We're Making This Ham & Cheese Quiche Recipe Just For The Crisp, Buttery Crust (2024)

Table of Contents
Ingredients Directions FAQs

A Delish favorite in the canon of classic recipes, quiche is the versatile dish we turn to again and again for occasions big and small. Our tried-and-tested version perfects every piece of the pie: a soft, creamy filling studded with ham, chives, and Gruyère all inside a crunchy, buttery pie crust. Read on to ace every part of this dream breakfast, from the crust to your dream filling:

The secret to the perfect quiche crust:
Blind baking is the secret for getting that perfectly crisp, firm base on any quiche. Be sure to chill the formed pie shell at least 30 minutes before baking, then line it with foil or parchment and fill to the brim with your choice of pie weights. (And please don’t think that you need to buy a ton of expensive ceramic baking beans either; I used a mixture of uncooked rice and dried lentils.) Some people like to dock (poke holes in) the bottom and sides of their pie crusts to prevent it from puffing up and out of shape during the blind bake; however, we found that if the foil liner is completely filled, the pie weights prevent any puffing, so docking isn't necessary.

After the crust has blind-baked for 20 to 25 minutes and the top and upper sides of the crust are dry to the touch, remove the pie weights and foil liner, brush the crust bottom with lightly whisked egg whites, and return the pie shell to the oven for 5 minutes more. Once baked, the egg white coating seals the crust, protecting it from the wet filling.

The key to the best quiche filling:
Everyone has their own ideal quiche filling combination. We’ve decided to feature one of our favorite flavor profiles, ham and cheese, with a few chives for some added pop. That said, feel free to customize the fillings according to your preference. Substitute cooked and drained sausage or bacon for the ham, or try Swiss, cheddar, or Monterey Jack instead of the Gruyère. You can also make this vegetarian if you like by exchanging the ham for 1 cup chopped cooked vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, or mushrooms. Just make sure the vegetables are drained and patted dry so they don’t leak out extra water or oil and spoil that rich, creamy filling.

Quiche variations:
We love this classic ham and cheese version, but we've got countless quiche recipes to experiment with once you've aced this one. Try our spinach quiche, crustless quiche (if you're looking for a low-carb version), crispy hash brown-crusted bacon and cheddar quiche, or our quiche Lorraine.

Made this? Let us know in the comments below.

Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 45 mins
Cal/Serv:
235

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour, for rolling

  • 1

    batch basic pie dough, chilled

  • 4

    large eggs, 2 separated, 2 whole

  • 3/4 c.

    heavy cream

  • 3/4 c.

    whole milk

  • 3/4 tsp.

    kosher salt

  • 1/4 tsp.

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 6 oz.

    cooked ham steak, finely chopped (about 1 c.), patted dry

  • 3 oz.

    shredded Gruyère (about 1 c.)

  • 1/4 c.

    thinly sliced chives

Directions

    1. Step1On a lightly floured surface, roll pie dough to a 1/4"-thick round. Lift and carefully transfer to a glass or metal 9" pie pan, letting sides slump into place (do not stretch).
    2. Step2Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim around edges of dough, leaving about 1/4" excess. Fold excess dough underneath dough lying on top rim of pie pan. Using clean fingers, crimp to seal.
    3. Step3Refrigerate dough until cold, about 30 minutes.
    4. Step4Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°. Cut a large square piece of foil or parchment and scrunch to wrinkle. Line dough with scrunched foil, then fill to the brim with pie weights, uncooked rice, or dried beans.
    5. Step5Bake crust until top and sides are dry and set, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil with pie weights. In a small bowl, whisk egg whites until blended. Brush over bottom of crust.
    6. Step6Continue to bake until bottom is dry and set, about 5 minutes more. Let cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
    7. Step7In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and 2 egg yolks until blended. Whisk in cream, milk, salt, and pepper until combined.
    8. Step8Spread ham and cheese across bottom of crust. Top with chives. Gently pour egg mixture over top.
    9. Step9Bake quiche until filling is puffed and set with just a slight jiggle in the middle when pan is shaken, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool. Slice and serve at room temperature.

We're Making This Ham & Cheese Quiche Recipe Just For The Crisp, Buttery Crust (3)

We're Making This Ham & Cheese Quiche Recipe Just For The Crisp, Buttery Crust (5)

We're Making This Ham & Cheese Quiche Recipe Just For The Crisp, Buttery Crust (2024)

FAQs

Why isn't my quiche creamy? ›

Too little dairy, and your quiche will be dry instead of creamy.

Can I substitute milk for heavy cream in quiche? ›

To replace 1 cup (237 mL) of heavy cream in your recipe, add 2 tablespoons (19 grams) of cornstarch to 1 cup (237 mL) of milk and stir, allowing the mixture to thicken. You can use whole milk or opt for skim milk to help slash the calories and fat content of your recipe.

Can I Prebake a quiche crust the night before? ›

Editor: Yes, I recommend pre-baking the crusts for quiches because I think it helps keep them from getting soggy from the filling.

What is the ratio of eggs to milk in a quiche? ›

Quiche Ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy

A standard large egg weighs two ounces and 1/2 cup of dairy (whole milk) is four ounces, therefore a handy 1:2 ratio! You'll need to increase the amount of eggs and milk based on the size of your quiche, so knowing the basic ratio makes it really easy to scale up or down.

Can you put too many eggs in a quiche? ›

Using too many eggs in the custard results in a quiche that rubbery and too firm when baked, while not using enough will prevent the custard from setting. Follow This Tip: Remember this ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy.

Is coconut cream better than heavy cream? ›

Heavy cream has signficantly more Vitamin D than coconut cream. Coconut cream is a great source of dietary fiber and iron, and it is an excellent source of potassium. Both coconut cream and heavy cream are high in calories and saturated fat. Coconut cream has signficantly less cholesterol than heavy cream.

What happens if you use milk instead of heavy cream? ›

Keep in mind that flavor and fat content will determine where you can successfully make a substitution. For example, because milk doesn't have enough fat, it won't maintain a structure when whipped. So it wouldn't be ideal as a dessert topping, nor will it hold up in a pan sauce.

Is heavy whipping cream the same as heavy cream? ›

Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names. According to the US Food and Drug Administration's labelling standards, heavy cream must contain at least 36 percent milk fat.

Should I cover my quiche when baking? ›

How Long Should I Bake Quiche? At 375F, it requires 25 minutes of baking time uncovered. At that point, you'll want to check things out because you don't want the crust to get too brown. If it's looking a bit well-done, cover it with aluminum foil and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.

Does quiche taste better the next day? ›

"But the quiche will taste better if you allow the final product to cool completely (think several hours or even overnight) before slicing," says Zimmerman. Then, warm up individual slices or serve them at room temperature. (If you won't be enjoying your quiche until the next day, be sure to refrigerate it.

Why is the bottom of my quiche crust not cooked? ›

If the bottom crust doesn't set before the filling soaks in, it's going to be gummy. A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom.

Why is my quiche still wet in the middle? ›

If your quiche appears watery it may just need to set for a little longer. The recipe may also contain too much dairy, so make sure that the recipe you are following has the ratio of 4 eggs to 1 cup dairy. The added ingredients could also contain too much moisture, so it is important to cook or drain additions.

Is quiche made with heavy cream or light cream? ›

Heavy cream is traditional in Quiche Lorraine, however, we seem to have better luck with light cream in our quiche recipes. They bake up lighter and the filling ingredients really shine through instead of getting masked by the milk fat.

Why is my quiche too soft? ›

According to Real Simple, this typically occurs when adding too-wet ingredients to the quiche filling, layering the egg custard with, for example, large slices of raw tomato or raw zucchini. These vegetables, while tasty, have a high water content when raw, which will weep into the quiche as it bakes.

Why is my quiche always flat? ›

Not enough eggs to bind will prevent setting. My recipe has 3 eggs to 200 ml of liquid, this is a good balance to work with. Why is my quiche flat and rubbery? If you've added too many eggs to liquid, you'll end up with a flat rubbery quiche.

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