Easy Ham and Cheese Quiche
4.0
(4)
This easy quiche recipe pairs savory ham, rich cheeses, and velvety sautéed leeks in a tender, buttery pie crust. Inspired by the ham and leek quiche from Napa Valley’s Bistro Jeanty—once featured in Gourmet—our version is updated for a more streamlined approach. The result might be the best quiche we’ve ever tasted.
We swapped heavy cream for the original’s crème fraîche for a fluffier filling without sacrificing richness (resist any urges to use half-and-half or milk—those are for frittata making). Next, we ditched the mozzarella, allowing flavorful Gruyére and silky Fontina cheese to shine. If you have trouble finding either, you can substitute any sharp, nutty cheese, such as Comté or Swiss cheese, for the Gruyère and a mild Gouda or provolone for the Fontina. As always, avoid pre-shredded cheeses; the coating is a texture killer. If leeks elude you, diced green onions will do.
Our 5-ingredient homemade pie crust recipe is incredibly forgiving. You can freeze the dough at various stages: after forming it into a disk (thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling), after shaping it in the pie dish (blind-bake from frozen), or after prebaking (let cool completely before wrapping). If using store-bought pie dough, use a round you can roll out to fit a 9" pie plate; preshaped frozen pie crusts don’t have the capacity to hold the egg filling.
Looking for quiche Lorraine with crispy cooked bacon and shallots? Try this deep-dish version from our friends at Bon Appétit.
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What you’ll need
Best Pie Pan, Tested & Reviewed
Best Store-Bought Pie Crust, Tested & Reviewed
Best Mixing Bowls, Tested & Reviewed
Recipe information
Total Time
2½ hours
Yield
8–12 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 375°. Line a 9" pie pan (not deep-dish), preferably metal, with 1 disk Our Favorite Pie Crust or store-bought pie dough. Fold overhang under, pinch and crimp crust, if desired. Chill for 20 minutes.
Step 2
Line pie dough with double layer of parchment paper; leaving overhang. Fill with dried beans, uncooked rice, or other pie weights; place pie pan on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust’s edges are pale golden brown, 30–35 minutes (start checking at 20 minutes if using purchased pie dough). Remove parchment and weights and continue to bake until bottom and sides of crust are golden brown, 15–18 minutes longer. Remove crust from oven and reduce oven temperature to 325°.
Step 3
Meanwhile, wash 1 medium leek, trimmed, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped into ½" pieces, well in a bowl of cold water, agitating to remove hidden dirt. Lift out and drain leeks in a colander. Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a 10" heavy skillet over moderately low heat and cook leeks along with ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt, stirring occasionally, until very tender but without any color, 12–15 minutes.
Step 4
Toss 2 oz. smoked ham, cut into ½" cubes, 3 oz. Gruyère, coarsely grated, and 3 oz. Fontina cheese, coarsely grated in a medium bowl to combine. Scatter cheese mixture over bottom of prebaked pie shell (do not pack down). Spoon cooked leeks on top, spreading with a spoon to cover surface evenly.
Step 5
In same bowl, whisk 4 large eggs, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ tsp. Dijon mustard, ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, ⅛ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, and remaining ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp Morton kosher salt until well combined. Pour mixture over filling in pie shell, jiggling pan gently to ensure egg mixture flows to the bottom.
Step 6
Bake quiche until edges are set but center slightly wobbles, 55–75 minutes (it will continue to set after baking). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 2 hours before slicing.
Do Ahead: Quiche can be made 3 days ahead. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill. Let come to room temperature before serving.
Editor’s note: Head this way for our favorite breakfast casserole recipes →
Recipe notes
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