Ham and Cheese quiche is a great way to use leftover Easter or holiday ham. This simple quiche, with an all-butter homemade crust and a creamy smooth filling is perfect for every meal of the day!
Quiche is super versatile so you can mix up the fillings according to what you have on hand. I happened to have some leftover ham in the freezer from our massive holiday ham, and ham and cheese quiche is one of our favorites!
There are so many great things to say about quiche, I don't even know where to start.
First of all, like most savory egg dishes, you can eat it for absolutely any meal of the day. It makes great leftovers. You can serve it warm or at room temperature, it's delicious either way. It comes together really quickly, especially if you have a homemade pie crust in the freezer (or use a store bought crust). It's simple and inexpensive to make, but it sounds fancy!
So what's important to keep in mind when making quiche?
Tips for Making the Best Quiche
- Be sure to parbake (or blind-bake) the crust. This means partially baking the crust in the pie plate before filling it and baking again. This helps ensure that the crust doesn't get soggy since the custard filling is very liquid.
- Before baking the crust, refrigerate or freeze it for a few minutes. This will help keep the crust from shrinking as it bakes. Lining the crust with foil or parchment paper and filling with pie weights before baking (my pie weights are just dried beans!) helps avoid shrinking as well.
- Don't overbake the quiche. It should still jiggle a little in center when you take it out of the oven. The residual heat will finish cooking the filling. No one likes overcooked eggs!
- Bake the quiche on the bottom rack of the oven to make sure the bottom crust cooks completely.
How to Make a Ham and Cheese Quiche
- A great quiche starts with a great crust! I always start with this all-butter perfect pie crust recipe. Check out the post for some useful tips for homemade pie crust. *If you go with a store bought crust, I find these tend to be on the shallower side, so look for a deep dish one or you might have some leftover filling.
- Line the crust with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans, and parbake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Remove the weights and paper and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the crust starts to brown.
3. Chop up some ham, grate some cheese, and whisk together with eggs, milk and cream. Fill the parbaked pie shell while it's still warm from the oven.
4. Bake the quiche in a 350 degree oven until the sides are set but the center still jiggles a little.
5. Cool for at least an hour or so before slicing.
Ham and Cheese Quiche
Ingredients
- 1 single crust pie shell homemade or store bought
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup milk 2% or whole
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chopped ham
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chives or green onions finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Chill the pie dough for about 15 minutes until firm (or freeze for about 10 minutes).
- Line the pie shell with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans, and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until the crust looks dry. Remove the pie weights and paper or foil, and bake for an another 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.
- While the crust is baking, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, salt and pepper. Stir in the cheese, ham and chives.
- Pour the custard into the parbaked pie shell while it is still warm. Transfer the quiche to the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the sides are set but the center still jiggles a bit.
- Cool the quiche for at least an hour before slicing and serving. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Hi! I'm Ann and I blog at Our Happy Mess. I'm all about fast, fresh, and family-friendly recipes. I believe cooking from scratch can not only be doable but FUN, no matter how busy life gets!
You can find more of my recipes at Our Happy Mess.
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