Description
This classic ham and cheese quiche features a flaky homemade pie crust filled with a rich custard made from eggs, heavy cream, savory ham, and a blend of Gruyere and Gouda cheeses. Sautéed vegetables including onion, asparagus, red bell pepper, and garlic add a vibrant flavor and texture, making it a perfect savory dish for brunch, lunch, or dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 homemade pie crust (see notes for store-bought option)
Egg Mixture
- 4 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped ham
- 3 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (about 3/4 cup)
- 3 ounces shredded Gouda cheese (about 3/4 cup, may substitute cheddar)
Vegetables and Sautéing
- 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
- Prepare Pie Crust: Prepare the pie dough according to your recipe directions, shaping and fluting the edges as desired. Refrigerate the crust for at least 45 minutes to prevent shrinking during baking. If refrigerating longer than 45 minutes, cover with plastic wrap.
- Blind Bake Crust: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper and fill evenly with baking beads, dry beans, or rice to weigh it down. Bake for 18 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork and bake for an additional 10 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and let crust cool slightly.
- Make Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolk until lightly beaten. Whisk in the heavy cream and dried herbs and spices (parsley, oregano, thyme, paprika, ground mustard, pepper) along with salt. Stir in the chopped ham, Gruyere, and Gouda cheeses. Set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter in olive oil. Add the chopped onion and asparagus and sauté for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Add the chopped red bell pepper and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat.
- Combine Filling: Transfer the sautéed vegetables into the egg and cheese mixture and stir until evenly combined. The mixture will be cheese-heavy and custardy.
- Assemble and Bake Quiche: Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees F for 35 to 45 minutes until the filling is set but still slightly jiggly in the center. If after 45 minutes the center is still liquid, bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until set.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the quiche from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. The center should have a soft, custardy texture.
Notes
- Store-bought crust: Use a 9-inch deep-dish pie crust and thaw for about 10 minutes before use. Prick the crust all over with a fork and bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden. You do not need to use weights for blind baking store-bought crust.
- Heavy cream substitution: Heavy cream makes the filling rich and velvety. You can substitute with half and half for a lighter texture but it won’t be as creamy.
- Ham options: Use leftover cooked ham or deli-sliced ham cut into 1/4-inch cubes. Avoid thinly sliced ham as it doesn’t hold up well in the filling.
- Cheese options: Gruyere and Gouda are ideal, but you can substitute up to 6 ounces of your preferred shredded cheese. Mix a soft melting cheese with a flavorful one like Parmesan or feta for variety.
- Vegetables: Use up to 3 cups of vegetables, raw or cooked, but fully cook any raw vegetables before adding to filling. Feel free to omit or swap vegetables according to preference.
- Preparation ahead: Pie dough can be made and refrigerated up to 5 days or frozen up to 3 months. Blind-bake crust up to 3 days in advance. Egg filling can be mixed and stored up to 24 hours before baking. Fully assembled quiche can be baked ahead and refrigerated up to 4 days.
- Storage and reheating: Store cooled quiche covered in refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat slices in microwave about 1 minute or in oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Whole quiche reheats well at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
- Freezing: Freeze quiche whole wrapped in plastic wrap and foil or freeze slices individually wrapped. Keep frozen up to 3 months. Thaw whole quiche in refrigerator 24 hours before reheating.
- Chilling crust: Chilling the crust before blind baking prevents it from shrinking.
- Monitor crust color: If crust browns too quickly during baking, cover edges with foil or a pie shield.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/6 of quiche)
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 255 mg
