This breakfast pie starts with a flaky pie crust and is filled with breakfast favorites like eggs, ham and cheese. It’s so easy to make and a crowd-favorite for weekend brunches.
More breakfast recipes we love include this breakfast casserole with crescent rolls, frittata and my sausage egg biscuit casserole.
Table of Contents
Easy Breakfast
As much as I love to enjoy a piece of fresh fruit pie as a sweet breakfast, this easy breakfast pie might be my new favorite. It tastes similar to a ham and cheese quiche and is made with veggies, ham and cheese nestled in a warm egg mixture over a flaky pie crust.
This breakfast pie recipe is perfect to make with leftover baked ham and is easy to customize based on what you have on hand. Use other types of meat like breakfast sausage and your favorite veggies sitting in the fridge.
Breakfast Pie Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with measurement below.
- Pie Crust. Use homemade pie crust or frozen store-bought. A butter pie crust gives a flakey backdrop to this well-rounded breakfast.
- Salted butter. The saltiness of the butter enhances the flavor of the onions and peppers.
- Large eggs. The eggs add protein and act as a binder to bring all of the other ingredients together.
- Half-and-half. I like to use half-and-half for extra creaminess.
- Meat. I prefer to use a combination of ham and bacon because I like the texture from the bacon and the richness of the ham.
- Veggies. Spinach, bell pepper, and onion add a great crunch and a nice freshness to this morning dish.
- Cheese. A mixture of cheddar and parmesan elevate this breakfast pie from ordinary to extraordinary.
- Seasoning. Along with salt and pepper, I like to add dried parsley for a little extra flavor. You could add a dash of red pepper flakes for heat or garlic powder.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Breakfast Pie
Using a tart pan or a pie dish, press dough on bottom and up around the edges until the pan is covered. Pierce bottom of the dough with a fork. Cook on a baking sheet for 5 minutes at 400°F. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Add butter to a frying pan and melt. Cook onions for about 2 minutes then add in ham and bacon pieces and cook until the onions have caramelized.
Whisk together the eggs and half and half in a large bowl. Stir in cheese, parsley flakes, pepper, spinach, and the ham mixture. Pour all together in to the pie pan.
Pour egg mixture into pie crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the edges are browning and a toothpick comes out clean from the middle. Remove from the oven and allow the breakfast pie to rest for 5 minutes before serving..
Breakfast Pie Tips and Variations
- Pre-bake the crust. Nobody wants soggy crust, so make sure to bake it in the oven for about 5 minutes before pouring in the egg filling. It needs to bake just enough so that the crust is sturdy when the filling goes in.
- Tent the crust. If the edges of the crust begin to brown too fast, it’s helpful to tent the crust with foil to slow it down. So cover the edges with foil, but make sure to cut out a large center hole so that the egg filling continues to cook.
- Veggies.Leftover steamed vegetables, mushrooms, peppers, squash or cherry tomatoes all make great additions. I save potatoes for this Spanish omelette!
- Crustless version. Similar to a crustless quiche, you can easily omit the pie crust if preferred. Just pour the egg filling into the pan and bake until the eggs have set.
- Meat. I used a mix of both ham and bacon, but feel free to use all ham like I do in strata or all bacon. Breakfast sausage or even leftover roasted turkey work, too..
- Half and half. Swap the half and half with milk to lighten it up a bit if you’d like. For an extra creamy texture use heavy cream like I do in my quiche lorraine recipe.
Looking for more easy breakfast recipes? Try this eggs benedict recipe, tomato pie or breakfast meatballs!
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Breakfast Pie
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 10-inch homemade or store-bought pie crust
- 1 Tablespoon salted butter
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper , chopped
- 1 cup ham , cubed (use a ham steak or leftover ham)
- 4-6 slices bacon , cooked and crumbled
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup half-and-half , or milk
- ½ cup sharp or mild cheddar cheese , finely shredded
- ½ cup parmesan or mozzarella cheese , finely shredded
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2-1 cup spinach , chopped
Instructions
- Pre-bake pie crust. 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 5 minutes and remove from oven. Set aside.
- Saute veggies and meat. In a small frying pan, melt 1 Tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup onions and 1 red bell peppers and cook 2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup ham and 4-6 slices bacon and cook an additional 3 minutes, or until the onions have caramelized. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Whisk eggs. In a large bowl, whisk together 5 eggs and 1/2 cup half-and-half. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan or mozzarella cheese, 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 – 1 cup spinach, and the ham mixture. Pour into the pie pan.
- Bake. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the edges are browning too fast, you can place a sheet of foil over the top, with a large center hole cut out. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes to set.
- Slice. Slice into 8 pieces. 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
When the pie is ready to remove from the oven, the top should be a light golden color and the filling should have puffed up a bit. A simple wiggle of the pan is a good way to test if the filling is cooked through (there should be no liquid and the eggs shouldn’t move). I also like to test the center with a toothpick and make sure it comes out clean.
This is a perfect brunch dish, but there is no need to make it the morning of your get-together. It will stay fresh in the fridge up to 3 days and then just requires a quick warm up in the oven.
Add a berry fruit salad or a side of hash browns and you’ve got yourself one satisfying meal that’s ready in no time.
Once it has cooled completely, wrap tightly with foil or saran wrap. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days. When ready to reheat, simply use foil to cover the top of the pie, then bake in the oven at 400°F until it is warm throughout.
Yes, wrap tightly and then store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Categorized as: American, Breakfast, Easter, Eggs, Freezer-Friendly, Kid-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.
Yummy and easy to make ! I also used turkey sausages instead of ham.
Sounds like a delicious swap in the breakfast pie!
I made this for the family today and everyone loved it. I always use the Pillsbury ready-made pie crusts, but I don’t usually pre-bake them. Doing so this time, caused them to “melt” somewhat so the mixture overflowed the crust a little in my deep-dish pie pans. Not a big deal, but the next time I make this recipe, I will skip the pre-bake and see what happens. Thanks for the the great recipe!
So glad to hear your family enjoyed the breakfast pie!
I made the breakfast pie, tastes good but my crust got a bit to brown should I have baked it on the cookie sheet??
I typically do. Some ovens run hotter than others, so if you noice the crust browning, you can cover the crust with a pie shield or foil.
Added some conecuh sausage. Next time with larger pieces of onion and peppers.
Sounds delicious!
Not only is this a delicious breakfast, but it’s also so pretty on the table too! I love the colors. Thanks for this recipe. My entire family enjoys this breakfast pie!
I made this for some guest that had stayed over. It was such a hit. I definitely will be making this again!
My friend is having a new baby any moment and I will bring her this, thanks! I was looking for a breakfast recipe. People always bring moms dinner but I have found they appreciate even more breakfast. They are up all night at their most tired points and now have to deal with a house full of energetic rested kids and husband. Taking care of a nice warm breakfast is a blessing to them. I hopefully will now be making this in the next day or too.