19-inchdeep dish frozen pie shell (no need to thaw)
8ozfully cooked hamcubed
1 1/2cupshredded medium or sharp cheddar cheesedivided
1cuphalf and half
6largeeggs
1Tbspchopped fresh Italian parsley
1tspsalt
1tspfreshly ground black pepper
1tspground mustard
1/2tspsmoked paprika
1/2tspgranulated garlic
1/2tsponion powder
1/8tspground nutmeg
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Place frozen pie crust on a baking sheet.
Arrange cubed ham and 1 cup cheddar cheese evenly on the bottom of the pie shell.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together half and half, eggs, parsley, salt, pepper, mustard, paprika, garlic, onion powder and nutmeg until fully combined.
Pour quiche filling evenly over ham and cheese. Top with reserved 1/2 cup cheese.
Transfer to oven and bake for 30 minutes. Check edges for browning and cover loosely with foil, if needed. Continue to bake another 15-20 minutes or until the center is set when gently shaken.
Remove quiche from oven to a wire rack to let cool for 15-20 minutes prior to slicing.
Notes
Cheese - The flavor of cheese can be adapted using the same amount of your favorite cheese. Monterey jack cheese, extra-sharp cheddar cheese, spicy pepper jack cheese will lend a nice kick. Likewise, colby jack cheese or mild cheddar cheese will result in a less robust flavor. You could even pair Swiss cheese with the ham in this recipe.
Ham - You can use deli ham, leftover Easter ham or Christmas ham or a store-bought ham steak.
Half and Half - You can replace half and half with heavy cream.
Fresh Herbs - You can use fresh chives, fresh thyme or fresh tarragon in place of parsley. Adjust the amount depending on the potency of the herb used.
Onion - You can add finely chopped green onions.
Pie Crust - I most often use a quality frozen deep dish pie crust when making quiche. There's no need to thaw the crust, simply fill and bake.
Homemade Pie Dough - You can also use a homemade pie crust or a refrigerated crust for quiche. If you use a homemade crust such as my Flaky Pie Crust dock the bottom with a fork, fill with pie weights and blind bake it at 375°F for 8-10 minutes prior to filling.
The Quiche Will Settle as it Cools - The used in egg filling quiche will puff up while baking. This is normal, it will settle on it's own as it cools. Give it ample time to cool on a wire rack and let the filling firm and set before slicing.