Ham and Cheese Quiche

For your next breakfast or brunch, serve up a slice of this delicious ham and cheese quiche made with a flaky homemade pie crust. It’s perfect for sharing with a crowd or meal prep for the week.

My ham and cheese quiche recipe is a flavorful, savory pie that makes breakfast time more enjoyable. This version is entirely made from scratch, but I share plenty of make-ahead tips and substitutions for easy preparation. I love making this recipe with leftover ham, especially after the holidays. If you’re looking for a low-carb option, try my crustless ham and cheese quiche.

For a sturdy yet flaky base, I use my homemade pie crust. I whip it together in my stand mixer, then chill it for easier rolling. You need to par-bake it before filling it with savory cubes of meat, cheese, and green onions. The smooth custard goes into the shell, then bake until the eggs firm up, yielding gorgeous golden slices.

Recipe ingredients

• Pie Crust: I use a classic pie savory crust recipe called Pâte Brisée. All you need is flour, butter, salt, sugar, and water. Store-bought refrigerated or frozen pie crust can be used.
• Pork: I like to use ham steak cut into ¼-inch cubes. This variety gives a little burst of flavor and prevents the heavy pieces from sinking to the bottom.
• Custard: A mixture of whole eggs, yolk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
• Cheese: To add dimension to the filling, use an aged cheese like sharp cheddar. This shredded, low-moisture variety melts easily and infuses the flavorful egg custard.
• Herbs: Sliced green onions or chives add a delicate allium flavor to the custard filling.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Instruction overview

Make the pie crust

Step 1: My dough has a higher butter ratio which reduces gluten formation, creating a light, flaky crust texture. My stand mixer swiftly breaks down the fat into pea-sized pieces in less than two minutes compared to using your fingers. A dough cutter works well too. 

Step 2: Gradually add the ice water, 1 tablespoon spoon at a time, mixing in between. The mixture should resemble modeling clay.

Step 3: The dough comes together rather quickly. Form it into a 1-inch-thick disc, then tightly wrap it in plastic. This makes it much easier to roll later. Rest and chill it for at least 4 hours. The aggressive mixing process makes the flour proteins elastic, so resting lets them retract and makes the dough easier to roll. If you can, I recommend making the dough the day before, as it will save you a lot of wait time the day you’re ready to bake.

Roll out the dough

Step 4: Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. I find that rolling out the pie dough into about a ⅛-inch thickness yields a sturdy crust with the proper ratio of dough-to-filling.

Form the pie crust

Step 5: Make the quiche on a 9-inch pie plate. I prefer glass so I can monitor the color change on the sides. Once the edges are trimmed, tucked, and fluted, freeze the quiche for 20 minutes to firm up the butter. Alternatively, you can cover and refrigerate it for up to 2 days to prep in advance. That way, you can blind-bake, fill, and finish baking within an hour.

Partially bake the shell

Step 6: For even cooking, set the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Step 7: To prevent the bottom of the crust from becoming soggy from the wet custard filling, you will need to par-bake it, which is also known as blind-baking. Place a small piece of parchment paper in the shell, then cover the bottom and sides with pie weights or beans. I use 2 cups (20 ounces) of ceramic pie weights.

After 20 minutes, the flour proteins begin to set and very lightly brown, preventing the crust from shrinking. After removing the weights, bake for 5 additional minutes to heat the area of the shell that was previously covered.

Layer the quiche filling

Step 8: Layer the ingredients inside the crust. Evenly sprinkle half the cheese and half the green onions so that they don’t just float to the top. The onions add a fresh, earthy taste without being pungent, like raw white or yellow onions. The dense cubes of ham go in the middle, followed by more green onions and cheese to lock everything together.

Make the custard filling

Step 9: Ingredient selection is key to achieving a smooth base that firms up just enough to slice. To create richness without leaving a greasy film in the mouth, I use high-milkfat products, heavy cream (36%), and whole milk (3.5%). Half-and-half is a good substitute but has a slightly lower percentage of milkfat, about 19 to 20%.

For every cup of dairy, you need 2 eggs. The albumin proteins help solidify the liquid egg mixture. However, for a creamier consistency, I use 3 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk. The quiche is seasoned with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.

Bake the quiche

Step 10: Bake the quiche on a baking sheet until the edges of the custard have set and the center is slightly jiggly but not fluid—about 45 minutes. I find the edges measure about 200 degrees and the center around 185 to 190 degrees.

These temperatures allow for carryover cooking during the cooling period so that the egg texture stays smooth and creamy. Overcooking causes the proteins to pack closely together, pushing out moisture and yielding a rubbery texture.

Let it cool before serving

Step 11: It’s best to cool the quiche until it reaches just above room temperature so that the crust hardens and the custard has time to set. Ample cooling makes for cleaner slices, and the pieces reheat well.

Flavor variations

Now you know how to make ham and cheese quiche for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Feel free to switch up the flavor and try these tasty options:

• Pork: Use thinner deli meat or Canadian bacon. Whenever I make my slow cooker ham, I use the leftovers to make this quiche. Also, try roasted bacon, pancetta, or prosciutto.
• Cheese: Try gruyere, gouda, provolone, mozzarella, Swiss cheese, or Monterey Jack. You can even try a combination of different varieties. A little bit of parmesan adds a more robust taste, but the drier texture doesn’t have a nice melt. Pair it with a slightly higher-moisture cheese.
• Herbs: Instead of green onions, try basil, dill, or tarragon.

Serving suggestions

• Cucumber salad
• Avocado salad
• Classic Caesar salad
• Hashbrown casserole
• Breakfast casserole

Frequently asked questions