Cheddar Quiche with Roasted Carrots and Onion

Make a creamy and savory vegetable quiche for a winter or spring meal. This Cheddar Quiche holds a cheesy, Roasted Carrot and Onion filling.

Orange-colored quiche slice made with carrots and cheese.

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I love exploring the unique and new-to-me, edible offerings at farmer's market stands, like baked treats, sauces, jams, rustic breads, and of course, veggies.

While recently browsing an indoor market I found one farmer with tons of seasonal veggies on display, including a huge variety of carrots. Bunches of white, yellow, and purple carrots were dazzling, as well as garnet-colored Dragon carrots.

Despite the lure of those dazzling rainbow carrots, I was drawn to a big bag (three or four pounds) of regular orange carrots: medium-sized, twisty, and gleaming despite a few bits of soil still clinging to the surface. They just looked so cheerful and delicious!

To be honest, I don't tend to look at raw carrots and think "delicious!" Carrots cooked into other things tend to be more my preference—with raw carrots, my reaction is something closer to, "Well, someone has to eat these. Do we have any dip?"

Despite this, I grabbed a big bag of these cheerful carrots and brought them home.

I thought about making them into Carrot Ginger Soup or bringing them to a friend's house to snack on... with a big bowl of dip. But instead, I made something new. I gave my happy carrots a roast, and blended them into this Cheddar Quiche with Roasted Carrots and Onion.

This is just one of many ways to prepare winter root veggies!

What is a quiche?

A quiche is a type of savory pie or tart, with a custard-like filling made with eggs, cheese, and cream. This is a French dish, with one of the most familiar types being Quiche Lorraine which includes bacon and Gruyère cheese.

Today quiches, large and bite-sized, are one of the most popular breakfast and brunch dishes ever, with endless meat, cheese, and vegetable combinations.

Pile of small orange carrots on white plate.

Why you'll love this recipe

The texture of this roasted carrot quiche filling is creamy, and smooth, with a balance of savory notes from onions and herbs against the sweetness of the carrots. And I love the extra flavor that comes from roasting the veggies beforehand.

This tart is made with my Best-Loved Flaky Pie Crust so it's just as tasty as the filling: flaky and buttery. This dough is easy to make in advance and hold in the fridge or the freezer until you're ready to make your quiche.

Though the recipe contains dairy and eggs, it has no meat products—that makes it a vegetarian carrot and onion quiche.

🔪 How to make Cheddar Quiche with Roasted Carrots and Onion

Carrot quiche with melted cheese and dried herbs.

Cheddar and Carrot Quiche Ingredients:

Best-Loved Flaky Pie Crust: This is my pastry shell recipe, delicious with this quiche
Carrots: Use fresh carrots, locally grown if possible for the best flavor
Onion: Yellow onions are fine here
Oil: Use canola or olive oil to roast the veggies
Salt and Pepper: To season the filling
Thyme: The flavor of this herb works so well with the cheddar and carrots
Milk: This part of the filling base
Half-and-Half: Also for the filling
Cheddar Cheese: Use mild or sharp, whichever you like best

Step 1: Prepare the shell

Mound of pie crust down pressed flat under rolling pin

Roll out the half portion of Best-Loved Flaky Pie Crust dough into a circle, and fit the circle into a tart pan. Press the dough into place all around the sides and over the bottom, then crimp the edge. Hold the shell in the fridge.

Step 2: Prepare the veggies

Slice the carrots and onions into chunks, then coat them with oil and seasonings. Spread them on a baking sheet, then roast them in the oven until they're tender.

Step 3: Make the filling

Blend the cooled, roasted veggies with milk, eggs, cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Step 4: Fill the tart

Orange cheese and carrot filling in pie shell.

Pour the carrot filling into the shell. Sprinkle more cheddar cheese over the top.

Step 5: Bake, then serve

Baked carrot quiche with orange filling and melted cheese.

Bake the quiche for a little over a half-hour, until the filling is set. Let the tart cool for a short time, then slice and serve.

FAQs

Should I peel my carrots before roasting them?

If the carrots and very large and have been sitting in the produce section awhile, the skin is likely to be tough and dirty—so, yes, it's a good idea to peel them. However, if the carrots are small, young, and well-scrubbed, you can get away without peeling them.

What can I serve with a cheddar and carrot quiche?

Quiche is delicious alongside a light salad or a bowl of soup for an easy, casual meal.
Food & Wine suggests serving champagne or sparkling white wine, Riesling, or Beaujolais with quiche.

Tips:

This tart uses my Best-Loved Flaky Pie Crust, a half-portion. Or, you can use your own homemade or store-bought pie crust dough: use an amount equivalent to a single crust.
For a great crust that's easy to handle and bakes up flaky, keep the dough cold until you roll it out, and then refrigerate the pie shell before adding the filling.

I hope you find this to be a fun way to highlight the flavor of fresh, flavorful, cheerful carrots!

Slice of cheddar and carrot quiche on plate.

The recipe for this Cheddar Quiche with Roasted Carrots and Onion is below. Here are more savory pie and quiche recipes to try:

💬 Have you made this quiche? Leave a comment below.

📖 Recipe