COOK: Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onion Quiche

• Roasted Butternut Squash Quiche Ingredients
• Equipment Needed to Bake this Quiche
• How to Make Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Quiche
• Storage & Serving Ideas
• Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Quiche

This butternut squash, goat cheese, and caramelized onion quiche is sweet and tangy, and perfect for fall and winter brunches and lunches.

It’s a satisfying vegetarian entree that’s made with tasty whole food ingredients, from the protein-rich eggs and cheeses to the vitamin-packed squash. More importantly, it tastes fantastic!

It’s a great way to use up and transform leftover roasted squash or pumpkin, although I’ll walk you through it assuming you’re starting from scratch.

I also recommend batch-cooking and freezing your caramelized onions to save time, but have provided full instructions for that step if you don’t have any already stashed in your fridge or freezer.

You can meal-prep this on the weekend and eat it for part of the week, or freeze slices or whole quiches. I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe if you have room in the freezer. I used a medium-small butternut squash to make three quiches, though you can also save the rest of the roasted squash for other recipes, or just to eat as a side dish or in salads, or to puree for an easy soup.

Roasted Butternut Squash Quiche Ingredients

Butternut Squash:

Butternut squash is one of my favorite winter squashes. It’s sweet, it’s easy to peel and seed, and simple to slice. Roasting brings out even more of the natural sweetness in winter squash. You can substitute other sweet winter squashes here or even roasted pumpkin if you prefer.

Caramelized Onion:

This step always takes longer than you think it will (or especially longer than most recipe writers tell you it will), and there are no great shortcuts to getting that rich, sweet flavor. I recommend doing them in big batches, either on the stove-top or in a crock pot. When they’re done, portion them into small containers, freezer cubes, or zip-lock bags, and freeze them to use when you don’t have time to babysit a pan of onions forever.

I’ve got some tips for getting them right, though, so if you don’t have a stash in your freezer of these delicious flavor-bombs, scroll down to the next section and I’ll walk you through it. The recipe is written assuming you don’t have any prepped and are starting from scratch, so no worries if you don’t have any caramelized onions on hand already!

Cheese:

The goat cheese gives this a tangy flavor and creamy richness. You could stop there, but I like to add a layer of some kind of mild-flavored melting cheese on the bottom of my quiches before any of the other ingredients. As this melts, it will help protect the crust from getting soggy (no one likes a soggy bottom). It also adds some structure to the quiche, and tastes great.

I used shredded mozzarella as the bottom layer in this quiche, but any neutrally flavored, low-moisture white melting cheese can work. Monterrey jack or Chihuahua cheese could also work here, or a mild fontina.

You want the goat cheese to be the predominant flavor note, so anything that won’t overwhelm or clash with the goat cheese will work.

Eggs:

What’s a quiche without eggs? Wet milk soup pie, I guess?

The egg is the foundation of your quiche custard. Well, I guess if you’re getting literal, the crust is the foundation, and the eggs are the building blocks with the dairy as the mortar (and the vegetables are windows and doors? The cheese is the decorative trim and corbels? But this analogy is getting weird).

ANYWAY… You’ll need three large eggs per quiche. A good general rule for quiches and other custards is to use a half cup of dairy per egg. If you are using a deep dish pie plate, you can add an extra egg for a firmer quiche if you prefer that.

Dairy:

I use either whole milk, or a mix of whole milk and half and half. For the richest, most indulgent quiches, you can use half and half and heavy cream. You can substitute other milks, but the quiche won’t be as good or as firm when sliced. Fat is flavor, and also adds structure and a light, creamy texture.

Equipment Needed to Bake this Quiche

sheet pan:

You’ll need a sheet pan or other wide, flat roasting dish with a narrow lip. This helps your squash roast without steaming so you get some nicely caramelized flavor.

dutch oven, heavy skillet, or crock pot:

This is for caramelizing the onions. I use a cast iron skillet, but you can use what you prefer. A heavy pan will hold heat better and help the onions brown and caramelize without scorching or burning.

pie plate:

I usually use Pyrex glass pie plates, but any sturdy 9″ pie plate will do. I use the shallower standard pie plates here, not the deep dish ones, but either will work in a pinch.

How to Make Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, and Caramelized Onion Quiche

 

step one: caramelize onions

This step always takes longer than you think it will, and there are no great shortcuts to getting that rich, sweet flavor. I recommend doing them in big batches, either on the stove top or in a crockpot, portioning, and freezing them to use when you don’t have time to babysit a pot of onions. But if you don’t already have some prepared and portioned out, I’ll walk you through it (recipe quantity is for one quiche).

step two: roast squash

Peel your butternut squash (or other sweet winter squash), cut it in half, and remove the seeds (save those for roasting). Slice into uniform half-inch slices or cubes. Place on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Roast in a medium hot oven (375-425 degrees F) until the squash is tender. I check it after about 15-20 minutes, and flip or stir the pieces in the pan so they roast evenly.

You could also microwave or steam the squash, but the flavor is better if you roast it in the oven, which concentrates the flavor and caramelizes the sugar in the squash a bit, making it sweeter and more richly flavored. You could also use an air-fryer, which is basically a convection oven, though I have not tested the timing for this. It should be faster than using your oven though.

step three: roll pie crust

While your squash is roasting, roll out your pie crust. I like to roll on a non-stick silicone mat with just a dusting of flour, but you can also use a lightly floured wood, stone, or marble countertop, or sandwich your dough between sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to a diameter slightly larger than your pie plate, fold it in halves or quarters, and gently transfer the crust to the pan before unfolding it again.

Press the crust gently into the pan, pressing out the air and forming it into the corners. If the crust is overhanging the rim, trim it to within an inch of the rim, and fold it over on itself. Press or pinch the dough to form a nice rim. You can use any scraps of dough to patch the crust if there are any thin spots or tears, use them to make a decorative edge or garnish, or re-roll into pastry cookies.

Place the rolled and shaped crust back in the fridge or another cold place to rest while you get the filling ready.

step four: make custard

In a medium-large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until they are uniform and well combined. Add and whisk in the milk or cream, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk until well beaten.

step five: assemble quiche

Line the bottom of the crust with the shredded mozzarella (or other melting cheese). Spread out the roasted squash and dollops of goat cheese and the caramelized onions until they evenly cover the pan.

I recommend placing your pie plate on a baking sheet before pouring in the custard mixture, and then carefully transferring this to the oven. You can also place the quiche on the oven rack and then pour in the custard if you have room in your oven and are worried about spills… but the sheet pan will catch any drips and keep your oven cleaner. It also makes it easier to transfer the quiche and to remove it from the oven without damaging the crust.

step six: bake quiche

Bake your quiche in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 30-40 minutes. Check the quiche after 30 minutes, and give it more time if necessary. If the crust is browning too fast before the center is done, you can cover the edges with foil or a pie crust shield. Remove it from the oven when the center has set and the top of the filling is beginning to turn golden. It will firm up as it cools, but you can check the center with a knife and make sure the custard has set and is no longer liquid.

Storage & Serving Ideas

This butternut squash quiche can be served warm from the oven, or chilled. Refrigerate any leftovers, which are best eaten within three days.

You can also freeze the baked quiches either whole or in slices. Wrap well with plastic wrap or foil, or freeze slices well-wrapped or in airtight plastic or glass containers. Reheat leftovers in the oven or microwave (if it’s in a glass pie pan, not a tin).