This easy ham and cheese quiche is made with a pre-made pie crust and savory ham and cheese filling! It’s perfect for serving at breakfast, brunch, or holiday mornings.
Other breakfast egg recipes we love include eggs benedict, the perfect omelette, or this breakfast pie.
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Ham and Cheese Quiche Recipe
Whenever we have leftover baked ham, honey baked ham, or crockpot spiral ham from the Easter, this simple recipe or a frittata is always our favorite way to use it. It is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and can be easily customized!
This ham and cheese quiche is always the showstopper at any holiday brunch and the first dish to go! It’s made with a delicious and flaky pie crust base, then filled with a creamy rich mixture of eggs, spinach, ham, and cheese.
Cheese Ham and Quiche Ingredients
Ham and cheese is my classic go-to combination, but feel free to customize this easy quiche recipe with your favorite veggies!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Pie crust: The quiche starts out with a store-bought pie crust as the base. I usually use a store-bought Pillsbury pie crust to save time.
- Butter: This is used to help caramelize the onions before you add them to the quiche.
- Onions: Yellow onions are my favorite type to use. Make sure to cut the onions into small pieces first before sautéing.
- Ham: I love using leftover ham from the holidays. If you have a bunch to use up, you can make this frittata along with creamy ham and potato soup or cheesy ham and potato casserole.
- Eggs: Use large-sized eggs when making this recipe.
- Half and half: This gives the egg filling a rich flavor. You may also use milk if you prefer.
- Cheese: I love using a mix of sharp or mild cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan.
- Spinach: This recipe is a great way to pack in more greens without an overpowering taste. Make sure to chop your spinach before adding it.
- Parsley: Dried parsley flakes or fresh parsley if preferred adds a great flavor.
- Black pepper: Add a small dash of freshly ground black pepper.
- Bacon: Crispy cooked bacon adds another layer of deliciousness to this quiche.
Variations
- Pie crust: You can definitely make a homemade pie crust or butter pie crust.
- Substitute milk. Substitute milk for half-and-half. If you want your easy breakfast quiche extra creamy use heavy cream like I do in quiche Lorraine.
- No crust. For a crustless version, check out my favorite crustless quiche recipe. It is super similar, just without the pie crust.
- Substitutions and add-ins: Gruyere cheese, Swiss cheese, green onion or broccoli could all be used.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Quiche
This dish can be assembled in only 15 minutes then bakes perfectly in a pie pan for the best breakfast!
- Crust. Press the pie dough into the pan and pierce it a few times with a fork. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for about 5 minutes.
- Saute onion, ham and bacon. Sauté the onions, ham, and bacon in a pan until the onions have caramelized.
- Assemble. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and half and half, then stir in cheese, parsley, pepper, spinach, and sautéed ham mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the pan on top of the pie crust.
- Bake. Bake in the oven until set and the top is golden. Test by sticking a toothpick in the center. When the toothpick comes out clean, that means it is ready.
Cooking Tips
- Prebake crust. Blind bake the crust so that the quiche doesn’t get soggy. It only needs to be baked for about 5 minutes before adding the filling. Just enough for the crust to harden a little.
- Ratio of eggs to milk: The ratio that I like to use is 1/2 cup of milk for every 5 large eggs. I like my quiche on the thicker side (similar to a frittata), but if you would like to thin it out a little, add more milk.
- Baking crust. To ensure the crust is flat when baking, you can add beans or pie weights to help bake a smooth pie crust. This is an option if needed.
- Type of pan. I prefer to use a tart pan over a pie dish for the crust because it’s easier to release the quiche from the pan.
- Cool down. Let it rest for a few minutes before cutting it into slices. This gives it time to set, so the slices keep their shape.
Serving Suggestions
- Salad: Berry fruit salad or this rainbow honey lime fruit salad are both rich in flavor and refreshing.
- Potatoes: We love potatoes! Adding potatoes as a savory side dish like these hash browns or skillet breakfast potatoes gives a more depth meal altogether.
- Fruit: Rainbow fruit kabobs or slicing fresh fruit to make a fruit platter is the perfect side to any morning breakfast. It is light and tasty in every bite!
More breakfast recipes to try include this crescent roll breakfast casserole, Spanish omelette or breakfast sliders!
More Breakfast Favorites
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Ham and Cheese Quiche
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 10-inch uncooked pie crust
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- ½ cup yellow onion , chopped
- 1 cup ham , cubed (use a ham steak or leftover ham)
- ¼ cup cooked bacon , cut into pieces (optional)
- 5 large eggs
- ⅔ cup half-and-half , or whole milk
- 1 cup finely shredded sharp or mild cheddar cheese
- ½ cup finely shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2-1 cup spinach , chopped
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Parbake pie crust. 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. Bake for 5 minutes and then remove from oven. Set aside.
- Saute. In a small frying pan, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup onions and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup ham and 1/4 cup bacon pieces and cook an additional 3 minutes, or until the onions have caramelized. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Make egg filling. In a large bowl, whisk together 5 eggs and 2/3 cup half-and-half. Stir in 1 cup cheddar, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 – 1 cup spinach, and the ham mixture. Pour into the tart pan.
- Bake. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Enjoy while warm!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Just like in the tips, you can use milk instead of half-in-half or heavy cream. The thicker and creamier the cream is adding richness and soft texture to the quiche.
It is best to prebake the crust before adding in your egg-filling mixture. If not, there may be filling that soaks into the crust leaving it soggy.
To make this the night before, pre-bake the pie crust for five minutes. You can still mix together the filling ingredients, however, don’t add to the crust yet. The next day, add the filling to the pie crust and bake according to the directions.
Cool completely, then wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Place in fridge for up to three days. You can also freeze the ham and cheese quiche for up to two months. To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 400°F until it is warm throughout.
Categorized as: American, Breakfast, Christmas, Easter, Eggs, Freezer-Friendly, Make Ahead, Nut-Free, Savory Breakfast
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
So delicious. I used a combination of swiss and extra sharp cheddar cheese. Added some chopped mushrooms and spinach and a few red chili flakes… perfection!
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Too much in a regular pir shell, spilled out all in my oven. Burnt egg smell is the worst.
Sorry that happened, we have never had that happen but using a deep dish pie pan should help next time as well as placing the pie pan on a baking sheet to catch any overspills.
My aunt used to make these a lot it brought back good memories felt like something light for dinner. I use some broccoli instead of spinach and added mushrooms as well. This recipe was spot on, thank you so much
My husband can’t get enough of this quiche! I made it just as instructed and it came out perfect! Thank you so much for sharing!
It is Very good !!!
It was delicious and quick to make!
Can I use cottage cheese along with shredded swiss cheese for a less dense quiche?
I haven’t tested this, but let us know if you do!
I made a crustless quiche with half a cup bisquick. 4 egge 2 cup milk 2 tablsp butter salt/pepper was excellent.
Gosh this is tasty ! I added peppers yum
Super easy and tastes amazing!
Thanks Tina! So glad you enjoyed the ham and cheese quiche!