This easy cheese and onion quiche is ideal for picnics, potlucks and casual get-togethers. Made from everyday ingredients, it’s simple to prepare and tastes satisfyingly cheesy thanks to cream cheese folded into the custard. Cheese and onion is a timeless flavour pairing, and this quiche makes a great light lunch or a tasty contribution to any buffet.
Cheese and onion quiche
This savoury tart combines caramelised onions and grated cheese in a crisp, buttery pastry shell. A creamy egg custard binds the filling, producing a quiche that’s excellent hot or cold. It’s perfect for summer gatherings and is also lovely served as a light lunch with a fresh green salad.
The custard mixes eggs with milk, cream and a touch of cream cheese for extra richness, flavoured with Dijon mustard and paprika. The cream cheese boosts the filling’s cheesy depth without overpowering the other flavours.
The pastry is a simple two-ingredient shortcrust made from plain flour and butter. You can make it by hand or in a food processor — both methods yield the same flaky result. Blind-baking the pastry for 20 minutes helps prevent a soggy bottom.
Ready to get started? The recipe below walks you through each step in order so you can work efficiently.
What you will need
Equipment
A 10″ loose-bottomed flan dish (25 cm) is ideal. A 9″ dish will work but you may have a little extra filling.
For the pastry: a mixing bowl or food processor, a rolling pin, and some baking beans or rice for blind-baking. You’ll also need a saucepan for the onions and a cheese grater.
Ingredients
This recipe makes a 10″ cheese and onion quiche.
For the pastry
Plain (all-purpose) flour — not self-raising, so the pastry stays crisp and flat.
Butter — salted or unsalted. If you use salted butter, omit extra salt in the pastry.
Salt — about ½ teaspoon to enhance flavour (optional).
For the filling
Grated cheese — I use a mix of cheddar and mozzarella, but any good melting cheese will work. You need one cup (about 125 g).
Cream cheese — adds creaminess (about ½ cup / 60 g). If you don’t have it, substitute with extra milk or cream.
Onions — thinly sliced into semi-circles. Two medium onions yield roughly 2 cups once sliced.
Milk and cream — I use ½ cup cream and ½ cup milk for balance. Use all cream if you prefer a richer custard.
Eggs — 2 large (use 3 if your eggs are small).
Dijon mustard — 1 teaspoon for a gentle tang. Swap to English mustard if you want more punch.
Paprika — about ½ teaspoon, optional but complementary.
Black pepper — to taste.
Oil — sunflower or canola, plus a little extra butter, to fry the onions.
What to do
The instructions are ordered to make the best use of your time: prepare the pastry, fry the onions while the pastry rests, blind-bake the case, then assemble and bake.
- Make the pastry and chill it for 30 minutes.
- Fry the onions and let them cool.
- Line the dish and blind-bake the pastry, then cool the case.
- Assemble the quiche and bake until set and golden.
Make the pastry
Cube cold butter and rub it into the flour and salt with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. You can use a food processor instead if you prefer.
Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and mix with a flat knife until the dough just comes together in a shaggy ball. It should not be wet or sticky.
Gently gather the dough and form it into a ball without kneading. Wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm the butter and relax the gluten.
Fry the onions
Cut the onions in half, then slice them thinly into semi-circles.
Melt the butter with the oil in a saucepan, add the onions, cover and cook on a very gentle heat for 10–15 minutes until soft and starting to caramelise. Stir occasionally to prevent burning, then set aside to cool.
Make the pastry case
Roll the chilled pastry into a circle large enough to line the base and sides of the flan dish, about 1/8″ thick.
Carefully lift the pastry into the dish (use the rolling pin to help), press it into the edges and trim the excess with a sharp knife. If you prefer, leave the overhang while blind-baking and trim after baking.
Line the case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake in a hot oven at 200°C / 400°F for 15 minutes, remove the weight and parchment, then bake for another 5 minutes until the base starts to brown. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the egg custard mixture
Beat the eggs in a jug and stir in the cream cheese. Use a fork to work out most lumps — a few are fine as they will melt during baking.
Stir in the milk and cream, then add Dijon mustard, paprika, black pepper and salt to taste. Mix until smooth.
Assemble and bake
Reduce the oven to 180°C / 360°F.
Spread the cooled caramelised onions over the base of the pastry and sprinkle with half the grated cheese.
Pour the custard over the filling, then scatter the remaining grated cheese on top.
Bake for about 20 minutes until the filling is set and the top is golden and bubbling.
FAQ
Serve hot or cold. It’s great for picnics and potlucks, or as a starter at a barbecue. For a light lunch, pair a slice with a green salad; for a heartier plate, serve with buttery new potatoes or a jacket potato topped with sour cream. It also complements a ploughman’s platter with cold meats and tomatoes.
Yes. Freeze a cooled, cooked quiche wrapped in foil and plastic wrap for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before serving cold, or reheat in a hot oven for about 10 minutes.
Store in the fridge for up to three days in a covered container or wrapped with foil.
Save for later
Save the recipe to your preferred collection so you can find it easily when you need it.
Related recipes
If you like this quiche, you might also enjoy other savoury tarts and pies listed here.
-
Proper bacon and egg pie
-
Chicken and mushroom quiche
-
Cheesy zucchini bake
-
Cheese and broccoli quiche
📋The recipe
Easy cheesy and onion quiche
Equipment
- 10″ loose-bottomed flan dish
- Mixing bowl or food processor
- Rolling pin
- Saucepan
- Box grater
Ingredients
Pastry
- 8 oz / 230 g plain all-purpose flour (1½ cups plus 2 tbsp)
- 4 oz / 115 g butter (½ cup)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2–3 tablespoons cold water
Filling
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced (≈2 cups)
- 1 cup / 125 g grated cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup / 120 ml cream
- ½ cup / 120 ml milk
- ½ cup / 60 g soft cream cheese (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons / 30 g butter (for frying)
Instructions
Pastry
- Cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour and salt until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together in a shaggy mass. Do not overwork.
- Form into a ball, wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.
- Roll out the pastry to line a 10″ flan dish and trim the edges.
- Line with baking parchment and baking beans or rice. Blind-bake for 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, then bake 5 minutes more until starting to brown. Cool.
Filling
- Slice the onions thinly. Melt the butter with the oil in a saucepan, add the onions, cover and cook over very low heat for 10–15 minutes until soft and caramelised. Cool.
- Beat the eggs in a jug and mix in the cream cheese. Stir in the milk and cream, then add Dijon mustard, paprika, black pepper and salt to taste.
Assemble and bake
- Reduce the oven to 180°C / 360°F.
- Spread the cooled onions over the pastry base and sprinkle with half the grated cheese.
- Pour over the custard, top with the remaining cheese and bake for about 20 minutes until set and golden.
Notes
To serve: this quiche is delicious hot or cold. It pairs well with salad for lunch, or with boiled new potatoes or a jacket potato for a heartier meal. Nutrition values are per slice when the quiche is cut into 10 portions.
If you tried this recipe and enjoyed it, a star rating or comment is greatly appreciated. For questions you can reach Veronica at [email protected].