Ham and Cheese Quiche

We keep things simple with this ham and cheese quiche recipe, focusing on classic flavors that satisfy. The quiche starts with a premade pie crust, which is a wonderful shortcut to cut down on prep time. The flaky crust creates a delightful contrast to the rich egg custard studded with melty cheese and savory ham. You could use any type of cooked meat in the filling, but this quiche recipe is especially helpful if you need to use up leftover ham.

The use of eggs makes any quiche recipe an obvious choice for breakfast, but ham and cheese quiche is well-suited for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It tastes fantastic served with a make-ahead salad and with recipes featuring crisp coleslaw or fruit.

Ingredients for Ham and Cheese Quiche

• Refrigerated pie crust: Our Test Kitchen evaluated store-bought options to find the best premade pie crust. You can also swap in a homemade classic butter pie pastry. Just make sure to prepare enough dough for two pies.
• Fully cooked ham: Any type of cooked ham works here. Use leftover honey-baked ham, bourbon-glazed ham or ham steak. Or, pick up sliced ham from the deli.
• Cheddar cheese: You could use different types of cheese for this ham and cheese quiche recipe, but we love cheddar’s sharp flavor and melty texture.
• Eggs and half-and-half cream: These ingredients come together to make a rich egg custard. Half-and-half adds a rich texture and robust flavor to the quiche. You can make a quiche with milk instead, but the quiche will not be as thick or flavorful.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the pie crust

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Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Unroll the pie crusts into two 9-inch pie plates, and flute the edges.

Editor’s Tip: To flute the edges, position your thumb on the inside edge of the pie, facing outward. Then, place your other thumb and index finger on the outside edge, and gently press the crust into your thumb. Pinch to form a V. Continue around the pie crust until you reach the original flute.

Step 2: Blind bake the pie crust

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Line each unpricked pie crust with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Fill the foil with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake until the crust is light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the foil and weights. Continue to bake until the bottom of the crust is golden brown, three to five minutes longer. Remove the pie crusts from the oven, and cool them on wire racks.

Editor’s Tip: Let the pie weights cool before storing. Beans and rice may be reused as pie weights but not for cooking.

Step 3: Fill the pie crust

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Divide the ham, cheese and onion between the pie shells.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper until blended.

Pour the egg mixture into the crusts.

Step 4: Bake the ham and cheese quiche

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Cover the edges loosely with foil. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.

Editor’s Tip: Quiche is finished when it’s puffy and set at the edges. It should have a slight wobble in the center. The quiche will set from the residual heat after you remove it from the oven.

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Recipe Variations

• Use another cheese: Instead of cheddar cheese, try Swiss cheese, Gruyere or Monterey Jack.
• Try a pie crust alternative: Use a potato crust, or skip the pie crust and turn this ham and cheese quiche recipe into a crustless quiche.

How to Store Ham and Cheese Quiche

Quiche needs to be refrigerated, so don’t leave it on the counter for more than two hours (or for longer than an hour if the ambient temperature is above 90°). Tightly cover the dish, or transfer leftover slices to an airtight container.

How long does ham and cheese quiche last?

Ham and cheese quiche is good for up to four days in the refrigerator. The crust will become soggy over time, so it’s best to enjoy it within a day or two.

Can you freeze ham and cheese quiche?

To freeze this ham and cheese quiche recipe, assemble the quiche as directed but do not bake it. Cover and freeze the unbaked quiche. To use, remove it from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (but do not completely thaw it). Place the quiche on a baking sheet, and cover the edges loosely with foil. Bake in a 350° oven, increasing the time as necessary for a knife inserted in the center to come out clean.

Ham and Cheese Quiche Tips

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Can you use milk instead of heavy cream in quiche?

You can make quiche with milk instead of heavy cream, but the quiche will be thinner and less flavorful. We like using half-and-half because of its rich flavor, and it’s thick enough to create a robust egg custard. We do not recommend using skim or fat-free milk. The custard will not set properly without the right amount of fat, and the quiche can turn out thin and runny.

How do you keep the bottom crust of a quiche from getting soggy?

We blind bake the pie crust to ensure this ham and cheese quiche won’t turn out soggy. Blind baking allows the crust to crisp up before we add the ham, cheese and egg custard filling.

Do you have to prebake the pie crust for quiche?

Prebaking the pie crust for quiche is not required; however, we recommend prebaking the pie crust for pies with uncooked filling, like quiche. This extra step ensures the pie crust will cook fully without overcooking the filling. Otherwise, the crust might turn out soft or gummy, or the quiche filling can overcook and separate.