Chile Relleno Quiche

Chile Relleno Quiche is soon to become one of your family favorites. A breakfast quiche recipe filled with jack cheese, a zesty egg mixture, chiles and cheeses in a flakey pie crust. The perfect quiche fillings in a buttery crust. 

angled shot of slice of chile relleno quiche on plate


 

Instead of making the traditional chile relleno casserole, I decided to adapt the recipe into a quiche, resulting in (drum roll please) a Chile Relleno Quiche (extra points for creativity, right?)! 

This baked quiche uses the typical quiche ingredients of eggs, milk (or heavy cream), cheddar cheese, salt and pepper and then green chiles! 

straight on shot of slice taken out of chile relleno quiche

Why You’ll Love This Chile Relleno Quiche

A quick and easy breakfast that’s sure to satisfy everyone’s hunger- what’s not to love!

  • A unique twist on a classic – We’ve all had the typical egg, cheese and veggie quiche, but this one puts a delicious and unique spin on things.
  • Fun topping ideas – The toppings for this quiche are endless. You can even top your chile relleno quiche with sour cream or salsa before serving. 
  • Not just for breakfast – My family can eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Once I ate this relleno quiche for breakfast, lunch and another little slice for a snack. I went back for fourths the next morning… but the quiche was missing. 

Ingredients

You can easily find all of these ingredients at your local grocery store.

  • Refrigerated pie crust – By all means, if you want to make one from scratch please do so. I just like things to be easy, so a pre-made pie crust works just as well.
  • Diced green chiles – I use a can, but you can also use fresh chiles, like Hatch green chiles, poblano peppers or Anaheim peppers, to roast and peel yourself over an open flame or the flame of your stove. 
  • Cheese – When I say cheese, I mean CHEESE! I like pepper jack and colby jack, but any blend of these: sharp cheddar cheese or monterey jack cheese is delicious. For the best texture, use freshly shredded cheese.
  • Eggs – You want these to be lightly beaten. Always assume a recipe is calling for large eggs.
  • Flour – Is the flour necessary? No. But it does help give the eggs some lift and fluff up.
  • Milk – Adds richness and liquid to the mixture and helps keep the eggs moist and soft. Heavy cream can also be used, as can reduced fat milks or nut milk, they just won’t have as much depth.
  • Fine sea salt – Salt helps to bring out and balance natural flavors.
  • Dry mustard – I get a lot of questions about this ingredient. Adding acid to a recipe gives it more sophisticated flavor. My family always used dry mustard because that’s what was listed in the old cookbook, but you can leave it out or use an equal amount of yellow or Dijon mustard whisked in with the eggs.
overhead shot of holes poked in raw pie crust

How to Make Chile Relleno Quiche

Making this delicious quiche couldn’t be more simple.

  1. Bake crust. Unroll pie crust in in a 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Generously pierce uncooked crust to allow steam to rise and the crust to bake evenly. Bake until crust is light brown. You can use pie weights to ensure it stays down. 
  2. Combine filling ingredients. In a large mixing bowl whisk together diced green chiles, shredded pepper jack cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, eggs, flour, fin sea salt, milk and dry mustard. 
  3. Add filling to crust and bake. Pour filling in baked crust. Bake until the egg filling has set. 
  4. Top with remaining cheese and bake again. Remove and top with remaining cheeses. Return to the oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  5. Allow to rest. Remove and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving. 

Topping Ideas

Anything that you would put on top of eggs or a chile relleno are also great for this spicy breakfast casserole.

close up angled shot of slice of chile relleno quiche on plate

What to Serve with Chile Relleno Quiche

For breakfast, you can easily have some meat on the side. Bacon and Homemade Breakfast Sausage are good bets. Even just heat up some ham.

Toast, biscuits, English muffins or scones are great too. Even a cream cheese board with bagel tidbits is great. Make sure to get some fruit in with my favorite fruit salad.

Crispy home friessweet potato hash browns or potatoes o’brien are fantastic too!

angled shot of chile relleno quiche

Variations

There are plenty of ways you are able to make this chile relleno quiche your own. Here are a few ideas.

  • Crustless – You can make this into a crustless quiche recipe! Simply spray the baking dish with cooking spray and omit the pie crust. 
  • Adding meat – Chile relleno quiche is surely vegetarian, but if you are craving some extra meat, you can add crumbled bacon or breakfast sausage to the mix and bake it just the same. 
  • Make into cups – Use a muffin tin instead of a pie dish and bake them for about 15 minutes. 
  • Cheese – You can use a blend of cheese, like I did, or just one type of cheese. I like to use at least one cheese with a little spice like a pepper jack or jalapeno laced cheese, but you can stick to mild and use regular cheddar or a blend of cheddar varieties. 
  • Milk – You can half and half instead. You can even use heavy cream. I do suggest using whole milk and not skim. 
fork cutting into slice of chile relleno quiche

Storage and Freezing

You can make this chile relleno quiche ahead of time. You can pre bake it and then reheat when you are ready to serve. I do recommend a fresh sprinkling of cheese before reheating. 

How to Store Leftover Quiche

You can store any leftovers in an airtight container. It will stay in the refrigerator for three to five days.

Can I freeze quiche?

You can freeze this chile relleno quiche as a whole quiche or cupcakes for three to four months. 

overhead shot of chile relleno quiche

Frequently Asked Questions

Are quiche and frittata the same thing?

Kind of! Quiche is French and frittata is Italian. Check out my favorite Tomato Spinach Frittata

Can quiche be eaten at room temperature?

You can. Most cooked egg recipes are good at room temperature for about 2 hours before they need to be chilled again. 

What does quiche mean?

The formal definition of quiche is “a baked flan or tart with a savory filling thickened with eggs”.

close up of bite taken out of slice of chile relleno quiche

More Chile Inspired Recipes

If you’ve been around for awhile, you’re sure to have noticed my love for green chiles. Here are some of my favorite recipes to use them in.

Chile Relleno Monte Cristo slices on a plate

Chile Relleno Monte Cristo Recipe

4.29 from 32 votes
Chile Relleno Monte Cristo is a classic grilled cheese with pepper jack, cheddar and green chile and then battered and fried  Monte Cristo style.
See The Recipe!
air fryer salmon on a plate with fried rice

Chile Lime Air Fryer Salmon

5 from 5 votes
This quick and easy Air Fryer Salmon is ready in only 15 minutes and seasoned with a zesty chili lime sauce. Perfect for an easy weeknight meal!
See The Recipe!
angled shot of bowl of black bean soup topped with cheese and cilantro

Black Bean Soup Recipe (w/ Green Chiles)

4.75 from 4 votes
Black bean Green Chile Soup is a tomato based soup with smoky chipotle peppers and robust flavors. Top with avocado, cilantro and queso fresco! Hearty enough for an entree, but can also be an appetizer! 
See The Recipe!
angled shot of slice of chile relleno quiche with text overlay
angled shot of slice of chile relleno quiche on plate

Chile Relleno Quiche Recipe

4.29 from 90 votes
Chile Relleno Quiche uses green chiles, loads of cheese and spices in a flaky pie crust. An easy brunch recipe and perfect for holiday entertaining! 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
  • Unroll pie crust in in a 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Generously pierce uncooked crust to allow steam to rise and the crust to bake evenly. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crust is light brown. You can use pie weights to ensure it stays down. 
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together diced green chiles, 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, eggs, flour, fin sea salt, milk and dry mustard. 
  • Pour filling in baked crust. Bake for 45 minutes or until eggs have set. 
  • Remove and top with remaining cheeses (1/4 cup pepper jack and 1/4 cup cheddar.) Return to the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Remove and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. 

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 289 kcal, Carbohydrates: 15 g, Protein: 13 g, Fat: 19 g, Saturated Fat: 9 g, Cholesterol: 116 mg, Sodium: 619 mg, Potassium: 145 mg, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 475 IU, Vitamin C: 2.6 mg, Calcium: 293 mg, Iron: 1.6 mg
Author: Jessica Formicola
Calories: 289
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chile relleno quiche, quiche recipe
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
collage of chile relleno quiche
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Jessica Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and food lover behind Savory Experiments. She is obsessed with butter, salt and bacon and spends all her time in the kitchen and behind a camera. Jessica is a contributor to PopKitchen by Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

Read More About Jessica

Join The Discussion

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    I’m making this for a second time. It’s just for my husband and I, but leftovers heat up really well.

    1. So glad you loved it and shared with others! Not sure if you read my bio, but I was a psychotherapist for over 12 years before transitioning into food 🙂

    1. Sure! I’d either make it crustless (or I am sure there is a GF option) and sub flour for almond flour. I have not tried this personally, so please let us know how it goes.

  2. 5 stars
    Huge hit at brunch. Very easy to make.
    Anytime a guest asks for the recipe, I considered that a success

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe is delicious. It’s my favorite quiche recipe and I make it every other week!

    1. Thank you for coming to let us know, Heather! It is one of our favorites as well!

    1. It can be cooked the day before, but I would heat it in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes instead of the microwave. Eggs have the tendency to get gummy.

  4. I am assuming the milk gets in there somewhere? Listed in the ingredients, but not the directions. Not to be picky or anything.

    1. Hi Diana! Thanks for catching that! I just made this recipe the other day and was making some minor adjustments and apparently forgot to put the milk back in. I actually cut it in half and made it just milk- I used skim last time and it was perfectly fine. There will also be an accompanying video coming soon!