Ham and Cheese Quiche

Savory Ham and Cheese Quiche is perfect for a simple, tasty breakfast. Use store-bought crust to make it even easier!

If I ever need a breakfast that’s both tasty AND impressive I love to make a good quiche, like this Ham and Cheese Quiche, or Breakfast Pie. Make them simply with store-bought pie dough, or go all out with a Homemade Pie Crust!

Why we love it

We can’t get enough of quiches over here. They are always a hit with anyone who tries them, especially Bacon and Cheese Quiche or this Ham and Cheese Quiche! I love the combination of ham and cheese—it’s so filling and flavorful!

This Ham Quiche recipe is perfect for weekends, brunch, holidays, or when company comes for breakfast!

We use this base Easy Quiche Recipe for most quiches and then switch up ingredients if we want to, since it’s easy to switch up flavors, herbs, meats, etc. So file this recipe away and pull it out anytime you need a rockstar breakfast for friends or family!

Pie crust prep

We like to blind-bake our Pie Crust before baking the Ham and Cheese Quiche.

Blind baking. When a pie or tart filling is very wet, the crust can be pre-baked before it is filled. This technique is called “blind baking,” and it prevents the crust from becoming soggy. It’s helpful to pre-bake a pie crust for quiche because the custard filling is liquid in its raw state.

Pre-bake a pie crust: For a quiche, only partially blind-bake the crust (par-baking), as it will finish baking when it is placed back in the oven with the filling.

1. After the pie crust has been placed on the pie plate, cover the crust with parchment paper.
2. Fill the bottom with pie weights (or dried beans or uncooked rice) and bake for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the weights and parchment paper. Return the crust to the oven and bake for 7-8 more minutes.

Easy Ham and Cheese Quiche

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place pie crust into a shallow-sided 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate and crimp the edges. (I like to double-fold the edges, then crimp them.) Prebake for 10–12 minutes.

HAM + CHEESE. Allow the crust to cool slightly, then add ham and cheese to the bottom.

EGG. In a medium bowl, whisk milk, eggs, garlic salt, and pepper together. Pour the egg mixture into the crust over the ham and cheese.

BAKE. Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Allow it to set for 5–10 minutes before serving.

Variations

Less is more definitely applies to adding extras to your quiche. The star of the quiche should always be the fluffy egg mixture. A good rule of thumb is to only add ¼ cup of mix-ins per egg.

With that said here are some delicious mix-in ideas:

• Meat. Replace the ham with different meat or add more meat along with the ham like bacon bits on top, or mix in cooked sausage.
• Cheese. Change up the cheese with pepper jack, Swiss cheese, or gruyere cheese.
• Veggies. Diced bell peppers, sliced mushrooms, chopped spinach, broccoli florets, and green onions are all great choices. *When adding veggies that are liquidy try to remove the moisture by sauteing them first.
• Milk. Use 2% or whole milk for the lightest quiche. For a more creamy quiche, use half and half or equal parts heavy cream and milk.

Recipe Tips

Ham. Use pre-bought diced ham or leftover holiday ham.

Crustless quiche. This is actually called a frittata. Simply spray a pan and pour the quiche liquid straight into the pan and bake, or cook it in a skillet.

Do not overfill the crust. The egg will rise a bit and you do not want it running over the sides.

Bake on the bottom rack of the oven to help the crust be nicely browned and crisp.

Dairy. No matter the size of the quiche, for every egg used the ratio should be ¼-½ cup of dairy. This is great info for deeper dish pans or for mini quiches.

Making Ahead and Storing

Make ahead of time. Bake the Ham and Cheese Quiche and keep it refrigerated or frozen until needed. Make sure to wrap it airtight.

STORE for about 2-3 days in the fridge.

FREEZE for 3-4 months in the freezer for best results.

Reheat it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at 350°F.

Recipe FAQ

For more breakfast inspiration:

• Spinach Quiche
• Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
• German Pancakes
• Homemade Granola
• Avocado Eggs
• Homemade Pop Tarts