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If you are looking for a cozy, make ahead Christmas breakfast, this Christmas Quiche is it. It is filled with savory sausage, sweet-tart cranberries, and melty cheese in a flaky crust that looks beautiful on the table and tastes even better. You can prep it ahead, pop it in the oven while gifts are being opened, and enjoy a warm, comforting holiday brunch with almost no stress.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Made this for Christmas morning to serve with cranberry and pomegranate mimosas. It was a hit. Everyone had a second helping. Will make it again.” – Renee
“Our entire family loves this quiche! We will be making it again for Christmas for sure. Thanks for the great recipe!” – Ashley
“I made two . One as the recipe reads. The second I followed the recipe adding mild diced green chilis instead of the cranberries and also added diced fried cooked potatoes. Both were amazing! My new Christmas Favorite!” – Kathy
Why I Love This Quiche
Christmas morning is one of my favorite times to slow down, cuddle up with family, and share a special breakfast before the rest of the day gets busy. This Christmas Quiche has become a tradition at our house. It feels festive and a little bit fancy, but it is actually very simple to put together.
I love how the flaky crust holds a rich, custardy filling that is loaded with savory sausage, tangy dried cranberries, and plenty of cheese. The smell that fills the kitchen as it bakes feels like a warm holiday hug. Since it can be prepped ahead, I am not stuck in the kitchen. I can be right there next to the tree, soaking up the magic with everyone else.
It pairs beautifully with:
- Holiday drinks like Peppermint Hot Cocoa, Holiday Punch, or Wassail
- Fresh fruit or a simple Fruit Salad
- Blueberry Muffins or Orange Rolls
- Crispy Hash Browns or breakfast potatoes
🩷 Echo
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Crust: A 9-inch deep dish pie shell (store bought for convenience or a homemade pie crust if you have extra time).
- Sausage: Ground breakfast sausage broken into small pieces.
- Dried cranberries: Craisins or similar dried cranberries add a chewy sweetness.
- Cheese: Shredded Monterey Jack cheese for a creamy, melty texture.
- Eggs: Large eggs that are lightly beaten to create a smooth, custardy filling.
- Half and half: Gives the quiche a rich, creamy texture.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Meat options: Swap the breakfast sausage for diced ham, cooked crumbled bacon, or a mix of two for even more flavor.
- Cheese swaps: Monterey Jack is mild and creamy, but you can use Pepper Jack, sharp cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, feta, or even blue cheese for a bolder taste.
- Cranberry alternatives: If you do not love cranberries, try chopped sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or leave them out and add extra veggies.
- Veggie mix ins: Stir in sautéed mushrooms, chopped bell peppers, spinach, asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, or green onions.
- Crust options: Use a homemade pie crust, a refrigerated crust, or try a crustless version by greasing the dish and baking the filling without crust.
- Dairy substitutions: Use all whole milk for a lighter quiche or a mix of cream and milk for a richer result if you do not have half and half.
How to Make Christmas Quiche
- Prepare the pie crust: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the pie shell on a baking sheet, prick the bottom with a fork if needed, then bake for about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
- Cook the sausage: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground breakfast sausage until it is cooked through then stir the cranberries into the warm sausage so they soften slightly and the flavors blend together.
- Make the egg mixture: In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and half and half until they are fully blended and smooth with no streaks of egg. This gives you a creamy custard base for your Christmas Quiche.
- Assemble the quiche: Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the bottom of the pre baked pie crust.
- Layer: Spoon the sausage and cranberry mixture over the cheese, then pour the egg and cream mixture evenly over the top.
- Bake: Bake the quiche for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the middle is just set.
Recipe Tips
- Prevent a soggy crust by pre baking the pie shell before adding the filling. You can brush the inside with a little melted butter after pre baking for extra flavor and crispness.
- If you are using a frozen pie shell, let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it softens.
- Use pie weights or dried beans on parchment paper when par baking the crust if you notice it puffing up or shrinking.
- Grate your own cheese for the creamiest melt. Pre shredded cheese can have a coating that keeps it from melting as smoothly.
- Do not overbake or the quiche can become dry. The center should be set but still soft and slightly jiggly when you gently shake the pan.
- Let it rest before serving so the filling can finish setting. This makes it easier to slice neat wedges.
- Prep ahead smartly by cooking the sausage, shredding the cheese, and whisking the egg mixture the day before. Store each separately in the fridge and assemble quickly in the morning.
Frequently Asked Questions
A quiche is a classic French dish featuring a pastry crust filled with eggs, cream, and various mix-ins like cheese, meats, and vegetables. It’s similar to a savory pie or tart, cut into slices and served either hot or cold.
If sausage or cranberries aren’t your favorite, there are plenty of options for you to replace within your quiche. Some common ingredients include green onion, spinach, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley, beans, bacon and more.
The Monterey Jack works best with this recipe, but some other options could be pepper jack, sharp cheddar cheese, Swiss, gruyere cheese, feta, or blue cheese.
You can line the pie dish with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Make sure it fits snugly in the dish. Do not use plastic wrap or foil inside the oven.
Use a well chilled pie crust, pre bake it before adding the filling, and avoid overworking the dough if you are making it from scratch. Brushing the pre baked crust with a little melted butter helps it stay crisp and flavorful.
Yes! A crustless quiche recipe is a great way to have a low-carb or gluten-free alternative. Simply grease the pie pan and then add in the quiche liquid mixture to bake!
The edges will be puffed and lightly golden, and a knife or toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean. The center should not look wet, but it may still have a slight wobble that will finish setting as it rests.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead – Pre bake the crust, cook the sausage and cranberries, and shred the cheese. You can also whisk the eggs and half and half. Store each part separately in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. When you are ready to bake, assemble the quiche, pour in the egg mixture, and bake as directed.
- Refrigerate Leftovers – Allow the breakfast Christmas quiche to cool before storing it in the refrigerator. Wrap the quiche with plastic wrap or place slices in an airtight container. This will be stored in the fridge for three to four days.
- Freeze for Later – Wrap and freeze the quiche tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and store in a freezer bag.
- Reheating – When ready to enjoy, remove the quiche from the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator. Once it is thawed, heat in the oven at 300 degrees or microwave until it is warmed through.
More Breakfast Ideas for the Holidays
- Caramel Apple French Toast
- Strawberry Crepes
- Brioche French Toast Casserole
- Homemade Orange Rolls
- Blueberry Muffins
- More Breakfast Ideas
This Christmas Quiche is one of my favorite ways to kick off Christmas morning. It is simple to make, easy to adapt to your family’s tastes, and special enough to become a holiday tradition. If you make this recipe I’d love to hear how it went. Rate the recipe and drop your tweaks or serving ideas in the comments so others can try them too. Happy Holidays!🎄❤️
Christmas Quiche
Video
Ingredients
- 1 deep dish pie shell, 9", frozen or homemade
- 1/2 pound ground breakfast sausage
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake pie shell for 7 minutes. If using a frozen pie shell, let it stand for 10 minutes at room temperature before baking. Let cool.
- Brown sausage in a large skillet and drain excess grease. Stir in dried cranberries.
- Whisk eggs and half-and-half in a medium bowl until well blended.
- Sprinkle cheese on the bottom of the pie shell. Add sausage and cranberries.
- Pour egg mixture into pie shell over sausage, cranberries, and cheese.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes or until the knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pre bake the pie shell to keep the crust crisp and prevent it from getting soggy under the filling.
- For easy holiday prep, cook the sausage, shred the cheese, and whisk the egg mixture the day before and store them in the refrigerator.
- You can substitute ham or bacon for the sausage and try different cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, or Gruyere.
- Add extra flavor and color with vegetables such as spinach, mushrooms, or bell peppers, but make sure to cook off any excess moisture first.
- To freeze leftovers, cool completely, wrap well, and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Reheat gently in the oven so the texture stays soft and custardy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Do you use the whole 1 1/2 cups of half and half?
Yes! It makes the eggs so nice and fluffy!
Everyone says they made it, but the recipe doesn’t say how long to bake it?
“…Bake for minutes…”
Thanks for catching that! It must have gotten deleted – it bakes for 45 minutes!
I made this today, eliminated the crust. I also used turkey sausage. This is a five star recipe. So good.
Made this for Christmas morning to serve with cranberry and pomegranate mimosas. It was a hit. Everyone had a second helping. Will make it again.
I used Gruyère instead of Monterey Jack and loved it! Our house tends to prefer savory to sweet so I’d probably go a little lighter on the cranberries next time. But overall this was a hit I will make again! Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy you liked it! Thank you for rating the recipe!
I made two . One as the recipe reads. The second I followed the recipe adding mild diced green chilis instead of the cranberries and also added diced fried cooked potatoes , About two cups . Both were amazing , My new Christmas Favorite 😋
This quiche was our breakfast this Christmas and it was very good. This will be a keeper.
I happen to have everything I need in the house to make this! So excited to try it!
This quiche has been added to my Christmas brunch menu. I can’t wait to taste the deliciousness that is this!
I love quiche, and anything with eggs really! Sausage and cranberry are definitely giving me the holiday vibes!
Oh wow! What a beautiful breakfast idea for Christmas morning! The flavors sound wonderful and I love the stars around the crust.
With a smaller Christmas, we won’t need a couple of casseroles—so this is the recipe I’m making! So yummy!!!
This sounds like the perfect breakfast for the festive season – so delicious and full of Christmassy flavours!
Can I make the quiche the day before I want to serve it & reheat?
I don’t see why not!
Okay ladies… I make quiche every year and I’m going to try this one! Sounds so yummy… I’ll let you know how it goes!
Our entire family loves this quiche! We will be making it again for Christmas for sure. Thanks for the great recipe!
The perfect breakfast for Christmas morning for sure!
Is there some way to keep the quiche from getting too soggy? I really want to make a really good quiche. Also, do I need to soak cranberries before I start cooking them?
You should be using dried cranberries – like Craisins – and no, they do not need to be soaked. To ensure a non-soggy quiche, make sure to drain the sausage really well, and cook the pie shell exactly per the instructions.
Love getting new recipes.