Cheese and Bacon Quiche

• butter↗25g g
• large onions2

  cut in half and thinly sliced

• fresh thyme leaves↗1 tbsp tbsp

  plus a few sprigs

• ready shortcrust pastry↗350g g
• plain flour↗

  for dusting

• packaged smoked bacon↗200g g

  diced

• heavy cream300g g
• milk↗100ml ml
• large eggs↗3
• nutmeg↗2-3 pinches pinches

  plus extra for sprinkling on top

• mature cheddar↗140g g

  grated

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Melt the butter in a large non‑stick skillet, add the onions and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and golden‑brown. Season, add the thyme leaves, then transfer to a plate to cool.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C/180 °C with convection/gas 6, placing a large tray inside. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to line a 25 cm free‑bottom tart tin, leaving a little overhang around the edge. This prevents the pastry from shrinking in the oven. If there is more overhang than needed, trim the excess with scissors. Gently press the pastry against the sides of the tin and prick the base with a fork. Cool for 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Line the pastry‑lined tin with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with ceramic baking beads. Bake for 15 minutes on the preheated tray (this helps prevent a soggy base). Carefully remove the paper and beads, then return to the oven for another 10 minutes, until the pastry looks like a cooked shortbread but is not overly brown.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, place the bacon in the same skillet used for the onions (no need to wash or add oil) and fry for 10 minutes until golden. Transfer to a paper towel to drain excess fat. Whisk the cream, milk and eggs with seasonings and nutmeg, then add the bacon and half the cheese.

5. 5

   Remove the pastry tin from the oven and lower the temperature to 190 °C/170 °C with convection/gas 5. Evenly spread the caramelised onions over the base. Pour in the bacon mixture, then sprinkle the remaining cheese, thyme sprigs, and a little nutmeg. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top is golden and the filling just sets with a slight wobble in the centre.

6. 6

   Trim any excess pastry and let stand for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and slice.