Ham Cheese Quiche (perfect for leftovers)
Quiche is a French savory tart and a wonderful dish to have frozen at all times. The butter crust is homemade, and our binding cream is the best!
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 Shortcrust Pastry or use your favorite store-bought one, all-butter preferably
For the filling:
- 5 ounces ham thinly sliced (I like natural or smoked)
- 2 ounces semi-hard cheese like Gruyere or sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 ounces melting cheese like mozzarella or Swiss cheese
For the binding cream:
- ¾ cup natural yogurt or Greek
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste, taking into account the saltiness of the cheese
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
Instructions
For the crust:
- Make shortcrust pastry according to the recipe in the post linked above.
- Blind bake (pre-baking) according to instructions in the link above, and reserve. Leave the oven on.
- Or use a commercial pie crust.
For the filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grate 2 ounces semi-hard cheese and cube 2 ounces melting cheese.
For the binding cream:
- Mix ¾ cup natural yogurt and ¾ cup heavy cream in a medium bowl until combined with a wire whisk or spoon. Don't use an electric mixer.
- Add 3 eggs and stir until well combined without beating. We don't want to beat the eggs much; we just want to combine them well.
- Add ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper and stir to mix. Go easy on the salt as the ham and cheese are already salty.
To assemble the quiche:
- It's best to fill the quiche dough near the oven. Place the sliced ham in the bottom. Scatter both types of cheese, distributing evenly over the ham.
- Slowly pour the cream mixture covering the whole surface. Don't overflow the walls of the quiche, but they will fill completely.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until puffed and golden.
- Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes and eat. The filling will deflate and that is fine.
- Eat warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Make-ahead: after removing the quiche from the oven, let it cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2-3 days. Or freeze, well wrapped, for a month.
Serving: serve it straight from the oven or at room temperature as finger food. It travels well for picnics and is amazing as part of a brunch table.
Onions: lightly cooked ¼ cup yellow or green onions or scallions can be added to the filling. Also 2 tablespoons chopped chives, which are less strong.
Flavorings: you can add some spice (ground jalapeños, Merken, paprika, etc) to the binding cream for a spicy kick. Or a thin layer of mustard before adding the ham.
