In her quiche for one recipe, Judith Jones imparts words of kitchen wisdom to solo cooks. “A quiche is a great catchall for goodies lurking in the fridge,” she says in her book The Pleasures of Cooking for One, from which this recipe is taken.
It’s a lovely way to keep things frugal yet intriguing from night to night. Think veggies—leftover sautéed mushrooms, cooked asparagus, wilted spinach, caramelized onions, steamed zucchini, even boiled potatoes.
As for something a little more substantial, cold cuts are lovely when chopped and tossed into quiche. So are those last three seared shrimp from the night before. Or the last of the chorizo. You see where she’s going with this?
And, she notes, you can always vary the filling just by adding a tablespoon or so of grated cheese, whether “Gruyère, aged Cheddar, Gouda, a French mountain cheese, you name it.” We’re all for a mountain of cheese in anything. So let your stash of almost-forgotten remnants in the fridge take you where they will…and then kindly let us know your destination in a comment below.–David Leite
Mini Quiche FAQs
Yes, you absolutely can! The beauty of this recipe is that you don’t have to share, but…if you need to make more than one (for yourself or other lucky eaters) then you can absolutely double or triple up the recipe and save them for later. Your oven is the best bet for reheating a pre-cooked quiche—it’ll be even better if you can let it come to room temperature beforehand.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and place it on a baking sheet. If the crust is already golden brown, you might want to cover it (just the crust) with foil—but that’s all up to you. Reheat for 15 minutes or so, just until it’s warmed through.
Yes, definitely. If you are making multiples and want to stash some in the freezer for later, make the quiche as directed in the recipe, let them cool completely, then freeze in a resealable plastic bag. Reheat directly from frozen at 350°F (180°C) until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Mini Quiche for One
Equipment
- Individual tart pan (about 4 inches [10 cm] in diameter); pie weights (optional)
Ingredients
- About 2 ounces pastry dough or puff pastry, (if using frozen dough, toss it in the fridge the night before to thaw)
- Flour, for the work surface
- Butter, for the pastry dough
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- A sprinkling freshly grated nutmeg
- About 1 1/2 slices prosciutto or ham, torn into small bits, or 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- If the dough is very cold, let it warm on the counter until it feels pliable. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into a circle 6 to 7 inches (15 to 18 cm) in diameter.
- Gently place the dough in the tart pan, pressing it firmly around the edges and trimming any dough that hangs over the edge. Prick the dough with the tines of a fork. Line the dough with parchment paper or aluminum foil buttered on its underside and fill the pan with dried beans, rice, or pie weights.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C), remove the parchment or foil and weights, and prick the bottom again. Bake, uncovered, for 2 minutes more.
- While the pastry is baking, crack the egg into a measuring cup and add enough cream to make a scant 1/2 cup. Add the salt and nutmeg and mix well.
- Scatter the prosciutto, ham, or bacon over the crust and pour in the egg and cream mixture, which should fill the tart shell right up to the top. (If you have a little too much filling, save it to add to scrambled eggs the next morning.)
- Carefully place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil and bake until the quiche filling seems set in the center, about 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the quiche rest until set, about 5 minutes. (Yes, you can wait that long before you dive in.) Set the table, shut down the computer, have a seat, and help yourself.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This mini quiche for one recipe is great. Usually, when you make a quiche, you end up eating it for at least a week. This mini quiche recipe gives you a delicious quiche that can be eaten in one sitting. You can also use what’s in your refrigerator—leftover cooked asparagus, spinach, cheese, etc.—to change the flavor of the quiche.
Be sure to put the quiche on a rimmed baking sheet after you fill the pastry dough with the egg mixture to avoid any problems.
I could also see making this recipe for a group of friends that enjoy cooking together. The pastry dough could already be in tart form. Then each person could mix up their own quiche while the shell is baking. You may want to go easy on the salt, depending on what you’re adding to the egg filling.
I’ve never thought of quiche as a simple meal, but, as Judith Jones says, if you have pastry on hand, it is. The only real work this mini quiche recipe requires is rolling out the dough and whisking together an egg and some cream. The results are beautiful: a puffy, golden quiche that makes anyone—alone or not—feel extra special.
One caveat: My tarts would’ve come out of the molds better had I buttered the molds. Next time I will.
I have to admit that I’ve seldom made quiche because I think of it as a dish for a crowd. Now that I’ve made this mini quiche recipe, I may make quiche more often.
This was remarkably easy and fast. If you have leftover dough for the pastry on hand, it comes together in about 5 minutes of active time. I added a sprinkle of Gruyère cheese to the top, which perfectly complemented the local prosciutto (La Quercia) that I had on hand.
The cooking time was spot-on; in fact, my only complaint was that the called-for amount of salt was too much considering the saltiness of the prosciutto that I used. I found that a personal-size quiche is both easier and more fun to eat than a slice of a larger quiche, and it cooks more consistently.
I’ll use variations on this recipe for future impromptu dinner parties. A quick salad and a few quiches with a crisp white wine can come together with simple ingredients and limited time.
I love quiche, but a whole one is too much for us to eat at one time and I hate to waste food. This mini quiche for one is a recipe I’d make for myself any time, and the possibilities are endless as to the fillings you could combine.
It’s the best recipe to make when you have a little of this and a little of that in the refrigerator. I made several of these and used different combinations of ingredients. The ham was nice but not as flavorful as the one with bacon. I loved the one with mixed veggies. The ones I used cheese in were better than those without, especially the one with smoked Gouda.
My pastry dough came out of a red box from the grocery store and it worked just fine.
I doubled the recipe for this mini quiche for one with plans to make one quiche each for my husband, daughter, and me, and sure enough, the doubled recipe perfectly filled three 4-inch tart pans.
The mini quiche recipe was easy to follow and quick to put together. The baking time was right on the mark and they looked puffed and nicely browned and tasted wonderful. I made my quiche by the original recipe—not using any of the variations—and thought I’d miss not having cheese, but they were so good I didn’t. I told my daughter after she ate hers about the lack of cheese, and she couldn’t believe they didn’t have any.
I’ll be making these again, and maybe I’ll even try some of the variations.
I absolutely loved this mini quiche for one! I loved being able to make something like a quiche, which you typically only make when there is a large group or have if you are out somewhere, for just me. I will admit I was a bit skeptical but this turned out beautifully.
I was a bit concerned with the crust/filling ratio feeling off but I thought it was perfect. I wasn’t able to get all the filling in. Otherwise, this is great and definitely one I will repeat.
This mini quiche for one is delicious and so easy to put together. They are incredibly rich and filling, even when made in a 4-inch size.
I used ramekins because that was all I have in 4 inches but they worked perfectly. Mine may have been deeper than intended so I added 2 extra minutes to the cooking time. As well, I used peameal bacon and the larger chunks likely worked better in the deeper dish.
The ease of mini quiche for one recipe means that it can be quickly whipped up, provided that you have thawed puff pastry lying around. And if you’re the kind of person who does, then you will love these – in all their rich, eggy deliciousness.
First of all, who doesn’t love quiche? Using puff pastry makes this quick and simple. Pre-baking the crust ensures a light, flaky crust to hold this delightful, creamy, egg custard. I chose to use bacon and 2 slices was perfect. Baking time was only 16 minutes and I did let it rest 5 minutes before scarfing it down.
You could probably squeeze 2 servings if you also served a salad, but this mini quiche for one, in my opinion, is one serving. Versatile, as you can add some of your favorite things!
This mini quiche for one is a good recipe that makes a simple tart. If you have some puff pastry on hand and want a nice little meal, this would great. I did use the recipe for the quick puff pastry from the site and that works great too.
I made 4 tarts instead of one so that each of us in my home can have one. I made 2 with only ham as the recipe suggests and 2 with a few pieces of sauteed mushroom and half the ham.
After putting the dough in the tart pan I found it a good idea to roll the extra dough hanging to the sides back over so that the edge is a bit more sturdy and puffs up nicely.
This was a delicious mini quiche, which turned out beautifully.
After baking, it did not look like there would be any space for the filling but I poured it in, using about 80% of the filling. The final bake left the filling so puffed it was comical. Not to worry, it receded and we ended up with a simple and delicious quiche.
A side salad and dinner was complete. It was so good, count on this recipe only being for one.
This was delicious! I made it in a 5″ ceramic tart pan & it came out quite easily without buttering the pan. I used bacon & caramelized onion on the bottom & sprinkled some grated Parmesan cheese over it before adding the egg mixture. It was a perfect fit for my pan & I could bake it directly on the oven rack. Everyone loved it!
Terrific to hear, Paula! Really love your approach!
I wish I lived in a place where you could just go out and find pastry dough just like that! Alas and sigh….Pillsbury pie crust? Got it.
Andi, you don’t have Pepperidge Farm puff pastry? That’s pretty ubiquitous.
I really loved this quiche for one for its ease and simple taste. I had no problems and no complaints. Next time I’ll be making more than one!
See? That’s the thing about a great recipe, Kathleen, everyone will want some!