This Green Tomato Quiche is a savory, southern-style dish that’s packed with flavor for a unique and delicious option for any meal of the day. It’s a great way to use up unripe tomatoes from your garden or add a twist to a traditional quiche.
Table of Contents
Adding tomatoes to any recipe can lead to a soggy mess as they cook down. But with this green tomato quiche recipe, the ingredients are added in a way that maintains the crunch of the pie shell while baking the tomato flavor into the filling. The result is a quiche with a perfect, crispy crust and a delicious, flavorful filling.
If you love this quiche, you should definitely try my egg bake and egg casserole. They’re all hearty, flavorful dishes that are perfect for any meal of the day, especially breakfast.
This recipe was found in an old church cookbook from the church I grew up in. I stumbled upon it at the perfect time when I had plenty of green tomatoes in my garden.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Like my favorite quiche recipe, this recipe is a snap to put together. Just layer the ingredients, pour the egg mixture over the top, and pop it in the oven. It’s that simple!
- Family Favorite: The combination of green tomatoes, onions, and cheese in a flaky pie crust is a hit with the whole family. It’s comfort food at its best!
- Flavor-Packed: Despite its simple ingredients, this quiche is bursting with flavor. The green tomatoes add a slightly tangy kick that’s downright delicious.
- Perfect for the Season: If you’ve got an abundance of green tomatoes in your garden, this recipe is the perfect way to use them up. Whenever I have green tomatoes, but am impatient for that delicious tomato flavor, this quiche hits the spot!
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Key Ingredients
- Pie Shell: This will be the base of our quiche, providing a buttery, flaky foundation for all the other ingredients. As with all pies – they are only as good as the pie crust. I highly recommend making a homemade pie crust for this recipe!
- Green Tomatoes: These will add a tangy, slightly sour flavor to the quiche, complement the cheese, and balance the richness of the other ingredients.
- Onion: When caramelized, these will add a sweet and savory flavor to the quiche, enhancing the overall depth of the dish.
- Shredded Cheese: This will melt beautifully, giving the quiche a creamy texture and a rich, cheesy flavor. Monterey Jack is recommended for its mild, buttery notes.
- Fresh Basil: If you choose to add it, the fresh basil will bring a pop of color and a hint of sweet, peppery flavor to the quiche.
- Eggs: These will act as a binding agent, holding all the other ingredients together and giving the quiche its structure.
- Milk: It will make the quiche creamy and add a slightly sweet flavor to the overall dish.
- Salt and Pepper: These will help to enhance the flavors of all the other ingredients in the quiche.
Equipment
- Pie Plate – You’ll need this to place the prepared pie shell in and layer the ingredients for the quiche.
- Mixing Bowl – You’ll use this to beat together the eggs, milk, salt, and ground pepper before pouring the mixture over the tomato layers in the pie shell.
How to Make Green Tomato Quiche
Preparation
Start by preparing the pie shell. Place it in a pie plate and set it aside. Preheat your oven to 450˚ F.
Step 1 – Layer the Onions, Tomatoes, and Cheese
Begin by layering half of the chopped onions at the bottom of the pie shell. Next, add a layer of green tomatoes, then sprinkle half a cup of cheddar cheese on top. Repeat the layers. Finally, sprinkle some fresh basil on the very top.
Step 2 – Prepare the Egg Mixture
In a small bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and ground black pepper together. Once it is well combined, pour this mixture over the layered tomatoes, onions, and cheese in the pie shell.
Step 3 – Bake the Quiche
Place the quiche in the preheated oven and bake it for 10 minutes at 450˚ F. Without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350˚ F and bake for an additional 30 minutes. You’ll know the quiche is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 4 – Serve
Once the quiche is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Slice it up and serve it warm. It’s a perfect dish for brunch or a light dinner, and it’s best enjoyed fresh out of the oven.
Expert Tip
To prevent a soggy bottom crust, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour on the bottom of the pie shell before adding your first layer. This simple step helps to absorb some of the excess moisture from the tomatoes and onions, ensuring a crispy, golden crust for your quiche.
Recipe Variations
- Red Tomatoes: If you don’t have green tomatoes on hand, you can also use red ones. Just keep in mind that they may have more moisture, so you can sprinkle a little bit of flour on the pie shell before adding the tomatoes to help absorb the extra liquid.
- Fresh Herbs: In addition to the basil, feel free to add other fresh herbs to your quiche. Fresh dill would be a great addition to this recipe.
- Cheese: The recipe calls for Monterey Jack, but you can also use a Mexican blend of cheese for a different flavor. This will add a bit of a spicy kick to your quiche and is a great option if you’re a fan of more robust flavors.
What to Serve With
- This green tomato quiche is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed at any time of the day. For a delicious and filling breakfast, serve it with a side of crispy bacon or a creamy fruit salad.
- If you’re hosting a brunch, this quiche pairs well with mimosas and a variety of other brunch dishes such as easy salads and pastries.
- For a light lunch, serve this quiche with a cup of your favorite soup or a green salad. The combination of the creamy quiche and the refreshing soup or salad is a perfect midday meal.
Make Ahead Instructions
Make your pie crust ahead of time and place it in the freezer. When ready to make this pie, simply pull it out of the freezer and make and bake as directed.
Recipe FAQs
You can use any variety of green tomatoes for this quiche. Just make sure to slice them about ¼ inch thick so that they cook evenly in the quiche.
No, you do not need to pre-bake the pie shell. The quiche bakes for a total of 40 minutes, which is enough time for the pie shell to become perfectly golden and crisp.
Yes, you can. The recipe calls for Monterey Jack, but you can also use cheddar, mozzarella, or any other type of cheese that you prefer.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: Leftover quiche can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure to let it cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container.
- Freezing: If you want to enjoy this quiche at a later time, it’s best to freeze it. Once the quiche has cooled completely, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy the quiche, simply transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator and let it thaw for 24 hours.
- Reheating: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the quiche on a baking sheet and reheat it for 20-25 minutes, or until it’s warmed through.
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Serving Size
- What to Expect: This green tomato quiche recipe yields a delicious quiche that’s perfect for 8 servings.
- How to Scale: If you’re planning to serve more than 8, you can easily double the recipe and follow the instructions as directed. You can either make two quiches.
Green Tomato Quiche
Ingredients
- 9 inch Pie Shell
- 2 Green Tomatoes sliced ¼” thick
- ¼ Cup onion sliced thin
- 1 Cup shredded cheese Monterey jack recommended
- fresh basil optional
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ Cup milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the pie shell and place it in a pie plate. Preheat oven to 450˚ F.
- Layer half of the onions, then tomato, and ½ Cup cheese in that order in the pie shell. Sprinkle fresh basil on top. Repeat the layers.
- In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, salt, and ground pepper. Pour over the tomato ingredients in the pie shell.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 450˚ F. Without opening the oven, reduce the heat to 350˚ F and bake an additional 30 minutes. The quiche is done with a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Mine was a watery mess so the crust turned to mush. The tomatoes were still quite hard after baking (even though I sliced them very thin), and the onions tasted wrong. Perhaps both vegetables should be roasted first to caramelize and reduce their moisture. Not a recipe I’ll ever try again.
I made this yesterday. Love how simple it was (especially because I took a shortcut using pre-made pie crust). The only change I made was using half-and-half instead of milk. The quiche was more than serviceable but I think sautéing or caramelizing the onions would make the flavor outstanding. I think the recipe would easily take to a small amount of other veggies or spices of your choosing.
Can you do it with spinach