How to Reheat a Frozen Quiche? The best way of reheating quiche from frozen by far is to use your oven as it gives you the best results.
There's no better way than working up a quick and tasty brunch or lunch than reheating a bit of quiche.
That lovely mixture of eggs and cheese in the light, flaky pastry crust is unbeatable, and even my kids love it. And do you know what the best thing about quiche is?
It can be prepared and cooked in advance, and you can pop it in your fridge or freezer, ready to reheat whenever the mood takes you.
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Many quick snacks are just temporary hole fillers, and as such, they are not very inspiring.
But not so quiche. When it is made properly, it's an outstanding dish.
The eggs provide a decadent, almost custard-like fluffy filling inside a light pastry crust.
As well as cheese, you can add many ingredients, including bacon, spicy sausage, roasted veggies, and more.
You can turn it into a satisfying main meal by adding a few sides, such as a nice green salad or some lovely fresh fruit.
You can, of course, eat it cold, but it's so much better when it's been warmed up.
But what's the best way of reheating frozen quiche so as not to damage that gorgeous texture and taste?
Read on, and I will reveal all.
How best to reheat quiche from frozen
There are several ways you can try reheating frozen quiche. You can use your oven or your microwave.
I even know some people who use their toasters, although I wouldn't recommend it.
For me, the oven method will always give you the best results.
But of course, when you're pushed for time, and you can't hang around waiting for the oven to get up to temperature, the microwave is a good fallback.
What is quiche?
Quiche is one of those funny British words that we Americans have never got round to changing, the same way we did with words like socks and sox.
You think we might have made the spelling into "keesh," which is just like what it sounds. But hey-ho, we're stuck with it now.
So what is quiche?
It's not that complicated. It is a pastry casing filled with lovely savory eggy custard plus some cheese or meat or seafood or some veggies. They all work well.
The most well-known variant is Quiche Lorraine. Most people think that this is a classic French cuisine dish.
However, that is not the case. Instead, it originates from Germany in what was once the medieval kingdom of Lothringen in the Alsace region, annexed after the Franco-Prussian war.
The word "quiche" originates from the German "Kuchen," which means cake. The Lorraine part comes after the French renamed the territory.
Quiche Lorraine started life as an open pie with a filling made of egg and cream custard and smoked bacon.
The cheese was added at a later date. If you add onions, it turns into Quiche Alsacienne.
The version of Quiche Lorraine, which most Americans are familiar with today, includes bacon or lardons.
The filling itself is quick and easy to prepare. As for the pastry crust, you can, if you wish, buy it from your local supermarket or, if you're on a calorie-controlled diet, you can omit the pastry altogether.
You can serve it any time as a delicious snack or a main course. You can even cut it into small portions to serve as a party treat.
A classic combination
Traditionally, the ingredients of Quiche Lorraine include eggs, grated Swiss cheese, chopped onions, fried, and, of course, eggs.
If you want to serve in the French style, add a side of steamed green beans with slices of almonds and a drizzle of fresh lemon juice.
It is often served with a mixture of fresh fruit or poached pear.
An even healthier accompaniment would be a nice green salad with sunflower leaves, pea shoots, and a nice salad dressing - low-fat, of course.
Add a little Tex-Mex spice.
Why not go Tex-Mex and make the case from crushed tortilla shells?
Slice up some tomatoes, lay them inside the casing and top with scrambled egg, and some shredded Monterey Jack, or to keep up the Mexican theme, some Cotija.
To take the theme a little further, add some chopped red bell pepper with some onion to the egg mixture, and if you're into hot spice, some jalapenos.
To finish off, serve with a dollop of guacamole spooned onto a lettuce leaf, and knock up a quick Mexican chopped salad with black or refried beans or twice-cooked beans, corn kernels, and lettuce.
You can dress the salad with creamy chipotle dressing, or if that's a bit too spicy for your kids, a ranch dressing.
Top tips on cooking your quiche
- Make or buy a shop-bought deep-dish quiche casing in which to put the egg custard and filling.
- It is recommended to bake the pie crust not to become too soggy when you pour in the custard mixture.
- To prevent the case from shrinking; line the casing before you put it into the oven with aluminum foil, then fill with dried beans or peas, or raw rice. Don't forget to cover the rim of the shell with foil to prevent it from burning.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F, then bake for 10 minutes until it is lightly browned. Take it out from the oven, remove the foil and beans, etc., and leave it on a wire rack to cool.
- To make your quiche without a crust, grease the quiche pan before adding the filling and baking.
- You can, if you prefer, replace some of the creams in your custard mix with sour cream, a little condensed cream soup, or yogurt.
- You can use a 9-inch square baking pan and then cut the quiche into squares if you wish to serve as a party snack.
- When you put the quiche into the oven, place it in the lower third, which will give your casing a nice crispy bottom without the rim of the casing getting burnt.
- Serve hot or cold, whatever to your preference.
- Once cooked, you can refrigerate your quiche for up to 3 days.
2 best ways to reheat quiche
As I said before, there are several options when it comes to reheating quiche, either from the fridge from the freezer.
The most popular methods are the oven or the microwave.
Whichever method you decide to use, here are my thoughts on how to get the perfect quiche onto your table in the quickest time.
1 The oven method
For me, this is the best way by far for reheating leftover quiche.
When your quiche has been made with bacon, the microwave will ruin it.
When you oven-bake it, it not only helps to retain the flavor of the quiche, whatever its contents, but it's also the best way of protecting the quiche's delicate pastry case.
So it is my go-to method, and it doesn't take very long at all - about 15 to 20 minutes - no longer.
Just follow these steps:
- Preheat your oven to a temperature of 350°F.
- Remove the quiche from the fridge and allow it to warm up to room temperature. This helps to make sure your quiche gets heated nice and evenly.
- Transfer the quiche onto a baking sheet and cover the crust with aluminum foil.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or a little longer, depending on the power of your oven.
- No two ovens are the same, so keep an eye on your quiche and check the internal temperature once it reaches 165°F.
- Remove from the oven, transfer onto a cool serving plate, and sprinkle with your favorite herbs.
- Eat and enjoy
2 The microwave method
Although this is not my favorite method for reheating leftover quiche, it will work, particularly when you're pushed for time.
You need to bear in mind that microwaving eggs is always a tricky business and often ends up being a little rubbery and somewhat disappointing. But needs must when the devil drives.
Follow the steps below to retain the best moisture and flavor quality.
- Remove the quiche from the fridge and allow it to warm up to room temperature.
- Turn the power setting on your microwave to 50%. It helps to lessen the chances of overlooking the eggs and losing that lovely fluffy texture.
- Transfer the quiche onto a microwave-safe plate and zap for three minutes.
- If after that time it hasn't reached the desired internal temperature of 165°F, carry on heating it in 30-second blasts until it does.
- Remove from the microwave, transfer onto a cool serving plate, and sprinkle with your favorite herbs.
- Eat and enjoy
Note:
The only thing to caution you about going down the microwave rate is that you will risk a soggy bottom and a dry quiche.
How to reheat a frozen quiche
The best way of reheating quiche from frozen by far is to use your oven.
The methodology is pretty much the same as reheating quiche from the fridge, but of course, the cooking time needs to be longer.
Please follow the steps:
- Preheat your oven to a temperature of 350°F.
- Transfer the quiche onto a baking sheet and cover it with aluminum foil.
- Bake for around 30 or 35 minutes, or a little longer depending on the power of your oven.
- Take out of the oven, and let it cool for approximately 15 minutes before removing the foil.
- Check the internal temperature is 160°F.
- Transfer onto a serving plate, and sprinkle with your favorite herbs.
- Eat and enjoy.
Note:
Frozen quiche can be put straight into the oven from the freezer without having to defrost it first.
Freezing quiche
Freezing quiche is easy. You can do it before or after baking. The only thing I would say is that it is a little easier to handle when putting it into your freezer if it has been baked.
Freezing before baking
Position your quiche on a plate or baking pan, flat and level in your freezer, and freeze it until it becomes firm.
As soon as it's firm, wrap it in either freezer paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil, then slip the wrapped quiche into a freezer bag.
After adding a label and dating, you can keep your quiche frozen for up to one month.
When it comes to reheating, do not defrost. Unwrap and bake in your oven as described above, adding 10 or 20 minutes extra to the cooking time.
Freezing after baking
Follow the steps described above but put the quiche into the oven (after unwrapping).
Bake it in an oven preheated to temperature 350°F for approximately 25 minutes or until it is heated through evenly.
No need to defrost
It is not necessary to defrost frozen quiche. Instead, preheat your oven to a temperature of 350°F, transfer the quiche onto a baking sheet, and cover it with a piece of aluminum foil.
Can quiche be left out at room temperature?
Once you finish baking the quiche, you need to leave it out in the open for 15 to 20 minutes or so until it has cooled down to room temperature.
After that, you either need to eat it straight away or put it into your fridge or freezer, depending on when you anticipate tucking into it.
As I'm sure you will be aware, especially if you are a regular reader of my articles, you should not leave fresh food products at room temperature for longer than necessary.
With ingredients like eggs and cream, bacteria can grow and multiply if given a chance.
So it's best to refrigerate quiche as soon as possible.
While you can enjoy eating quiche straight from the fridge, traditionally, it is served either at room temperature or slightly warm.
But once again, remember to limit the length of time spent outside the refrigerator. Please read on for more information.
Controlling bacterial growth through time and temperature
The majority of foodstuffs contain bacteria, some of which can prove to be harmful.
However, they don't normally make you ill until the quantity of bacteria increases beyond what is known as the "ineffective dose."
As with people, bacteria cozy up and reproduce in a comfortable temperature environment.
- At temperatures under 40°F, the reproduction rate is slowed right down.
- At temperatures of over 140°F, they are more preoccupied with protecting themselves and staying alive.
- The span in between - that 100°F range - is referred to as the food safety "danger zone," which is when bacteria begin to multiply like crazy.
This explains the necessity for limiting the time your quiche is kept out at room temperature and why you should always refrigerate it as soon as possible.
Specific time limits
Food safety gurus and agencies like the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA all recommend two hours as the maximum time to leave food outside the fridge at room temperature.
When you're making a quiche, that recommendation comes into force twice.
The first time is when you assemble the egg and cream filling. It needs to be baked within two hours.
The second time is leaving it out to cool, or the time between removing it from the refrigerator, serving and eating.
When making quiche, the actual baking process lifts the temperature of the quiche filling well above the point at which bacteria can survive.
This is why, when you take it out of the oven, it restarts that two-hour clock once the temperature of the quiche falls to 140°F.
After that, it needs to be wrapped and refrigerated. But don't stand on ceremony. You can refrigerate it quicker, and you should unless you're serving and eating it.
When reheating quiche
As I mentioned earlier, you can eat quiche cold from the fridge, but you won't enjoy the flavor at its best.
Reheating quiche will give you the best flavor experience, and you can reheat it whole or in slices, depending on how many people you're serving and their appetites.
Using both the oven method and the microwave method will re-awaken its best flavor, although warming gives the best results overall because it also helps to crisp the pastry.
Regarding food safety, the USDA indicates that you should reheat all types of leftovers to the point where their internal temperature reaches 165°F.
This temperature will kill off any bacteria that might have begun to re-establish, thus lessening the risk of foodborne illness.
Extra tip:
If you find the quiche a little too dry, you can always drizzle a little sauce or a drop of warmed heavy cream over it.
Storing quiche
To keep it at its best, quiche needs to be covered and refrigerated.
According to the USDA and its Food Safety and Inspection Services Department, you should eat leftover quiche that contains eggs within 3 to 4 days to minimize any health risk.
- If you want to keep leftover quiche for longer, it's best to slice it and wrap the individual portions in plastic food wrap or freezer bags, or both.
- They will keep in your freezer for between one and four months, during which time you can take out a portion or number of portions and reheat when wanted.
- You can keep it beyond four months, and it will still be safe to eat, but both the taste and texture will deteriorate.
Cooling quiche after baking
You can eat quiche hot out of the oven if you want to, although you need to be careful not to burn your mouth, of course.
However, to get the best texture, I recommend allowing it to cool a little.
The cooling time will differ according to the size of the quiche and its ingredients.
A traditional Quiche Lorraine is made with eggs, bacon, cream, and Gruyere cheese, but you can add other ingredients too, according to your preferences.
The positives of cooling
In the same way that serving cold quiche straight from the fridge hurts its flavor, so too does serving it piping hot.
When food is very hot, it has little aroma, and your taste buds' proteins won't work as well as they should. As a result, they will get burned before being able to savor the taste.
As mentioned above, serving quiche at room temperature (around 70°F) works best, allowing it time to cool down.
Recommended cooling times
Little quiches or quiches with only a limited number of ingredients only require about 20 to 30 minutes to reach room temperature after baking.
If you've made a larger quiche and it has lots of extras in the filling, then you may need to leave it for as long as one hour to cool down to room temperature.
If you're cutting it into bite-size pieces, as a party dish, for example, it only needs between about five and 10 minutes to cool.
After that, I find it's best to place the pieces onto a wire rack, allowing the air to reach all surfaces equally.
Refrigerated cooling
You can, if you wish, transfer your hot quiche into your fridge to cool down, debunking the myth that you shouldn't.
It won't hurt the refrigerator, and it will allow Newton's law of cooling to take effect.
Safety tip
If you allow a large, deep-pan quiche crammed full of ingredients to cool, I recommend serving it in around one to one and a half hours.
Remember, don't leave it out at room temperature for longer than two hours as you're increasing the risk of nasty bacteria like Salmonella proliferating.
To cool a large quiche a little quicker, slicing it into portions inside the baking pan will allow the hot air to dissipate faster.
