Whether it's breakfast, brunch, or supper, this easy quiche really hits the spot. Baked in a deep-dish pie plate, this ham and cheese quiche slices up well and makes 8 large servings. Your guests will rave!
Prep Time: 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 55 minutesminutes
Total Time: 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Servings: 8slices
Calories: 443kcal
Ingredients
1sheet frozen puff pastry, from a 17.3 oz. package (containing 2 sheets) thawed
4oz.cream cheesesoftened
4large eggsbeaten
1cuphalf-and-half
1tsp.granulated onion
2cupsshredded cheddar cheese
1/4cupgrated Parmesan cheese
1/2 - 1cupchopped cooked ham may substitute cooked and crumbled sausage or cooked chopped bacon instead
3cupsfresh baby spinach or Swiss chard, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperto taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the puff pastry sheet out to about 12-inches in size, then press it into a 9" deep-dish pie plate. Trim the edges of the dough so they are even, if necessary, then fold them under and press the edge of the pastry down securely along the edge of the pie plate. (This helps to anchor the dough to the top of the pie plate as it bakes.)
Using a fork, prick the sides and across the bottom of the pie crust. Place a sheet of foil on top of the pie crust, pressing it down into the pan; fill the pie crust with pie weights or dry beans. This holds the pie crust in place as it bakes. Place the pie crust into the freezer for 20 minutes. Leaving the foil and pie weights in the pie crust, place it into the oven on the lowest rack to bake for 15 minutes; remove the baked pie crust, setting it aside on a rack to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, make the quiche filling; whip the cream cheese with a whisk, adding the beaten egg mixture, a little at a time until the eggs are incorporated into the cream cheese and mixture is smooth. Stir in the half-and-half half, granulated onion, cheeses, ham, and spinach or Swiss chard; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove the foil and pie weights from the baked pie crust; pour the prepared quiche filling into the par-baked pie crust. Place the quiche, uncovered, into the oven on the lowest rack, uncovered; bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, moving the quiche to the center oven rack to finish baking. Continue to bake the quiche, uncovered, for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the quiche is puffed and golden on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the baked quiche rest for 10 minutes before slicing; serve warm with fresh fruit on the side.
Notes
Be sure to bake the quiche on the lowest rack of the oven for the majority of the baking time – this ensures that the bottom crust will be nicely browned and crispy on the bottom.
To keep the bottom crust from getting soggy as the filling bakes, it is par-baked before adding the egg mixture. This extra step is worthwhile - don't skip it!
Adding chopped spinach or Swiss chard to this quiche makes it vey pretty, not to mention even more delicious. I think it’s best when made that way, but my family prefers it as just plain ham and cheese. #boring
The quiche is fully baked when it’s puffy on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the quiche rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
To reheat a slice of this ham and cheddar quiche, use your air fryer! It will make the crust nicely crispy again. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can always reheat the quiche in the microwave.
You can vary this quiche by adding different types of cooked meat, such as cooked sausage or bacon. Or, vary this recipe by substituting different types of cheeses – Swiss, Fontina, Gruyere…whatever your taste buds enjoy.
If you’d rather, this quiche can be made with pie crust dough or even refrigerated ready-made pie crust dough that’s in the refrigerated section at your grocer. This really make the process of making this quiche FAST.
If you notice the edge of the quiche is getting too browned on top, place a sheet of foil over the quiche to keep the edge from browning any further. (Just lay the sheet on top of the quiche, don’t crimp the edges around the pie plate.)