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–+ servings
Six slices of cheese flan on a board with chips and beans on the side
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5 from 2 votes

Cheese Flan - Old School Dinner Style

Take a trip down memory lane with this classic Old School Cheese Flan, just like the one served in British school canteens!
With a rich, savoury cheese filling encased in crisp shortcrust pastry, it’s simple, comforting, and packed with flavour.
Perfect served warm alongside chips and beans for that authentic retro feel – or enjoy it cold with a fresh salad for lunch or a picnic option. A family favourite that never goes out of style.
Prep Time20 minutes
Active Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, mains, picnic, school dinner, Supper
Cuisine: British
Keyword: 1980s school dinner, British school meal, cheddar cheese flan, cheese and egg flan, cheese flan with shortcrust pastry, easy cheese flan, picnic flan, savoury flan, school canteen flan recipe, school dinner cheese flan, UK cheese flan
Yield: 6 People
Calories: 597kcal
Author: Luke and Kay - Flawless Food

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon Butter or oil to grease tray
  • sprinkle plain flour for rolling pastry
  • 500 g Shortcrust Pastry block
  • 400 g Cheddar Cheese medium or mature
  • 230 ml Whole Milk
  • 5 Eggs
  • 1-2 teaspoon English Mustard Optional for extra flavour
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C fan / 210°C conventional / Gas 7 / 415℉. Gather ingredients.
    Block of short crust pastry , block of cheese, Five eggs, salt , black pepper, whole milk in a jug, English mustard, cube of butter and plain flour served out on a table
  • Grease your 31 x 21 cm flan tin with 1 teaspoon Butter or oil
    Greasing a baking tray with butter by hand
  • sprinkle plain flour on a clean dry surface and roll out the 500 g Shortcrust Pastry block. Make it large enough to line the tin with some overhang, to allow for shrinkage.
    Rolling out short crust pastry on a wooden board using a rolling pin
  • Line the tin with the pastry, gently pressing into the edges. Don’t trim the edges yet.
    Placing the short crust pastry onto the baking tray by hand
  • Line the pastry with crumpled parchment paper and fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice).
    Parchment paper on top of the pastry and pouring baking beans on top of the parchment paper
  • Blind bake in the 190°C fan / 210°C conventional / Gas 7 / 415℉ oven for 15 minutes.
    Pastry case being blind baked in the oven
  • Meanwhile in a mixing bowl whisk 5 Eggs with 230 ml Whole Milk, season with Salt and Pepper.
    Eggs, whole milk salt and black pepper in a glass jug
  • *Optional Extra - Add 1-2 teaspoon English Mustard for extra flavour
    Pouring English mustard into the egg mixture
  • Grate 400 g Cheddar Cheese add half to the whisked mixture, set aside the remaining cheese for topping.
    Whisking grated cheese into the egg mixture in a glass jug
  • After 15 minutes, remove the pastry from the oven.
    Carefully lift out the parchment and baking beans. (They will be very hot so lift by paper into a heatproof bowl.)
    Removing the baking beans and parchment paper away from the short crust pastry
  • Trim the pastry edges with a sharp knife while still warm for a neat finish.
    Removing the edges of the short crust pastry away by hand
  • Pour the filling into the pastry case.
    Pouring the flan mixture into the short crust pastry case
  • Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top.
    Sprinkling grated cheese over the top of the egg and cheese mixture in a pastry case
  • Return to the 190°C fan / 210°C conventional / Gas 7 / 415℉ oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
    Cheese Flan going in the oven
  • It is ready when the filling is set and cheese is golden on top.
    Cooked Cheese flan in the oven
  • Slice and serve with chips and beans for school lunch memories.
    Cheese Flan Old School Dinner Recipe with chips and beans on the sides
  • Or with salad for a healthier option
    Cheese Flan Old School Dinner served with a side salad

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 597kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 208mg | Sodium: 906mg | Potassium: 223mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 930IU | Calcium: 550mg | Iron: 3mg