Quiche Lorraine Is Back—and We’re Completely Here for It

When I was a kid, my mum was a pretty good cook. My brother and I were lucky — we had a stay-at-home mum who cooked proper evening meals for us every day. Like most children, we each had our favourites… and our least favourites.

She was also very seasonal with her repertoire. In the colder months, dinner meant comfort food: lasagne, stew with dumplings, bangers and mash. When summer arrived, things lightened up. There was more fish on the table — and one of her own personal favourites: quiche Lorraine.

At the time, quiche Lorraine felt like a summer dish. It was served cold or just warm, sliced into neat wedges and paired with salad. But looking back, it’s one of those quietly versatile recipes that works just as well in winter, served warm with potatoes or greens. Maybe that’s part of the reason it’s finding its way back onto our plates.

It was never my all-time favourite, but I didn’t mind it. Quiche Lorraine was the height of fashion in the 1980s, and it always made me laugh that my dad insisted on calling it a “flan” — a habit that utterly appalled my continental mother. To her, this wasn’t just a savoury tart. It was quiche Lorraine, and that distinction mattered.

Fast-forward a few decades, and here we are again. Quiche is back on menus, popping up in delis, bakeries and fashionable cafés, and making regular appearances on social feeds, all golden pastry and softly set fillings. Once dismissed as dated dinner-party fare, quiche Lorraine is officially having a moment.

Food trends are famously cyclical, and right now nostalgia is driving what we cook and eat. Dishes that feel comforting, familiar and unfussy are back in favour — especially ones that feel achievable at home.

Quiche Lorraine ticks every box. It’s economical, adaptable, and perfect for lunch, picnics or easy midweek dinners. It also fits neatly into the current love for French bistro food: simple ingredients treated properly, without unnecessary embellishment.

There’s also something reassuring about quiche. It doesn’t try to be clever. No foam, no drizzle, no reinvention. Just crisp pastry, silky custard and salty bacon.

What Is a Proper Quiche Lorraine?

A traditional quiche Lorraine comes from the Lorraine region of France and is far simpler than many versions we grew up with. Purists will tell you it contains no cheese at all — just eggs, cream and bacon.

That said, many British versions include a little Gruyère or Cheddar, and most of us wouldn’t turn our noses up at it. This recipe sits comfortably between tradition and nostalgia: classic, rich and reliable.

Classic Quiche Lorraine Recipe

Ingredients (Serves 6)

For the pastry

200g plain flour
100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg yolk
2–3 tbsp cold water
Pinch of salt

For the filling

200g smoked bacon lardons or streaky bacon, chopped
4 large eggs
300ml double cream
100ml whole milk
50g Gruyère or mature Cheddar (optional, grated)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of nutmeg

Method

Make the pastry
Rub the butter into the flour and salt until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and enough cold water to bring it together into a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Blind bake
Roll out the pastry and line a 23cm tart tin. Chill again for 10 minutes, then line with baking paper and baking beans. Bake at 180°C (160°C fan) for 15 minutes, remove the beans, and bake for a further 5 minutes until lightly golden.
Cook the bacon
Fry the bacon gently until just cooked but not crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and scatter over the pastry case.
Make the custard
Whisk the eggs, cream and milk together. Season lightly — remember the bacon is salty — and add pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the cheese if using.
Assemble and bake
Pour the custard over the bacon and bake for 30–35 minutes until just set, with a gentle wobble in the centre.
Rest before serving
Allow the quiche to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

How to Serve It, All Year Round

Quiche Lorraine often gets labelled as a warm-weather classic — perfect for picnics, garden lunches and light summer suppers with a crisp green salad.

But it comes into its own in winter too. Served warm with buttery new potatoes, braised greens, roasted root vegetables or even a simple leek gratin, it shifts effortlessly into comfort-food territory. It’s one of those rare dishes that adapts to the season entirely based on what you put alongside it.

And yes — your dad can call it flan if he wants. Just don’t do it in front of a French person.

A Dish Worth Revisiting

Quiche Lorraine may never have been everyone’s favourite growing up, but its return feels well-earned. In a world of complicated cooking and endless trends, there’s something quietly satisfying about revisiting the dishes that fed us — especially when they still taste this good.

Joanne Brook-Smith is a writer and editor with two decades of publishing experience. She launched Crave Magazine during the Covid period to create a fresh, inspiring space for food, travel and lifestyle content.

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