If you like jalapeño poppers and quiche, you will LOVE this Bacon Jalapeño Popper Quiche! It combines the amazing flavor of the beloved bacon-wrapped spicy party snack with a buttery crust, and eggy custard. As a bonus, it freezes beautifully so you can satisfy your craving for bacon-loaded, spicy jalapeño-stuffed quiche any day of the week.
1full recipe Magpie Dough for Flaky Piecrustchilled overnight (recipe follows)
2tablespoonscornstarch
1 ½cups(355 ml) whole milk
2cups(473 ml) heavy cream
10large eggs
1 ½teaspoonsgranulated garlic(I used garlic powder)
1 ½teaspoonsgranulated onion(I used onion powder)
¼teaspoonred pepper flakes
¾teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
1 ½cups(170 grams) grated sharp cheddar cheese
½cupdrained pickled jalapeño slices
5slicesbaconcooked, drained, and coarsely chopped
4ounces(113 grams) cream cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
Instructions
Lightly flour a smooth work surface and a rolling pin.
Take a chilled disk of dough out of the fridge. Give it a couple of firm squeezes, then unwrap it and set it on the floured work surface.
Set the pin crosswise on the dough and press down firmly, making a nice deep channel across the full width of the disk. Turn the disk 180 degrees and repeat, making a second indentation, forming a plus sign.
Use your rolling pin to press down each of the wedges, turning the dough 45 degrees each time. This will give you the beginnings of a thick circle.
Now, rolling from the center outward and rotating the dough a quarter turn to maintain a circular shape, roll the dough out to a 13-inch circle with an even thickness of ¼ inch.
Set your 9-inch springform pan alongside the 15-inch dough circle. Carefully fold the circle in half, transfer it to the pan, and unfold. Gently shift the dough around to settle it into the pan, then lightly press the dough further into place so that it is flush against the sides and bottom of the pan, including the outer edge. Trim any dough that extends more than an inch over the sides of the mold and reserve the scraps. Fold the excess dough over against the outside of the pan. (Preparing the quiche shell this way will prevent it from shrinking down the sides as it bakes. The excess dough will be removed after the quiche is baked.) Carefully check for any cracks or holes in the dough, and patch with the reserved dough as necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator or freezer until quite firm.
While the shell chills, preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil, and cut an additional piece of parchment or aluminum foil into a 16-by-16-inch square.
Line the shell with parchment, gently smoothing and pleating the paper as needed to fit into place up close against the bottom and sides of the crust. Fill to the rim with beans. Set the pan on the parchment-lined baking sheet, slide the sheet into the oven, and bake the quiche shell 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the parchment and weights. Check the dough for any new cracks or holes and patch with the thin pieces of the reserved dough if necessary. Return the shell to the oven for another 30 minutes, or until the bottom is golden. Remove from the oven and allow the shell to cool completely on the baking sheet. Once again, check the dough for any cracks or holes, and patch if necessary before filling with the quiche batter.
To make the custard filling, put the cornstarch in a large mixing bowl and whisk in the milk and heavy cream until the cornstarch is dissolved and incorporated. Whisk in the eggs, granulated garlic and onion, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, mixing until well combined. Set aside.
To assemble the quiche, set the springform pan on the prepared baking sheet (it might already be on there from when it cooled). Scatter the grated cheese evenly across the bottom of the shell, followed by the jalapeños, bacon, and cream cheese. Slowly pour the custard over top.
Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the quiche 75 to 90 minutes (mine baked about 1 hour 45 minutes), or until the custard is firm around the edges but the center still jiggles loosely (you can confirm for certain with an instant-read thermometer, which will register 160 degrees F when the custard is done), rotating halfway through the baking time.
Remove the quiche from the oven and let cool to room temperature on a rack. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 day, or up to 3 days.
Once the quiche is thoroughly chilled, use your fingers or a knife to break away the excess crust from the top edge. Carefully release the side of the springform pan, and lift away. Use a large metal spatula to release the quiche from the bottom of the springform pan, and gently slide the quiche onto a large cutting board.
To serve: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a serrated knife and supporting the sides of the crust, carefully cut through the edge of the crust in a sawing motion. Switch to a long slicing knife and cut through the custard and bottom crust. Repeat, cutting the quiche into 8 or 10 pieces. Place the pieces on the baking sheet and reheat for 15 minutes, or until hot throughout.
Slices of quiche can also be wrapped in plastic wrap and then frozen in a freezer bag to be reheated at a later time.
Notes
For the best results, make easy homemade pickled jalapeños for the filling!
To make this jalapeño popper quiche even further in advance, you may chill, slice, and freeze the slices. Wrap each slice of quiche in plastic wrap and then transfer to a freezer bag. Press out the air and seal. You can freeze quiche for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating as instructed above.
This recipe uses kosher salt (aka cooking salt, kitchen salt, coarse salt outside of the US), preferably Diamond Crystal brand. If you are using table salt, definitely scale down the salt as that is a saltier type of salt! The type of salt will make a big difference in how salty your food tastes, so keep that in mind.
Adapted from Magpie, some method of prep from Bouchon Bakery.