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Slice of ham and cheese quiche with parsley sprinkled throughout made in a shallow tart pan as seen in the background.

Ham and Cheese Quiche

A delicious ham and cheese quiche with helpful tips to achieve a light and fluffy egg filling. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or any meal of the day.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
YIELD 1 10-inch tart pan or 9-inch pie pan

Ingredients

  • 1 unbaked or partially baked pie crust, see step 1.
  • 3 large eggs, see notes
  • ¾ cup (175ml) heavy cream
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon each, salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, optional
  • 1 cup (4oz, 113g) shredded cheese, combination of gruyere and swiss
  • 6 oz (170g) thick cut smoked or honey ham, cubed
  • ¼ cup leeks, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Using either store-bought pie crust or homemade quiche crust, partially bake the crust using a blind baking technique before assembling and filling the quiche. For detailed instructions, read my post on how to make quiche crust before proceeding. It's easy and only takes 5 ingredients to make!

Assemble the quiche

  1. Layer partially baked quiche crust with cheese first so the cheese melts against the crust when it bakes. Next, layer the ham and parsley, distributing evenly across the crust like a pizza.

  2. Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, seasonings and mustard (if using) until well combined. There are two methods to achieve a light and fluffy texture:

    By tools, whip air into it the mixture by pulsing with the food processor or by using an immersion blender instead for around 30 seconds. The immersion blender is the easiest method. Either of these methods will help whip extra air into the custard, increasing the volume of the mixture by an extra 60ml.

    By hand, whisk quickly for 1-2 minutes. You may need to add an additional egg if volume doesn't increase.

  3. Pour the egg over the quiche crust, making sure it isn't overflowing. There should be about ¼" of crust on the sides if using a tart pan. If using a pie pan, fill to just below the crimped edges.

  4. Place a thin layer of raw leeks over the top of the quiche. Pat them down slightly, but they will melt into the custard as the quiche bakes, cooking perfectly on top.

  5. Bake quiche at 350℉/177℃ for 25-30 minutes if using a shallow tart dish and 40-50 minutes if using a pie pan. The filling should be set, slightly firm to the touch, and shouldn't move when the pan is jiggled.

Recipe Notes

Alterations when baking in a pie dish:

In addition to baking the dish longer, you'll need one more egg (total: 4) to fill the larger volume of the pie dish. 

Storing, serving, and reheating instructions:

Feel free to make the entire quiche ahead of time! After it has been baked and cooled to room temperature, it can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer up to two months for best results. Let the quiche thaw in the refrigerator for several hours and then bake at 350℉/177℃ for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through. Alternately, quiche can be sliced and reheated in the microwave for 15-30 seconds; it doesn't take long!