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My easy Leftovers Quiche recipe is super-tasty AND a great way to prevent food waste. It’s an absolute favourite here for a delicious, nutritious meal that also ensures a clear conscience… Fill it with the meat and veg leftovers from roast dinner or anything else that would otherwise be heading for the bin. Make with gluten free pastry as required.
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The story of my Leftovers Quiche – Avoiding roast dinner food waste
My Leftovers Quiche was first created back in 2016. It was the result of a challenge by Joseph Joseph to come up with an innovative recipe to combat food waste, alongside the organisation Love Food Hate Waste. Originally titled Roast Dinner Quiche, it is packed with leftovers from a traditional roast dinner… However (as I learned by trial and error) not all the roast dinner ‘remains’ work quite as well. So, read on to find out how to make the BEST roast dinner Leftovers Quiche or quiche with any other leftovers you have to hand.
The problem of Food Waste and why it matters to find recipes to use it?
I HATE food waste with a passion. Way too much food (both cooked and uncooked) gets wasted in the world and it’s totally unnecessary. There are always ways to use up leftovers, or to distribute fresh excess food to those more in need. But it requires better planning, more willingness to get creative and a determination to work as individuals, households, communities and nations to combat the endless binning of good food.
And here’s the shocker! According to Love Food Hate Waste, in the UK alone… every year we throw away (just from our own households) 4.5 million tonnes of food that could be eaten. Not doing so for JUST one day would “do the same for greenhouse gas emissions as taking 14,000 cars off the road for a WHOLE year”. You heard right… That’s ONE day!!!!!!!
Which raises the question, why are we not hearing more about avoiding food waste as part of the whole climate argument? While the cost, logistics, politics and infrastructure of switching to clean energy is incredibly complex, eating the food we buy is a win win… Both for the planet and for our pockets!
Roast Dinner Quiche – A super-tasty recipe for those Sunday, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas Leftovers
So… Let’s start with roast dinner. If you are anything like us, you’ll always make too much. Roast dinner is an opportunity to have a pig-out (not that I need an opportunity). And often there’s more cooked than is needed to be certain there’ll be enough to go round. So, it’s all too easy to end up with more meat; roast potatoes; roasted veggies; boiled and steamed veg; pigs-in-blankets; nut roast; Yorkshire puddings; and stuffing than we can eat.
The usual suspects at GFHQ for using them up are:
- Cold meat sandwiches on delicious gluten free wholemeal bread or stuffed into homemade artisan rolls.
- Pretty much anything warmed and popped into a homemade gluten free tortilla wrap, sprinkled with cheese.
- A good old pan of British Bubble and Squeak.
- Traditional meat leftovers curry.
- Baked Egg Tortilla with leftover veg.
- Veggies and meat chopped and added to a yummy sauce to pour over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.
- Roasties diced and fried to munch alongside bacon and eggs.
- Cold Yorkshire Puddings reheated and filled with any of the above plus a drizzle of remaining gravy.
But… my Leftovers Quiche takes Roast Dinner leftovers to a new level. And trust me… It is MORE than worth the effort to make.
What leftovers work best in a Leftovers Quiche?
While I made my Leftovers Quiche with the remains of roast dinner, don’t feel constrained. Leftovers Quiche is incredibly versatile and can be made with most leftover meat, fish, veggies, stuffing, tofu and even the remains of a nut roast. Whether the leftovers are roasted, fried, steamed, boiled or baked, they will still work well in a quiche. It’s just a matter of careful pairing of flavour matches (as you would do when making any other meal).
What leftovers DON’T work in a Leftovers Quiche?
So… which are best used elsewhere? This is only my opinion… If you think I’m wrong and want to go ahead and try stuff anyway, be my guest. But the things that don’t work in a quiche pie are usually leftovers that are carb based.
For me, Yorkshire Puddings are an absolute ‘no no’ and roast potatoes aren’t good either. I’m sure potatoes are better in a crustless quiche, but not here… And much as I love them as potato alternatives, buckwheat, rice, quinoa and other grains honestly don’t sit that well alongside pastry and egg-custard. Lastly… Steer clear (with the contradictory proviso that kale and spinach are fine) of basic salad leaves… They are generally better served alongside…
And that’s about it! The creativity is in your hands.
If you’re trying to work out what’s in the Leftovers Quiche in the photos, let me fill you in. It’s a good one! There’s a mix of slow-roast pork chunks, salty chipolata sausages, earthy roasted mushrooms and sweet shallots… Oh, and some leftover steamed purple sprouting too.
To this, I’ve added some cheese (Cheddar paired with Gruyere), and a little fresh sage. All topped and cooked within a perfectly baked savoury egg custard and encased in a crisp, pastry case.
It’s always a good idea to carefully choose cheeses, herbs and spices to compliment the leftovers. (How does roast beef and Stilton sound?)…
At Christmas, I thoroughly recommend a mix of leftover turkey, pigs-in-blankets, chestnut stuffing and roast parsnips. But seriously. With Leftovers Quiche, pretty much anything goes!
What pastry is used to make Leftovers Quiche?
My Leftovers Quiche is suitable whether you are gluten free or not… The only difference is whether you use ‘normal’ wheat pastry or gluten free pastry. But either way, the best pastry to use when making quiche is a good shortcrust pastry. It doesn’t matter whether you make the pastry from scratch or use one that is ready-made. Whatever is easiest to make sure you use up those leftovers is what matters!
Don’t forget to blind-bake the pastry before you add the fillings and custard, or you’ll end up with a ‘soggy bottom’ 🤭.
What’s the best Gluten Free Pastry to make a Gluten Free Quiche?
There seem to be so many gluten free pastry options these days, it can be quite confusing to know which is best for what. So, which is best for quiche?
Homemade Gluten Free Pastry recipes
At Gluten Free Alchemist we have a range of gluten free pastry recipes. Although most are suitable for quiche, some work better than others. These are the best options…
- Basic Gluten Free Shortcrust with rice-free flour (with a Step-by-Step guide) – super-easy to handle. Perfectly ‘short’. I’ve included this version as a recipe card below.
- Rice and Almond Pastry – One of the oldest on the blog. Has a slightly more ‘ricey’ texture which contrasts well alongside the soft filling.
- Adriana’s Flaky Shortcrust – Uses standard gluten free flour blends and is quite robust, but perhaps a little less ‘crisp’ than some of the others.
- Parmesan Pastry – For when you want something a little more decadent.
Whichever you choose, I promise that (despite its reputation), gluten free pastry really isn’t hard to make and is always much nicer to eat than shop-bought. Just follow the step-by-step guide linked above if you’re unsure.
Ready-made gluten free shortcrust pastry
Check in your supermarket freezers and chillers. And also, for pastry packet mixes… Here’s a few on offer.
- Sue’s gluten free-vegan ready to roll shortcrust from The Gluten Free Kitchen. Also available in Waitrose.
- Genius frozen ready-to-roll shortcrust. Available in some Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda stores.
- Some of the major supermarkets also offer own-brand and other company pastry mixes in the ambient aisle.
Save this recipe for gluten free Leftovers Quiche!
And that’s it! Whether you need this recipe now, after Christmas or Thanksgiving, or at any other time in the future, be sure to save it. Making my Leftovers Quiche (whether gluten free or not) will be doing your bit to save the planet. And it offers a tasty and nutritious meal as well.
As always, if you do make it, let me know how you found it. Leave a comment, rate the recipe or tag me on social media. It’s easy to find me onFacebook,Instagram,TwitterorPinterest. #glutenfreealchemist
And if you are new to Gluten Free Alchemist, why not head over to our Gluten Free Recipe Index… With over 400 gluten free recipes, you’ll definitely find something to inspire. All shared with our love… for FREE.
Other gluten free recipes to avoid food waste…
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Leftovers Quiche (or Roast Dinner Quiche)
Easy quiche which is super-tasty AND a great way to prevent food waste. Fill it with the meat and veg leftovers from roast dinner or anything else that would otherwise be heading for the bin.
Prep Time40 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
chill & blind bake the pastry50 minutes mins
Total Time2 hours hrs
Course: Lunch, lunch box, Party, picnic
Cuisine: British, Gluten Free
Keyword: eggs, leftovers, quiche
Servings: 10
Calories per serving: 335.8kcal
Author: Gluten Free Alchemist- Kate Dowse
Key equipment
sharp vegetable knife
flat-bladed knife
Small saucepan
oven + hob
cling film (opt)
fridge
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
- 500 g shortcrust pastry dough Approx weight – See separate recipe card in blog post (or link in NOTES below) for gluten free shortcrust recipe (1 batch).
Leftovers Filling (substitute with any different leftovers you have)
- 120 g roast pork (or other meat/protein leftovers) approx weight – cut into small cubes
- 4 to 5 cooked co*cktail sausages approx – cut into 2½ cm (1 inch) lengths (or about 2 Chipolatas)
- 7 to 8 roasted/sautéed button mushrooms cut in half
- 3 to 4 small roasted shallots cut into halves/pieces
- 2 to 3 florets steamed purple sprouting/broccoli cut into smallish pieces
- 75 g Gruyère cheese grated (approx weight)
- 25 g mature Cheddar cheese grated (approx weight)
- sea salt & freshly grated black pepper to season (to taste)
- 5 to 6 leaves fresh sage to decorate
Savoury Quiche Custard
- 3 large eggs UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’) OR 1 medium to large goose egg.
- 250 ml/g double cream
- 50 ml/g milk
- 1 tsp dried sage or 1½ tsp fresh sage (finely chopped)
- salt & pepper to season
Instructions
Roll the pastry and make pie base
Make the shortcrust pastry dough first (see separate recipe).
Lay down and lightly flour (with corn starch/flour) either a large sheet of cling film or baking paper (see NOTES).
If making a single quiche, place all the pastry on top of the floured surface, or divide into separate pieces if making more than one (to avoid over-working the pastry). Flatten slightly and lightly flour the top.
Roll the pastry out to a thickness of 2 to 3 mm, checking the shape as you roll to ensure it will fit the tin (including the sides).
Carefully lift the pastry with the support of the rolling pin and lay overthe flan tin (or use the cling film-flip method as in the NOTES).
Working quickly, ease the pastry into the base, gently moulding into the sides of the tin with flat fingers. Try to avoid cracking the pastry too much, but don't worry if it does crack as gluten free pastry is very forgiving and can be easily 'patched'.
Trim the pastry edge flush with the top of the tin, using a sharp knife.
Carefully examine the pastry base for any cracks or holes. If there are any, use the trimmed, remains to ‘repair’.
To repair : Roll and trim a piece of pastry dough to rough size, and using cold water, dampen both the area around the crack/hole and the down-side of the ‘patch’ and gently press together. Smooth the edges with a finger dipped in water to seal and tidy. This is particularly important if you are making the quiche in a potentially-leaky tin.
Chill the pastry base
Place the prepared flan pastry in the fridge for half an hour to chill prior to baking.
While chilling, pre-heat the ovento 200 C/400 F/Gas 5.
Blind-Bake the Pastry Cases
Prick the base of the pastry with a fork a few times across the surface. This will help avoid the pastry 'bubbling' and puffing up).
Scrunch and then flattena piece of baking paper large enough to fit the tin and lay inside the flan case(s).
Fill the pastry base with baking beans on top of the paper.
Bake the pastry with the baking beans for 10 minutes.
Take out of the oven and remove the baking beans (lifting them on the baking paper and carefully pouring into a heat-proof container to cool). Discard the baking paper.
Place the uncovered pastry base(s) back in the oven for a further 7 to 10 minutes, checking they are dry but do not burn.
While the pastry base is cooking, prepare the filling.
Preparation of Sage Custard Filling
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, milk, sage and seasoning until well combined, light and airy
Re-checking the pastry case for cracks
When the pastry cases are cooked, remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Re-examine the pastry for any obvious cracks where the filling may leak. TIP : If you find any cracks, use a pastry brush to brush a little of the egg mixture (or some extra egg-white) over the crack and let the heat from the hot pastry set and seal (or place back in the oven to set for a few seconds if it isn't setting).
Make sure the pastry base (in the tin) is placed on a baking tray (in case of any leaks during cooking), ready to fill.
Fill and Cook the Quiche
When the pastry cases are ready, arrange the prepared leftovers across the pie base and sprinkle with most of the grated cheese. (Hold back 4 to 5 mushroom halves for garnish).
Top with a sprinkle of salt and a grind of fresh pepper.
Pour the whisked egg-cream mixture over the top until the case is almost full.
Sprinkle any remaining grated cheese on the top.
Bake in the oven immediately for about 30 minutes until the top is set and there is no ‘wobble’ to the wet mixture.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly before taking out of the tin.
Garnish with the reserved mushroom halves and fresh sage leaves.
Eatwarm or cold.
Notes
* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.
Shortcrust Pastry Link
When making the pastry base, you have two options. a) Standard transfer : roll onto baking paper/work top and lift the pastry (with the help of the rolling pin) into the pie dish by hand as you would normally. b) Cling film-flip method : Roll onto a large piece of cling film and flip over into the pie tin whilst still on the cling film, easing into the dish, only removing the cling film after the pastry has chilled. I mostly use the first method and then ‘patch-up’ any cracks. But some people find the second method works better for gluten free pastry.
Nutrition
Calories: 335.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.3g | Protein: 12.4g | Fat: 18.7g | Saturated Fat: 9.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6.4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 110.9mg | Sodium: 380.9mg | Potassium: 214.4mg | Fiber: 1.3g | Sugar: 1.4g | Vitamin A: 558.9IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 112.5mg | Iron: 2.2mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @glutenfreealchemist #glutenfreealchemist
© 2019-2024 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
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4.75 from 12 votes
Basic Gluten Free Shortcrust Pastry
BEST basic shortcrust pastry recipe that can be made for sweet or savoury bakes. Easy to make and handle, this pastry recipe will produce crisp, short gluten free shortcrust every time. Optional dairy free.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
rest and chill time50 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course: Ingredients
Cuisine: All, Gluten Free, optional dairy free
Keyword: pastry, pies, rice-free, savoury
Servings: 12
Calories per serving: 134.1kcal
Author: Gluten Free Alchemist – Kate Dowse
Key equipment
large bowl
small bowl
fork
flat table knife
pastry blender optional
Ingredients
- 220 g Gluten Free Rice Free Flour blend GFA Blend B – See NOTES
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp fine sea salt (for savoury pastry) OR 1 tbsp icing sugar (for sweet pastry)
- 55 g unsalted butter cold and very small-cubed (or dairy free block alternative)
- 55 g lard/Trex cold and very small-cubed
- 1 large egg UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’)
- 2 tbsp very cold water (up to 2½ if more needed)
Instructions
Weigh the flours, xanthan gum and salt (or sugar) into a large bowl and mix together until evenly combined.
Add the butter and lard/Trex (both cut into very small cubes) to the bowl.
Chill the bowl with the ingredients for about half hour, before rubbing the fat the into the flour mixture using finger tips or a pastry cutter, until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. (See Main BLOG POST for tips).
In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tbsp of very cold water and then pour into the crumb mixture.
Stir the wet ingredients into the crumb mixture using a table knife until it begins to clump together.
At this stage, set the dough aside (at room temperature unless in a very warm room/climate, in which case, refrigerate) to rest for 10 to 20 minutes. This will enable the dough to fully absorb the liquid.
Once 'rested', start to bring the dough together with hands. If the dough feels very dry, add a little more very cold water (a tiny bit at a time) and work it into the dough with the knife. If it feels very sticky, add a tiny sprinkle more flour and work through with hands.
Bring the mixture together and press into a ball.
If not using immediately, wrap and refrigerate. And when ready to use, take from the fridge, bring to room temperature and knead very lightly to enable it to become 'rollable'.
Notes
* Note: nutritional information is an estimate & may vary according to portion size/ingredient variants.
Gluten Free Alchemist Flour Blend B can be found on the Page. If using an alternative flour (particularly one which is heavily rice-based), the texture will be different and more liquid may be required.
Nutrition
Calories: 134.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2.2g | Fat: 9.2g | Saturated Fat: 3.6g | Trans Fat: 0.8g | Cholesterol: 25.4mg | Sodium: 110.8mg | Potassium: 7.7mg | Fiber: 1.8g | Sugar: 0.6g | Vitamin A: 137IU | Calcium: 14.4mg | Iron: 0.7mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @glutenfreealchemist #glutenfreealchemist
© 2019-2024 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
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