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Ham and Cheese Quiche

This ham and cheese quiche is creamy, cheesy, salty, savory, custardy perfection cocooned in buttery pie crust that will have everyone coming back for seconds! This quiche recipe can be made with homemade pie crust for the ultimate quiche experience or store-bought pie crust for the shortcut, 10-minute prep experience – so there’s no reason not to make this recipe today! This ham and cheese quiche recipe is loaded with leftover ham or deli ham and whatever veggies you choose for an explosion of texture and flavor all while cleaning out your veggie drawer. I’ve gone with onions, bell peppers and asparagus but you can use spinach, broccoli, sweet potatoes, etc. What especially elevates this ham and quiche recipe (aside from the flaky crust) is the use of heavy cream for the richest, creamiest filling, both Gruyere and Gouda cheese for meltability and FLAVOR (of course you can use whatever cheese you have on hand), and adept seasoning. You and yours will be swooning at every creamy, velvety ham and cheese quiche bite!
Course Breakfast
Cuisine French
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 Homemade Pie Crust Recipe see notes to use store-bought pie crust
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 tsp EACH dried parsley, dried oregano, dried thyme, paprika, ground mustard, pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped ham
  • 3 oz. (about 3/4 cup) shredded Gruyere cheese
  • 3 oz. (about 3/4 cup) shredded gouda cheese may sub cheddar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 cup asparagus cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 red bell pepper chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

PIE CRUST

  • Prepare pie dough according to recipe directions through fluting the edges (or whatever edge design you prefer) and refrigerating for 45 minutes. Cover the pie crust with plastic wrap if refrigerating longer than 45 minutes (can be refrigerated for up to 5 days). It is helpful to complete this step the day before then just pull the pie shell out of the fridge the next day. At the very least, I suggest making the pie dough the night before.
  • When ready to make the quiche, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper then evenly fill with baking beads, dry beans or rice - anything oven proof that will weigh down the pastry (prevents it from shrinking while baking).
  • Bake at 375 F for 18 minutes. Remove pie crust from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper with the weights out of the pie. Prick holes around the bottom crust with a fork.
  • Return the pie crust to the oven and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven (crust can still be warm when you add the filling). You can complete partially pre-baking the crust up to 3 days ahead of time then let cool, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

QUICHE

  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until lightly beaten. Whisk in heavy cream and seasonings then stir in the ham and cheeses; set aside.
  • Melt butter in oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and asparagus and sauté for 3 minutes. Add peppers and cook an additional 2 minutes or until onions are softened; add garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Transfer vegetables to egg mixture and stir until evenly combined (it will look cheese heavy – yum).
  • Pour the egg mixture into the crust. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set but the center jiggles slightly. Let cool 15 minutes before serving. (Your quiche center should be soft and custardy, this means it is mega creamy. If you cut into your crust and it's liquidly, then simply pop it back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes).

Notes

How to use store bought pie crust

When buying frozen pie crust, make sure to purchase a 9-inch DEEP-dish pie crust, a regular pie crust will not work because it is not deep enough.  If you unpackage the pie crust and it’s cracked, make a smooth paste by mixing 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 tablespoon of water and use it to fill any cracks.  You can use this same trick if your crust cracks after pre-baking as well. Which brings me to my next point, you will still need to blind-bake store-bought pie crust to prevent a soggy bottom.  Here’s how:

  • Remove the pie crust from the freezer and thaw for about 10 minutes or until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork.
  • Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (about an inch apart to prevent crust from puffing up).
  • Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. You do not need to fill store-bought pie crust with weights.

Tips and Tricks

  • Heavy Cream: Also called “heavy whipping cream” at the grocery store.  Heavy cream makes the quiche filling ultra velvety and rich. If you want to substitute with half and half, it will still work but won’t be as luxurious – more of a frittata texture. 
  • Ham: You can use leftover Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving ham or ham from the deli counter.  If using leftover ham, you will need to take into account any additional ham seasonings.  If purchasing ham from the deli counter, have them slice it ¼-inch thick then all you have to do at home is slice it the other direction to produce cubes.  Don’t use thinly sliced ham because it doesn’t stand up as well to the thick egg filling.
  • Cheese:  My favorites are Gruyere and Gouda used in this recipe but you can use 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) of your favorite freshly shredded cheese. I recommend 1 cup soft melting cheese (see section on cheeses) and then you can use another cheese such as Parmesan, feta or sharp cheese that add flavor but don’t melt quite as well for the remaining 1/2 cup. 
  • Vegetables: Pick your favs or omit altogether.  You can use 3 cups vegetables or less, but don't use more.  If starting with cooked vegetables, use slightly less than 3 cups because raw vegetables cook down.  Fully cook vegetables before adding to the filling.  See recipe post for variation ideas.
  • Prep ahead. I suggest making your pie dough or go one step further and blind bake the pie shell so all you have to do is pull it out of the fridge and fill when ready.
  • Chill the crust! The pie crust will shrink if you don’t chill it before blind baking. Chill for at least 45 minutes.
  • Keep an eye on the crust.  Don’t forget to keep an eye on the quiche as it bakes.  If the crust is becoming too dark, cover the outside ring of the crust with foil or I love my pie shield.

How to Make Ahead 

You have a few options when it comes to making this quiche recipe in advance: 
  • Pie crust: Make the pie dough in advance and chill in the fridge for up to 5 days OR make further in advance and freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight and use. You can also partially pre-bake the pie crust in the pie plate up to 3 days in advance.  Let cool, cover and refrigerate.  
  • Egg filling: You can whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, seasonings, ham and cheeses, cover, and store in an airtight container (NOT the pie shell) for up to 24 hours. Give the mixture a stir before using to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  • Whole quiche: You can assemble and bake the entire quiche before serving it. Quiche will last up to 4 days in the fridge, but it’s best within the first 24 hours of making it. It’s delicious served cold, room temperature, or warm, but I’m partial to warm.

How to Store and Reheat 

  • To store: Let the quiche cool to room temperature on your countertop before covering it with foil and refrigerating it. It will last up to 4 days in the fridge. 
  • To reheat in the microwave: Warm individual servings on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave for about a minute or until warmed through. I like to cut my slice in half before microwaving so it warms evenly.
  • To reheat in the oven: Transfer whole quiche to the oven and reheat for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F or until heated through.  For quiche slices, transfer them to an oven-safe baking dish, then cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
  • From frozen:  Defrost a slice for 2 minutes on high in the microwave then bake for 10 minutes.

How to Freeze

Yes! This ham and cheese quiche freezes like a dream! Here’s how to freeze a quiche: 
  • For slices: slice into individual servings. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap then seal inside a freezer-safe plastic bag. 
  • For whole quiche:  wrap quiche in a double layer of plastic wrap followed by a double layer of foil. 
  • Freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • When ready to eat, you can reheat quiche slices from frozen per method above but it is best to thaw a whole quiche in the refrigerator for 24 hours before reheating. Reheat for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F or until heated through.