We're Making This Ham & Cheese Quiche Recipe Just For The Crisp, Buttery Crust (2024)

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Ingredients Directions FAQs

A Delish favorite in the canon of classic recipes, quiche is the versatile dish we turn to again and again for occasions big and small. Our tried-and-tested version perfects every piece of the pie: a soft, creamy filling studded with ham, chives, and Gruyère all inside a crunchy, buttery pie crust. Read on to ace every part of this dream breakfast, from the crust to your dream filling:

The secret to the perfect quiche crust:
Blind baking is the secret for getting that perfectly crisp, firm base on any quiche. Be sure to chill the formed pie shell at least 30 minutes before baking, then line it with foil or parchment and fill to the brim with your choice of pie weights. (And please don’t think that you need to buy a ton of expensive ceramic baking beans either; I used a mixture of uncooked rice and dried lentils.) Some people like to dock (poke holes in) the bottom and sides of their pie crusts to prevent it from puffing up and out of shape during the blind bake; however, we found that if the foil liner is completely filled, the pie weights prevent any puffing, so docking isn't necessary.

After the crust has blind-baked for 20 to 25 minutes and the top and upper sides of the crust are dry to the touch, remove the pie weights and foil liner, brush the crust bottom with lightly whisked egg whites, and return the pie shell to the oven for 5 minutes more. Once baked, the egg white coating seals the crust, protecting it from the wet filling.

The key to the best quiche filling:
Everyone has their own ideal quiche filling combination. We’ve decided to feature one of our favorite flavor profiles, ham and cheese, with a few chives for some added pop. That said, feel free to customize the fillings according to your preference. Substitute cooked and drained sausage or bacon for the ham, or try Swiss, cheddar, or Monterey Jack instead of the Gruyère. You can also make this vegetarian if you like by exchanging the ham for 1 cup chopped cooked vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, or mushrooms. Just make sure the vegetables are drained and patted dry so they don’t leak out extra water or oil and spoil that rich, creamy filling.

Quiche variations:
We love this classic ham and cheese version, but we've got countless quiche recipes to experiment with once you've aced this one. Try our spinach quiche, crustless quiche (if you're looking for a low-carb version), crispy hash brown-crusted bacon and cheddar quiche, or our quiche Lorraine.

Made this? Let us know in the comments below.

Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 45 mins
Cal/Serv:
235

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour, for rolling

  • 1

    batch basic pie dough, chilled

  • 4

    large eggs, 2 separated, 2 whole

  • 3/4 c.

    heavy cream

  • 3/4 c.

    whole milk

  • 3/4 tsp.

    kosher salt

  • 1/4 tsp.

    freshly ground black pepper

  • 6 oz.

    cooked ham steak, finely chopped (about 1 c.), patted dry

  • 3 oz.

    shredded Gruyère (about 1 c.)

  • 1/4 c.

    thinly sliced chives

Directions

    1. Step1On a lightly floured surface, roll pie dough to a 1/4"-thick round. Lift and carefully transfer to a glass or metal 9" pie pan, letting sides slump into place (do not stretch).
    2. Step2Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim around edges of dough, leaving about 1/4" excess. Fold excess dough underneath dough lying on top rim of pie pan. Using clean fingers, crimp to seal.
    3. Step3Refrigerate dough until cold, about 30 minutes.
    4. Step4Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 375°. Cut a large square piece of foil or parchment and scrunch to wrinkle. Line dough with scrunched foil, then fill to the brim with pie weights, uncooked rice, or dried beans.
    5. Step5Bake crust until top and sides are dry and set, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil with pie weights. In a small bowl, whisk egg whites until blended. Brush over bottom of crust.
    6. Step6Continue to bake until bottom is dry and set, about 5 minutes more. Let cool completely, at least 30 minutes.
    7. Step7In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and 2 egg yolks until blended. Whisk in cream, milk, salt, and pepper until combined.
    8. Step8Spread ham and cheese across bottom of crust. Top with chives. Gently pour egg mixture over top.
    9. Step9Bake quiche until filling is puffed and set with just a slight jiggle in the middle when pan is shaken, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool. Slice and serve at room temperature.

We're Making This Ham & Cheese Quiche Recipe Just For The Crisp, Buttery Crust (3)

We're Making This Ham & Cheese Quiche Recipe Just For The Crisp, Buttery Crust (5)

We're Making This Ham & Cheese Quiche Recipe Just For The Crisp, Buttery Crust (2024)

FAQs

Why isn't my quiche creamy? ›

Figuring out your proportions couldn't be simpler – for each egg you use, you need half a cup of milk. Too little dairy, and your quiche will be dry instead of creamy. Too much, and it won't set properly.

Is heavy cream or half and half better for quiche? ›

Heavy Cream and Milk – For the best tasting quiche, use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. (Or simply use half-and-half.) Using just heavy cream produces an overly thick filling. Whole milk is great, but a combo of heavy cream and milk is better.

Can I substitute milk for heavy cream in quiche? ›

The answer is, yes you can, which is a relief. You do need some fat in there to help it set, but you can get that from the cheese. Using just milk and eggs as the basis for the filling works perfectly well and I figure you are more likely to have these ingredients in, which is way more helpful.

Is quiche better with milk or cream? ›

The French are known for using cream, whole milk, and butter when cooking, and making a traditional French quiche is definitely not the right time to deviate and opt for margarine or skim milk. By choosing whole milk over one with a lower fat content, the baked quiche will have a light texture, per The Kitchn.

What not to put in quiche? ›

Avoid Fillings That Are Too Wet

And if you're using an ingredient such as sautéed spinach, be sure to squeeze the liquid out before adding it to your quiche.

How to get a crispy bottom pie crust? ›

Getting a brown, flaky/crispy bottom crust on your pie is all about quick and effective heat transfer. That's why aluminum or aluminum/steel pans — rather than glass or stoneware — are your best choice for baking pie. Metal, especially aluminum, transfers heat quickly and efficiently from oven to pie crust.

How to get the bottom of quiche crispy? ›

Some people like to paint the surface of the pastry base with lightly beaten egg white after the beans have been removed and before returning the dish to the oven as the egg white cooks onto the surface of the pastry and can act as a slight sealant to help to keep the pastry crisp.

What is the formula for quiche? ›

Quiche Ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy

You'll need to increase the amount of eggs and milk based on the size of your quiche, so knowing the basic ratio makes it really easy to scale up or down. For a standard 9-inch quiche: Use 3 large eggs (6 ounces) 1 1/2 cups of whole milk or cream (12 ounces)

What is a substitute for heavy cream in a quiche recipe? ›

Recommended substitutes: Whole milk, evaporated milk, coconut milk, onion cream.

Is whipping cream the same as heavy cream? ›

Heavy cream and whipping cream are two similar high fat dairy products that manufacturers make by mixing milk with milk fat. The main difference between the two is their fat content. Heavy cream has slightly more fat than whipping cream. Otherwise, they are nutritionally very similar.

Is heavy whipping cream the same as heavy cream? ›

Yes, heavy cream and heavy whipping cream are the exact same thing. The confusion lies in the fact that they're sold by different brands under two different names. According to the US Food and Drug Administration's labelling standards, heavy cream must contain at least 36 percent milk fat.

What is a substitute for 1 cup of heavy cream? ›

If you have butter and milk (whole milk or even half-and-half work best), you can make your own heavy cream substitute. To make 1 cup of heavy cream, melt 1/4 cup of butter and slowly whisk in 3/4 cup milk. This works for most baking or cooking recipes that require heavy cream, but it will not whisk into stiff peaks.

Can I substitute Greek yogurt for heavy cream in quiche? ›

If you're low on dairy ingredients, don't fret. Greek yogurt can substitute milk, sour cream and heavy cream. Milk: If you're short on milk, half and half or light cream, Greek yogurt can be used to make up for the difference.

What can I substitute for half-and-half in a quiche? ›

Half-and-Half Substitute: Milk + Cream

For the ultimate DIY sub, use equal parts light cream and whole milk. If it's heavy cream that's in your fridge, for 1 cup half-and-half, substitute ¾ cup milk plus ¼ cup heavy cream.

Why is my quiche soft? ›

If you pour the egg custard into an unbaked crust, the liquid is unfortunately going to seep into the crust, preventing it from crisping up. The simple solution is to blind-bake the crust before adding the custard. Follow This Tip: Blind-bake the pie crust before pouring in the custard to ensure a crisp, flaky crust.

Why is my quiche still runny? ›

If your quiche appears too watery to serve it could be because it was overbaked or underbaked, the egg to dairy ratio was not correct, the ingredients have too much liquid or it was baked on the wrong rack in the oven.

Why is my quiche still liquid in the middle? ›

According to Real Simple, this typically occurs when adding too-wet ingredients to the quiche filling, layering the egg custard with, for example, large slices of raw tomato or raw zucchini. These vegetables, while tasty, have a high water content when raw, which will weep into the quiche as it bakes.

Is quiche made with heavy cream or light cream? ›

Heavy cream is traditional in Quiche Lorraine, however, we seem to have better luck with light cream in our quiche recipes. They bake up lighter and the filling ingredients really shine through instead of getting masked by the milk fat.

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