This quiche with creamy leeks, crisp pancetta and gruyere cheese is a wonderful addition to any Sunday brunch!
Quiche makes a great main dish for any brunch and can be served on its own if you want to keep things simple. The classic French way of serving quiche is with a simple green salad.
If you want to create a full brunch spread, I'd add some sliced fruit, or these Mozzarella and Mellon Skewers. If you want to finish with something sweet I'd go with this Banana Bread or these Mini Lemon Cheesecakes!
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I love getting together with friends for Sunday brunch. It's a nice way to end the weekend, and hosting at home makes it a little more relaxed than going out. Entertaining at home also gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of the menu.
Quiche is one of my all-time favorite brunch dishes. It's perfect for a casual brunch or a more formal holiday event. If you've read some of my other posts you'll know that leeks and pancetta are one of my favorite combinations, so I thought it was time to put them into one of my favorite dishes! I first made this one for a Saturday rooftop brunch with some of my co-workers and it got lots of compliments!
Contents:
A Perfect Addition to any Sunday Brunch Gathering
This quiche is perfect for Mother's Day brunch or any other special occasion, so be sure to bookmark this recipe so you have it handy for your next gathering!
Quiche is also incredibly adaptable. For the most part, all quiche consists of the same basic ingredients - eggs, dairy, cheese, spices and fillings (veggies, meats, etc) which means it's a great dish to experiment with. You can substitute pretty much anything that suits your taste for the fillings.
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Unsalted European butter: When making crusts the key is to use high-quality butter. There are a number of different options so pick your favorite.
- Gruyere cheese: I prefer Gruyere for its sharper, more nutty taste however you can substitute swiss cheese.
- Large eggs: Be sure to use large, not extra-large eggs to get the right consistency in the filling.
- Pancetta: You can buy it thinly sliced and then chop it yourself or buy pre-chopped cubes if you can find them in your grocery store (I usually find them in the section with the bacon). You can use bacon if you can't find pancetta.
- Leeks: After you slice the leeks you can toss them into a bowl of water to clean off any excess dirt. Just be sure to dry them well before cooking them.
- Half and half: I use half and half in my quiche. I find this produces a good texture without being overly rich. I don't recommend substituting whole milk.
How to make this recipe
The full printable recipe card is below, but let’s walk through the details before you get started.
While it is a bit time consuming, making quiche is fairly easy and really has two components - the crust and the filling.
Step 3 | Make the filling. Start by cooking the pancetta and leeks over medium-low heat. Next, add the eggs to a large bowl and whisk them together. Then add the half and half and continue to whisk until fully incorporated. The remaining ingredients get added and mixed together.
Step 4 | Prepare the quiche. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.
Step 5 | Bake the quiche. Bake the quiche for 40 minutes in a 375°F oven. The center should be fully set so that when you insert a knife it comes out clean. You'll want to let the quiche cool for at least 10 minutes before serving so add that time to your prep plan. You can also serve quiche at room temperature if you like.
Recommended Tools
Quiche Pan – If you make a lot of quiches or tarts, it's nice to have a dish like this as it provides the perfect depth for this type of recipe. At only $10 it's a good kitchen tool to have around if you have space. A standard pie plate will also work for this recipe.
Food Processor – A food processor is a must-have kitchen tool, as it makes life so much easier! For pie crust, it's a huge time saver. The 8-cup size is great for most uses and is a space saver if you have a smaller kitchen.
More Sunday brunch recipes
If you are looking for other ideas for your Sunday brunch gatherings, check out these reader favorites:
- Baked French Toast Muffins
- Maple Glazed Pumpkin Scones
- Mini Savory Dutch Baby Pancake with Ham, Swiss & Avocado
- Mini Pumpkin Muffins with Orange Glaze
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Quiche with Leeks & Pancetta
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces European style butter, cut into small cubes
- 4 tablespoons very cold water
For the filling:
- 3 ounces thin sliced pancetta, chopped
- ¾ cup leeks, thinly sliced
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup half and half
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces gruyere, grated
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ cup Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Make the dough. Add flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a standard blade; pulse 2-3 times. Add butter and pulse several times until a pea-sized mixture forms. With the motor running, pour in water, continue to process until a ball forms.
- Roll the crust. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll dough into a circle to fit your pie pan. Place dough in the pie pan; flute the edges if your pie pan does not have a natural curve to it. Refrigerate until ready to assemble quiche.
- Saute the filling. Heat a medium saute pan to just under medium heat. Add pancetta and cook 7-8 minutes, until crisp. Remove from pan and drain on a plate covered with a paper towel. Add leeks to the pan, sauté 1 minute. Remove leeks from pan and add to cooling pancetta.
- Make the egg mixture. Place eggs in a large bowl, whisk until all yolks are broken. Add half & half, salt and pepper; whisk until blended. Add cheese, leeks, pancetta, cardamom and parsley. Mix well.
- Prepare and bake. Pour egg mixture into the prepared pie crust. Cook for 40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cool slightly before serving.
This post was originally published in May 2017. It was updated in May 2024 with some new information and photos. No changes were made to the original recipe.
Christine from Cook the Story
Leeks and pancetta go so well together. This looks great!
Marissa @ OMG FOOD
Yummy looking quiche, Kathryn! Now I'm craving this and a mimosa!
FoodieGirlChicago
Sounds perfect to me!!
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
I loooooove quiche, and this one looks awesome. Pancetta and leeks go so well together! YUM!
Laura
Mmmmm I love quiche! I am intrigued by the cardamom in this--I don't think I have seen it in an egg dish before. Definitely trying!
Sabrina @ Dinner, then Dessert
I love pancetta! And in a quiche it sounds heavenly with that delicious buttery pie crust! Great recipe!
FoodieGirlChicago
Thanks Sabrina! I love pancetta too!!
Nutmeg Nanny
I love quiche but I think I love it even more when you throw in pancetta....so much yum!
Katerina @ Diethood
I get so happy when quiche is served for brunch. With a side of Mimosa... in a pitcher. 😉
I am loooovin' the addition of pancetta!!
FoodieGirlChicago
Katerina - I'm with you on the Mimosa's in a pitcher, especially when served with quiche!!
Karen
Love that you added pancetta to this!
Gloria
I made this for a potluck lunch, and everyone loved it. A few people took extra pieces to go. I will definitely make it again.
Kathryn Rudey
Thanks Gloria. I'm so glad to hear everyone enjoyed it!
Jaclyn
Tried this recipe out and it was a hit at brunch!
Kathryn Rudey
Thanks - so glad you enjoyed it!