If you love a good egg dish, you probably enjoy both frittatas and quiches. But what's the difference between the two foods, exactly? It might not be obvious right away, but when you look at both frittata recipes and quiche recipes and their cooking methods, the big differences become obvious pretty quickly.
What Is a Quiche?
A quiche is "an unsweetened custard pie with savory fillings such as as spinach, mushrooms, or ham," according to Chowhound. It has to have eggs, just like frittatas, and "usually has milk (or heavy cream), cheese, vegetables, and/or meat," the site reports.
The custardy brunch dish always has a crust that reminds you of a pie crust, and can have all sorts of goodies baked in, such as veggies like zucchini and bell pepper or cheeses like cheddar cheese, gruyere, mozzarella, and goat cheese alongside the cooked eggs in the dish.
What Is a Frittata?
A frittata, on the other hand, is crustless. It also cooks more quickly thanks to that lack of crust, but it still can have a lot of the same ingredients as your favorite quiche or omelet, from the egg mixture to the add-ins like parmesan or feta cheese or vegetables like broccoli or sweet potato.
What's the Difference Between Frittata vs Quiche?
The biggest difference between a frittata vs quiche is the crust. How you make the dishes is also different, due to that presence or lack of a crust.
"With a frittata, you only whisk the ingredients and pour it into a frying pan, sauté pan, or skillet," Chowhound notes. (Your favorite cast-iron skillet should be able to get the job done nicely!) You generally cook a frittata on your stovetop, while quiches are prepared in an oven, usually in a pie pan.
MyRecipes also reports that quiches are usually made with more dairy like whole milk, cream, or half-and-half. When it comes to frittatas, the outlet says, "For every six large eggs you use, add no more than about 1/4 cup full-fat dairy — think sour cream, heavy cream, or crème fraîche."
And there you have it! Do you have a favorite frittata vs quiche recipe?
