Turkey quiche - with a delicious crispy crust and a creamy, cheesy filling full of turkey meat - is one of my favorite ways to use up any leftover turkey. In the fridge, turkey meat, being very lean, quickly loses any moisture it had left in it after roasting. Inside the quiche, however, the quickly drying turkey meat will be re-hydrated and its juiciness restored to its former glory. Not only does this quiche taste delicious, I love it, but it will also keep fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. And if you freeze it, it will keep in the freezer for months!
If you don't have a lot of leftover turkey, can you still make this quiche? Yes. This recipe uses only a cup and a half of turkey meat. You could go a little higher, perhaps two cups, but don't overdo it, as we want to maintain the balance between the turkey meat and vegetables, cheese, and eggs.
Can you use turkey skin? Absolutely! I do. Every part of the leftover turkey works and tastes excellent inside a quiche.
Now, is this recipe good only for leftover turkey? Absolutely not. You can use any turkey parts or ground turkey, pre-cook them however you prefer, and then use them in this recipe. If you've ever tried my favorite turkey meatballs, those work really well in this quiche recipe too.
What's in the turkey quiche filling?
Other than turkey meat and, obviously, eggs. cream, milk, and seasonings, there are chopped and pan-fried onions and mushrooms and a good amount of cheddar cheese. Jalapeno cheddar is my favorite. That little kick it adds to quiche is essential as far as I am concerned. If you don't like spicy food, by all means, use regular cheddar; the quiche will still be amazing.
The crust
Oh, the crust in this quiche is absolutely phenomenal. If you need to have one pie crust recipe, it’s this one. It's an adaptation - with a tiny change - of David Lebovitz's pie crust recipe, which he, in turn, adapted from Vallery Lomas, who published it in her amazing Life is What You Bake It book. It's easy to make and is really crispy, flaky and delicious.
Serving
Quiche is typically served chilled or at room temperature. I like it hot out of the oven, chilled, or at room temperature.
It's delicious when it's fresh hot out of the oven. I love the super creamy texture of the filling when it's hot. The only problem is that keeping the filling from running off is hard, but I don't mind a little bit of a messy look.
Once it's refrigerated, you can take it out of the fridge about an hour before serving to bring it up to room temperature. This will soften the texture of the filling, making it more enjoyable to eat.
That said, there is nothing wrong with eating this turkey quiche cold straight from the fridge. To me, it tastes amazing regardless. And who wants to wait an hour when they feel hungry?
Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the filling
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 6 medium cremini mushrooms chopped
- 1 ½ cups of chopped leftover turkey
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup cheese cheddar, mozzarella, gruyere, etc. (cubed)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil for sauteing
For the crust
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- ½ cup cold butter cubed
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp ice water
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Pie crust
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cubed butter into the dry mixture and rub the butter cubes between your fingers into pea-sized pieces.
- Add the apple cider vinegar and water into the mixture and gently mix together. If needed, add an extra 1 tsp of water at a time until the right consistency is achieved. The dough shouldn’t be too sticky or too dry. Once the dough is formed, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge while you make the filling.
Filling
- Heat a frying pan with the olive oil. Once heated, add the chopped onions and mushrooms. Fry the vegetables until they are browned and softened, about 2-3 minutes. With the fried onions and mushrooms still in the pan, add the chopped turkey and fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and let the mixture cool.
- Whisk together eggs, heavy cream, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the cubed cheese and the turkey mixture, stir, then set aside.
Assembling and baking
- Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap it, and dust your surface with flour. Roll out the dough about an ⅛ inch thick, then press the rolled-out dough into an 8-inch (bottom) and 10-inch (top) circle pan (leave about 1 inch of dough hanging off the sides of the pan because it will shrink).
- Pour the filling into the pan lined with dough and place it on a metal baking tray.
- Place it in the preheated oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the crust is browned and the filling is set.
- Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before serving, or let it cool completely, then refrigerate for 3-4 days, or freeze for longer (2-4 months) storage.
Leslie says
Made this with leftover chicken and it turned out fabulous. Will be making it again for sure. Thank you for the recipe!
victor says
You are welcome. Enjoy!