One of my girlfriend’s most requested meals is this bacon, kale, and gruyere quiche! It’s simple, versatile, and perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This easy bacon and gruyere quiche with kale is also and incredible dish to bring to a brunch or pot luck.

a slice of quiche made with gruyere, bacon, kale, and caramelized onion on a plate with a simple arugula and parmesan side salad

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I LOVE making this kale and bacon quiche because it’s a make-ahead dish that my girlfriend and I will eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s layered with so much flavor, too! My gruyere quiche recipe is similar to a Quiche Lorraine, but instead of using heavy cream, this lightened-up quiche uses Greek yogurt and low-fat milk for a boost of protein. Unlike a Quiche Lorraine, my recipe also calls for kale for added veggies and micronutrients.

The Best Quiche with Gruyere and Caramelized Onion

I make this caramelized onion and bacon quiche recipe so many times every year because it’s so easy and delicious! This make-ahead quiche is the perfect breakfast meal prep. My partner doesn’t cook as much as I do, so with this savory breakfast quiche recipe, she can reheat this in the morning and serve herself, and I can stay in bed a little longer!

Why you’ll love this Bacon, Kale, and Gruyere Quiche

It’s great for meal prep. This make-ahead quiche with bacon and kale is such a great meal prep recipe for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!
It’s easy to make. Though, “easy” doesn’t always mean “fast.” While caramelizing onion takes a long time, all of the steps in this recipe are very simple, so it’s a pretty low-stress meal to make.
It’s perfect for any meal of the day. This bacon quiche with kale can be eaten for literally any meal. Reheat it for breakfast, take leftovers for lunch, or serve it for dinner!
It’s a brunch party centerpiece. Going to a brunch potluck? This brunch quiche with bacon, gruyere, and onions will steal the show and be center of attention.

Ingredients for Bacon Gruyere Quiche

Pie crust. Homemade or store bought, you choose!
Kale. You can use Lacinato or regular kale!
Greek yogurt. For a little extra protein and some creaminess in the egg mixture.
Milk. Instead of heavy cream, I use milk in my recipe!
Onion. I suggest dicing the onion instead of slicing (I’ve tried it both ways, dice is best!)
Eggs. Can’t have a quiche without egg!
Bacon. For the best bacon gruyere quiche, I suggest a thick cut bacon. I use the Black Forest bacon from Trader Joe’s!
Gruyere. In my humble opinion, this is the best cheese to use for quiche.

How to Make This Bacon, Kale, and Gruyere Quiche

Keep on scrolling for the full recipe card with measurements to learn how to make a gruyere and bacon quiche, but here’s a brief overview (with photos)!

Caramelize the onions. This step takes the LONGEST, so make sure to start it first! Add butter to a pan over medium heat. Once melted, add the onions. I like to cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the onions start to soften, then I will cover and reduce the heat to medium low, stirring occasionally. The onions need to cook for about 40 minutes, so keep an eye on them to make sure they’re not burning, and be sure to stir every 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the bacon. You can use any method to cook bacon, whether it’s in the oven (least messy, and you can cook the most bacon at once) or on the stovetop. I prefer a stovetop method because I like to cook the kale in the remaining bacon grease. Once the bacon is cooked, chop it up!
Cook the kale. Add the kale to the same pan used for the bacon. If there is too much bacon grease, you can drain some first! Cook the kale until it begins to wilt. Season with salt. Add minced garlic for the last minute of cooking, then remove from the pan.
Par-bake the pie crust. Whether you’re using store-bought or homemade crust, you’ll want to par-bake your pie crust to ensure the bottom crust gets cooked and you’re not left with a soggy bottom! Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Add your crust to a pie dish. Poke some holes into the bottom with a fork. Add parchment paper or aluminum foil to the pie crust, then add pie weights to the center (if you don’t have pie weights, you can use dried rice or another pie dish of equal size). Adding weights to the center helps to prevent the crust from shrinking when it cooks.
Load your fillings into the pie. Layer in your fillings, starting with half of the gruyere, the cooked kale, bacon, caramelized onion, and more gruyere. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, Greek yogurt, and milk. Pour the egg mixture over the fillings. Use a fork to swirl the ingredients around.
Bake the quiche. Bake for about 40 minutes at 375ºF or until crust is golden and egg is set.

onions caramelizing in a pan — Melt butter in a pan and add onion. Season with salt, and cook the onions over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for up to 45 minutes.

Bacon cooking in a cast iron skillet — Start by cooking the bacon. You can cut down on time by cooking in the oven, but I like to cook some in the same pan I will use to cook my kale or onions.

kale cooking in a cast iron skillet — Sauté the kale in the same pan used for the bacon. Add minced garlic in the last 30 seconds of cooking.

Gruyere in a par-baked pie crust. — Add shredded gruyere to the bottom of a par-baked pie crust.

Sautéed kale added to a par baked pie crust — Add the cooked kale to the pie crust.

Bacon added to a par baked pie crust — Add the bacon to the pie crust.

Caramelized onion added to a par baked pie crust along with bacon, kale, and gruyere — Top the bacon with caramelized onion.

A par baked pie crust filled with kale, caramelized onion, and bacon, topped with shredded gruyere — Top with the rest of the gruyere.

Eggs, greek yogurt, and milk in a bowl — Add eggs, Greek yogurt, and milk to a bowl.

eggs, milk, and yogurt whisked together in a bowl — Whisk together the egg mixture until it is not clumpy.

egg mixture added to an uncooked quiche including kale, caramelized onion, gruyere, and bacon — Finally, pour the egg mixture over the quiche filling. Use a fork to gently swirl the ingredients around to mix it up and allow the egg to fall to the bottom of the quiche. Bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes until crust is golden and egg is set.

cooked quiche with bacon, kale, caramelized onion, and gruyere. — Let the quiche cool slightly before serving, and enjoy!

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Swap out the cheese. Instead of gruyere, you can use white cheddar for a similar flavor profile, comté for a fancier cheese, mozzarella for a good melting cheese, or cheddar, jack, or Swiss cheeses. You can also use feta or goat cheese for a tangier taste.
Kale substitutes. Instead of kale, spinach is a popular substitute. Swiss chard and collared greens are great options, too!
Take out the bacon. Ham is a popular meat used in many quiches. You can also used breakfast sausage or Italian sausage instead.

Storing and Reheating

This freezer-friendly bacon and kale quiche can be made ahead of time or meal prepped for the week. Some tips to store and reheat:

Refrigerator: Store this quiche covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: You can freeze the entire quiche, or make individual portions. If you freeze the entire quiche, make sure you do not freeze or store it in a glass container. Wrap the quiche or slices of quiche tightly in plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil. For extra freezer protection, store the wrapped slices in a large freezer bag.
Reheat from thawed or refrigerated: You can microwave the quiche or reheat in the oven heated to 350ºF for about 10 minutes.
Reheat from frozen: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and bake for about 1 hour or until fully reheated to an internal temperature of 165ºF. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Actual cooking time might vary depending on how thick your quiche is!

Serve this quiche with a simple side salad to make it a complete, balanced meal!

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