This ham and cheese quiche is made with a pie crust base, eggs, spinach, ham and cheese in the filling. Only takes 10 minutes to prep and is perfect for Sunday brunch or holiday mornings!
Whenever we have leftover spiral ham from the holidays, this recipe is always our favorite way to use it up. It’s perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner and can be easily customized based on what you have on hand. And it’s super delicious!
This ham and cheese quiche is always the showstopper at any brunch and the first dish to go! It’s made with a delicious and flaky pie crust base, then filled with a mixture of eggs, spinach, ham and cheese. It’s simple to make and perfect for Sunday brunch or holiday mornings like Christmas and Easter.
The best part about this recipe is that you can customize it with any type of vegetables. Some of my favorites are peppers and mushrooms, but I usually stick with just spinach since my kids don’t seem to mind when I add it in. It’s pretty flavorless but adds color and a little bit of nutrition.
Pie crust base
The quiche starts out with a pie crust as the base. I usually use a store bought crust (Pillsbury is my go to) to save time, but you can definitely make a homemade pie crust too. I prefer to use a tart pan over a pie dish for the crust because it’s a lot easier to release the quiche from the pan.
You do need to bake the crust first before adding the filling, however only for about 5 minutes. This helps to harden the crust a tad so that it doesn’t get soggy when you add the egg mixture.
Filling ingredients
You can easily customize this recipe with your favorite veggies or what you have in the fridge. Below is my go-to combination (amounts included in printable recipe below), but feel free to make some swaps if you’d like!
Ratio of eggs to milk
The ratio that I like to use is 1/2 cup milk for every 5 large eggs. I like my quiche on the thicker side (similar to a frittata), but if you’d like to thin it out a little then add some more milk.
How to make ham and cheese quiche
CRUST. Press the pie dough into the pan and pierce a few times with a fork. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for about 5 minutes.
FILLING. Saute the onions, ham and bacon in a pan until the onions have caramelized. Whisk together the eggs and half and half, then stir in cheese, parsley, pepper, spinach and sauteed ham mixture. Pour the filling into the pan on top of the pie crust.
BAKE. Bake in oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the quiche has set and the top is golden. Test by sticking a toothpick in the center. When the toothpick comes out clean, that means it’s ready.
Make ahead, storage and reheating
- Make ahead: To make the night before, pre-bake the pie crust for 5 minutes. You can still mix together the filling ingredients, however just don’t add to the crust yet. The next day, add the filling to the pie crust and bake according to directions.
- Storing and freezing: Let cool completely, then wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Place in fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the quiche for up to 2 months.
- Reheating: Cover with foil and bake at 400°F until it’s warm throughout.
Cooking tips
- Pre-bake the crust so that the quiche doesn’t get soggy. It only needs to bake for about 5 minutes before adding the filling. Just enough for the crust to harden a little.
- You can substitute milk if you don’t have any half and half on hand. My preference is half and half because it makes the quiche extra creamy and delicious.
- Let the quiche rest for a few minutes before cutting into slices. This gives it time to set, so that the slices keep their shape.
- For a crustless version, check out my ham frittata recipe. It’s super similar, just without the pie crust.
Favorites to serve with
We love serving this ham quiche with any of the below recipes:
- berry fruit salad
- hash browns
- rainbow fruit kabobs
- skillet breakfast potatoes
- rainbow honey lime fruit salad
More breakfast favorites:
- Make-ahead breakfast casserole
- Savory breakfast crepes
- Mini egg frittatas
- How to make the perfect omelette
Ham and Cheese Quiche
Ingredients
- 10 inch uncooked pie crust
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 cup ham (cubed, use a ham steak or leftover ham)
- 1/4 cup cooked bacon (cut into pieces, optional)
- 5 large eggs
- 1/2 cup half and half (or milk)
- 1 cup sharp or mild cheddar cheese (finely shredded)
- 1/2 cup mozzarella or parmesan cheese (finely shredded)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2-1 cup spinach (chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Press the dough around the edges of a 9-inch tart pan or pie dish. Place on a baking sheet. Pierce the bottom of the pie crust with a fork. Cook for 5 minutes and then remove from oven. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Cook onions for 2 minutes. Stir in ham and bacon pieces and let cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until the onions have caramelized. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and half and half. Stir in cheese, parsley flakes, pepper, spinach, and the ham mixture. Then pour into the tart pan.
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Enjoy while warm!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy!
This was a delicious recipe. I added broccoli and a few finely shredded carrots instead of the spinach and just added ham and no bacon. Thumbs up!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
This quiche was DELICIOUS!! I will definitely be making this again!
This is quiche perfection! It makes a hearty breakfast, brunch, or even dinner. We love it!