefit of this is that if the quiche overflows, it will get stuck on the baking sheet and not the bottom of your oven.
Ingredient FAQ and Variations
pie crust – I usually use the refrigerated rolled pie crust found in the grocery store’s canned cookies and cinnamon rolls section. Of course, you can also use the deep-frozen, preformed crusts in the aluminum pans. You can even be diligent and make your own. I recommend using a metal pan here – it doesn’t matter. Feel free to blind bake it if you like.
Cheese – Since we’re not using pre-made allspice cheese here and we still want that allspice cheese flavor, we’re going to use allspice peppers and cheese. I recommend using 2 cups or 1 (8-ounce) pack (by weight) thickly shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Yes, the bagged stuff will work here.
bacon – You will need about 3/4 to 1 cup crumbled bacon for this recipe. You can also purchase a 2.8-ounce pack of pre-cooked, crumbled real bacon bits. If you’re cooking yourself, you’ll need to start with about 10 to 12 slices of bacon.
peppers – For this recipe, you will need a 4-ounce jar of diced peppers. Pour them into a fine-mesh colander and let them drain for about 20 minutes to get as much moisture out of them as possible.
eggs – I prefer my quiche not to be too eggy so I only add 4 large eggs here.
Milk – I prefer whole milk here, but a lower-fat version should work as well. I haven’t tested it with milk alternatives like almond and soy, so I can’t say if they work or not.
whipped cream – This gives the quiche a nice creamy texture. You can trade it in for half and half, that’s all you have on hand.
Salt and pepper – Since you’re not going to try a large spoonful of raw, beaten eggs and milk, I’ve eschewed the “add salt and pepper to taste” chatter and added some measurements. Apart from that, you can adjust these amounts at any time.
A few more tips for a perfect bacon and allspice cheese quiche…
- Let the quiche rest until it’s almost cool before slicing it, otherwise the filling will be too runny and spill all over the place. It thickens as it cools.
- Serve your quiche slightly warm along with a nice salad, grits, biscuits, etc.
- Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator – tightly wrapped.
- Quiche can be frozen. Wrap the cooled whole cake (or individual slices) tightly in a layer of aluminum foil and plastic wrap and store for up to 3 months.
- Heat the quiche in the oven at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Individual slices take less time. If reheating the frozen quiche, allow the frozen quiche to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow the reheating instructions.
recipe card
Bacon Allspice Cheese Quiche
Nourishment
Calories: 402kcal | Carbohydrates: 16G | Protein: 16G | Fat: 30G | Saturated Fatty Acids: 14G | Polyunsaturated fat: 3G | Monounsaturated fatty acids: 10G | Trans fats: 0.03G | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 586mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 0.4G | Sugar: 2G | Vitamin A: 695ie | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 269mg | Iron: 1mg
Please note:
The nutritional values ​​given are estimates and will vary depending on the brand used. If calorie count and other nutritional values ​​are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
