Last weekend, my sister and I were able to sneak away from our families and meet up for a morning of shopping and lunch and it was just the most lovely reset. As we were planning our outing, she mentioned that she was pulling a quiche out of the oven and immediately I thought, I need to make that again too! When we were growing up, our mom would often make a spinach and cheese quiche for dinner and we loved it. In fact, I didn’t realize quiche was a breakfast food until college.

This morning, I shared my ham and cheese version on Minnesota Live. This recipe is perfect for Easter Sunday – especially if you’re not feeding a huge crowd and want to incorporate ham. I buy these little quarter hams at my co-op and they are easy to slice thin for sandwiches or dice for omelets, quiche, soup and more. Thick sliced deli ham will also work great in this dish. I love adding the leeks here too – they give a lovely mid onion flavor to the dish and add texture.

A few notes:

• I don’t recommend using a premade pie crust that comes in a foil pan for this. It’s not quite big enough and you’ll end up with too muhc filling. Buy a crust that you can lay into your own pie pan.
• Quiche can be served cold, hot or at room temperature.
• Quiche can be made ahead and individual slices can be warmed in the toaster oven or microwave easily.
• Resist the urge to cut into this right away – it needs to sit for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
• Top with fresh herbs like chives or parsley.
• The flavor combinations of quiche are endless! Have fun coming up with new ideas.

Ham & Cheese Quiche with Leeks

Gather this:

• 1 pie crust, store bought or home made
  • If making the pie crust: put 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 cup very cold butter cut into pieces into a food processor. Pulse to combine, until the mixture is a sandy texture. Add 8 tbsp ice water and combine into a dough. Pour out into parchment (it will be crumbly and sandy but it will come together!) and form into a disc. Wrap tightly and put into the fridge for 30 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and place in a 9 inch pie pan.
• 1 tsp bacon fat (or other cooking fat)
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced lengthwise and then into half moons (make sure to wash well!)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 heaping cup diced ham
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
• 1 cup freshly grated cheese (sharp white cheddar or gruyere are both great here)

Do this:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the pie crust in a 9 inch pan and crimp the edges. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork 5-7 times. Add a layer of parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the crust for about 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and beans or weights and put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the bacon fat over medium heat. Add the leeks and garlic and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté until softened and browned in some places, turn off the heat and set aside.

Pour the eggs, cream, milk, dijon, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until well combined.

Layer the ham, leeks and 1/2 cup of cheese in the bottom of the pie crust, evenly distributing the ingredients. Pour the cream mixture over the top, being careful not to overfill. Top with the remaining cheese. Place the pie pan on a sheet pan and put back into the oven carefully. Bake for 45-55 minutes – until the top is browned but the center is still slightly jiggly. Let sit on the counter for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving.