Mini quiches are a little extra work, but they’re perfect for a passed hors d’ouevre or an elevated brunch buffet. This recipe calls for frozen puff-pastry sheets, which lowers the fuss factor.

What to buy: Look for an all-butter frozen puff pastry, such as Dufour.

Special equipment: You’ll need four 12-cup or two 24-cup mini muffin pans for this recipe.

  • Yields: About 4 dozen mini quiches
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Total: About 1 hr 
  • Active: 30 mins

Ingredients (13)

  • 12 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch squares
  • 3 medium leeks, cut into 1/2-inch squares (white and pale green parts only)
  • 1 1/4 cups half-and-half
  • 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 (17-ounce) packages frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed overnight in the refrigerator
  • All-purpose flour, for rolling

Instructions

To make the filling:

  1. Place the bacon squares in a large frying pan. Cook over medium heat until browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. (Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to do this in 2 batches.) Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan. Set the frying pan back over medium heat and cook the leeks, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the half-and-half, cheddar, eggs, egg yolks, thyme, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooled leeks and the reserved bacon and stir to combine.

To assemble and bake:

  1. Spray 4 mini muffin pans (or 2 if your pans have two dozen wells) with cooking spray.
  2. Working with 1 sheet of puff pastry at a time, roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 10-by-18-inch rectangle. Stamp out 3-inch circles of dough with a cookie cutter and gently press the rounds into the wells of the mini muffin pans. Make sure each round is centered and that the dough extends up to the top of the well. Fill each with about 1 tablespoon of custard. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling (save any leftover dough for another recipe).
  3. Heat the oven to 400°F. Place one rack in the top third of the oven and another in the bottom third.
  4. Bake for 10 minutes, then switch the position of the pans so the ones from the upper shelf are now on the lower shelf and vice versa. Bake until the filling is puffed and the crust is golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Cool for 5 minutes in the pans, then gently remove to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.