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.
Table of Contents
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.
Loved this recipe! Probably the best quiche I’ve made so far. :) I used store-bought pie crust dough and went with fontina cheese instead of cheddar. Used black forest ham with less onion than called for, then sauteed fresh spinach in their pan once they were done caramelizing.
Sounds delicious! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
I am not what you call a ‘Morning Person’ but I would leap out of bed for this recipe! Quick and delicious are my favorite things!
This is one of the best quiche I ever made, we love it for Sunday morning brunch its truly a wonderful recipe!
Delicious! I skipped the bacon as ham was enough. Totally enjoyed it! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Absolutely delicious! I have made it Several times and it is a hit with my husband!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Made this for my family this morning. It came out perfect. I will definitely make this again. Thank you.
– a satisfied mama
I’m so glad you loved it! :)
Delicious! Subbed par-cooked broccoli for the spinach.
Glad you enjoyed it! Broccoli would be a great sub, thanks for sharing.
Love this recipe. Made it 4 times. Could eat this for every meal.
My family loves it! Made it twice. Added a few tomatoes. Yummy!
I’m so glad they enjoyed it! The tomatoes sound like a great addition. :)
Hi! How would you suggest freezing?
I would freeze after cooking and probably wrap in saran wrap and foil to keep it fresh. :)
Thank you! I make this every week for one of our breakfasts! Delicious!
I’m so glad you love this recipe! Thanks for your comment. :)
Yes, made over and over again. My family loves it, so I make it for breakfast, lunch and dinner (different days). Thank you, is so yumm.
I’m so glad your family loves it! Thanks for your nice comment Rosa!
Not yet but will definitely!
My question is ….. can I make this without a crust ?
Thank you for sharing !
Hi Anna! Yes, you can definitely make it more like a frittata without the crust!
Taste great and its quick and easy . Great on budgeting!
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment! :)
I extended this recipe enough to make two quiche. It turned out excellent. It is simple quick and easy to put together. This is a keeper for my go to recipes. 😋
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for leaving a comment and review Marty. :)
I need to make without onions, but followed directions using gluten-free pre-made crust and Vermont sharp white cheddar. Perfect.
I’m so glad to hear it still turned out great with the substitutions! Thanks for sharing! :)
It was my first quiche recipe to use and there is no need to look for another. It is amazing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
I would like to make it but a list of ingredients without measurements doesn’t define a recipe and does not invite making a dish.
Hi Esther. If you scroll down a little farther the recipe is there. :)
Added corn and asparagus, and used a puff pastry crust… Delicious!
Sounds delicious!