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Ham and Gruyere Quiche with Frozen Pie Crust is so easy to make! Rich and hearty with ham, earthy Gruyere and parmesan cheese and green onions in a creamy, buttery egg custard, this recipe takes only ten minutes to pull together before baking.
Inspired by holiday ham leftovers and my love of strong cheeses, this Ham and Gruyère Quiche is a perfect “go-to” brunch or lunch recipe that is super streamlined. Plus, it’s equally delicious hot, cold or at room temperature, so you have lots of serving options!
French-inspired quiche truly is one of the best comfort foods out there. This particular ham and cheese quiche recipe is a bit more abundant with filling than traditional recipes. While it’s not quite as jam packed with filling as my Spinach Swiss Quiche, you’ll find that it’s in complete, perfect proportions.
For a big shortcut, I use a premade, frozen pie crust in this recipe (just like my pizzagaina Italian Easter pie recipe), which does not need to be blind baked, i.e., pre-baked without filling. Just fill and bake–easy peasy! By the way, here’s my preferred brand of crust and I used a whole wheat version for this recipe fyi.
Why Gruyère cheese? Well, along with Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gorgonzola Dolce, Gouda and a really great sharp cheddar, Gruyère is one of top five cheeses in the world, in my humble opinion. It’s complex and full-bodied with a rich, nutty flavor that melts really well and pairs perfectly with the tender, salty ham and the creamy custard in this quiche.
Fun Fact: In my mid-20s, I was an expat in Geneva, Switzerland for a couple of years. While there, I took the 3+hour journey to the tiny, Swiss, country town of Gruyères in the middle of nowhere just so that I could eat Gruyère in Gruyères, at source. True story. I had a classic Swiss fondue (made with Gruyère of course!) served with potatoes instead of the usual bread there. And bought a lot of cheese, too.
Hearty, cheesy and lip-smacking delicious–everyone seems to love this Ham and Gruyere Quiche! Hope you give it a try. Mangia bene!
Ingredients
To make this easy ham and cheese quiche with frozen pie crust, we’ll need:
- Crust: One of the things that makes this ham and cheese quiche recipe so easy and quick-to-prepare is that it is so amazing with a pre-made, frozen pie crust. Just be sure to buy a “deep dish” crust for this recipe. If all you can find or have are the regular, shallower crusts, they will work. But, you will need two of them. Also, there’s no need to blind bake the crust for this recipe. Trust me! It’s been well-tested.
- Ham: This quiche is PERFECT for leftover baked ham. However, you can easily find a ham steak in the supermarket to make this anytime, leftovers or not! Almost any smoked or cured ham will work here, such as deli tavern, black forest or Virginia ham. I don’t suggest using a honey or maple ham due to their sweetness.
- Green Onion: Chopped green onions are mixed with the ham and other ingredients while raw and result in a slight crunch in the finished quiche. You can use chives in place of green onions.
- Gruyère Cheese: A hard, cow’s milk cheese from Switzerland with a very distinct earthy and complex taste and aroma when it melts that gives this ham quiche recipe its signature flavor. If you’re not a fan of gruyere cheese, though, Swiss (Emmenthaler), cheddar, raclette, fontina, gouda, mozzarella and Monterey jack are all great cheese alternatives for this recipe. I also like using pepper jack for some piccante!
- Parmesan Cheese: Earthy Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese complements the Gruyère cheese and ham beautifully here, but sharp and salty Pecorino Romano can be used in place of it.
- Heavy Cream, Milk, Eggs, Butter: Used to make the oh-so-rich and delicious custard for this ham and cheese quiche. Eggs bind/stabilize the filling, while the cream and butter provide moisture, richness and flavor.
- Spices: Garlic powder, onion powder and a touch of ground black pepper round out the quiche flavors.
How to Make Ham and Gruyere Quiche
- Prep and gather all ingredients. Take the pie crust out of the freezer to thaw and remove its packaging about 20 minutes prior to getting started on the recipe. Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
- PRO-TIP: There’s no need to blind bake the crust for this recipe.
- Combine the diced ham, green onions and cheeses in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. Then, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, milk, melted butter and spices in a separate bowl until well-combined. Next, pour the egg mixture into the ham mixture and mix very well until all ingredients are well-incorporated.
- Carefully transfer the quiche mixture to the thawed crust, using a spoon or small spatula to spread ingredients out evenly throughout the egg custard.
- Place the uncooked ham and gruyere quiche on a rack in the lower third of a 350°F preheated oven. The quiche will take at least 50 minutes to cook, depending on your oven. It took 60 minutes in my electric oven but would take less time in my previous gas ovens.
- PRO-TIP: Test the quiche’s doneness the same way that you would a cake–by inserting a toothpick or thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, the quiche is done and should be removed from the oven. If there are custard remnants on the toothpick/skewer, continue cooking and checking the quiche in 5 minute increments.
- Let the quiche cool slightly (about 15 to 20 minutes) to set before slicing. Then, it’s ready! Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled. Buon Appetito!
For more recipe ideas to use up that leftover ham, check out: Split Pea Soup, Lentil and Ham Soup and Creamy Tortellini with Ham and Peas.
More Comfort Food Recipes You’ll Enjoy
- Spinach Quiche with Frozen Pie Crust
- Steakhouse Creamed Spinach with Croutons
- Creamy Crab and Spinach Dip
- Baked Artichoke Dip without Mayo
- Creamy Eggplant Soup
- Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce
- Potato and Italian Sausage Soup
- Stovetop Chicken Parm
- Creamy Crab and Mushroom Soup
- White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Tuscan Vegetable and Bread Soup (Ribollita)
Frequently Asked Questions
No. You don’t have to blind bake (i.e., pre-bake or bake the crust without a filling) the frozen crust for this recipe. Just thaw it and use/fill it as is.
Almost all other quiche recipes made with a pre-made frozen crust call for blind baking it to keep its shape, prevent steam pockets in the dough from puffing up and prevent crust becoming soggy from a wet filling. Blind baking is also necessary when working with a filling that does not need to be cooked further, such as a pudding or pastry cream for a classic fruit tart.
But, it has never been necessary with this recipe! I have made this recipe and other quiche with frozen crusts for years and have never blind baked for any of the recipe. One less thing to do–a very simple recipe!
They’re very similar and both are egg-based dishes.
A quiche (with French origins) is made with a crust, whereas an Italian frittata is crustless. Also, a quiche is made with more of a rich egg custard containing heavy cream or half-and-half, unlike a lighter frittata that is generally made with just a little milk in addition to the eggs.
Any of these dairy options can be used with slightly different results. Whole milk makes the lightest quiche, but it’s not my preference. (Quiche is meant to be a bit rich!) Heavy cream makes richest quiche, while half-and-half will land you somewhere in the middle. Never use skim milk to make a true quiche.
Both heavy cream and whole milk are used in this ham gruyere quiche. You can substitute more of the cream with whole milk if you want to lighten it up a bit. FYI half-and-half is a mixture of equal parts whole milk and cream.
The smoked ham adds such rich and savory depth of flavor to this quiche. By the way, here’s my favorite baked, spiral ham recipe!
Make In Advance, Leftovers and Freezing Ham and Gruyere Quiche
This recipe can be made 1 to 2 days in advance of serving. Cool the quiche at room temperature first, then wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Quiche is wonderful hot, at room temperature or even cold, so you have lots of serving options. If you’d like to reheat it, remove plastic wrap, cover it with foil and place it on the middle rack of a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes or until it’s heated through.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To freeze ham quiche, cool it then wrap it in a couple layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 1 day, then remove plastic wrap, cover it with foil and place it on the middle rack of a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes or until it’s heated through (or just bring it to room temperature and serve).
By the way, if you’re wondering if you can freeze quiche made with ham that was previously frozen, you can! Check out my post on refreezing ham for lots of info about this.
TOP TIPS FOR HAM AND GRUYERE QUICHE
- Crust: Make sure to buy a “deep dish” premade frozen pie crust for this recipe. If all you can find or have are the regular, shallower crusts, they will work. But, you will need two of them. Just divide the filling between the two shallower crusts. Also, there’s no need to blind bake the crust for this recipe. Trust me! It’s been well-tested.
- Ham: This quiche with frozen pie crust is PERFECT for leftover baked ham. However, you can easily find a ham steak in the supermarket to make this anytime, leftovers or not! Almost any smoked or cured ham will work here, such as deli tavern, black forest or Virginia ham. I don’t suggest using a honey or maple ham due to their sweetness.
- Recipe Substitutions: If you’re not a fan of gruyere cheese, Swiss, cheddar, fontina, gouda, mozzarella and Monterey jack are all great cheese alternatives for this recipe. I also like using pepper jack for some piccante!
- Serving Suggestions: Quiches are rich and filling, so they don’t need to be served with much else. I generally serve mine for brunch or lunch with a mixed green salad and sometimes a biscuit, which is perfect!
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried this Ham and Gruyere Quiche with Frozen Pie Crust, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Ham and Gruyere Quiche with Frozen Pie Crust
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ cups diced cooked ham (about 8 ounces)
- ¾ cup chopped green onions (both white and green parts)
- 8 ounces gruyere cheese, shredded
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese (about 1½ ounces)
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 Tbsp melted butter, cooled a bit
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 (9" or 9⅚") deep dish, premade, frozen pie crust
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Take the pie crust out of the freezer to thaw and remove its packaging about 20 minutes prior to gettingstarted on the recipe. (It doesn’t need much time to thaw.) Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 350°F. (Do not use the convection setting.)(Please see the section above in the blog post forStep-By-Step instructions with photos.)1 (9" or 9⅚") deep dish, premade, frozen pie crust
- Combine the diced ham, green onions and cheeses in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.1½ cups diced cooked ham, ¾ cup chopped green onions, 8 ounces gruyere cheese,, ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Then, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, milk, melted butter and spices in a separate bowl until well-combined.4 large eggs,, ½ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup whole milk, 2 Tbsp melted butter,, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, ⅛ tsp ground black pepper
- Pour the egg mixture into the ham mixture and mix very well until all ingredients are well-incorporated.
- Carefully transfer the quiche mixture to the thawed crust, using a spoon or small spatula to spread ingredients out evenly throughout the egg custard.
- Place the uncooked quiche on a rack in the lower third of a 350°F preheated oven. The quiche will take at least 50 minutesto cook, depending on your oven. It took 60 minutes in my electric oven but would take less time in my previous gas ovens.Test the quiche’s doneness the same way that you would a cake–by inserting a toothpick or thin skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, the quiche is done and should be removed from the oven. If there are custard remnants on the toothpick/skewer, continue cooking and checking the quiche in 5 minute increments.The quiche and crust should be a bit golden brown in areas. If you think that the crust is getting too brown, you can cover the quiche with foil and/or move it to the top rack of the oven, but I have never had to do this.
- Let the quiche cool a bit (about 15 to 20 minutes) to set before slicing. Then, it’s ready! Buon Appetito!
Notes
- Be sure to buy a “deep dish” premade frozen pie crust for this recipe. If all you can find or have are the regular, shallower crusts, they will work. But, you will need two of them. Just divide the filling between the two shallower crusts.
- There’s no need to blind bake the crust for this recipe. Trust me. It’s been well-tested.
- With the high salt content of the ham + all the cheese, there’s no need for additional salt.
- If you’re not a fan of gruyere cheese, Swiss, cheddar, fontina, gouda, mozzarella and Monterey jack are all great cheese alternatives for this recipe. I also like using pepper jack for some piccante!
- This recipe can be made 1 to 2 days in advance of serving. Cool the quiche at room temperature first, then wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Quiche is wonderful hot, at room temperature or even cold, so you have lots of serving options. If you’d like to reheat it, remove plastic wrap, cover it with foil and place it on the middle rack of a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes or until it’s heated through.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To freeze ham quiche, cool it then wrap it in a couple layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 1 day, then remove plastic wrap, cover it with foil and place it on the middle rack of a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes or until it’s heated through (or just bring it to room temperature and serve).
Made this over the weekend–served half and froze half. Everyone loved it!