Miniature Bacon-Cheese Quiche

These miniature bacon and cheese quiches are exactly the kind of recipe that earns a permanent spot in your party rotation. The pastry is a simple cream cheese dough, just three ingredients (cream cheese, margarine, flour) shaped into balls and pressed into mini muffin cups. It bakes up tender and slightly tangy, more like a savory shortbread than a flaky pie crust.

The filling layers crisp bacon, shredded cheddar and Swiss, and finely chopped onion in each shell, then gets crowned with a custard of eggs and half and half. Twenty minutes in a moderate oven is enough to set the custard and gild the tops.

These freeze beautifully, so the recipe scales up well for showers, holiday brunches, or any occasion where you want to set out something hot and savory without standing at the oven.

Pro Tips

• Make sure the cream cheese and margarine are properly softened before mixing the dough. Cold fats won’t blend evenly and the shells crack instead of holding shape.
• Prick the shells with a fork before the initial bake. This prevents the bottoms from puffing up and pushing the filling out.
• Don’t overfill. Leave about an eighth of an inch of space at the top; the custard rises slightly as it bakes.
• To freeze, cool completely first, then freeze on a tray before bagging. They reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes from frozen.

Variations

• Swap Swiss for Gruyère for a deeper, more European flavor.
• Skip the bacon and use sautéed mushrooms or chopped spinach for a vegetarian version.
• Add a pinch of nutmeg to the custard, the classic French quiche move that lifts the eggs and dairy.