Cheese and Ham Quiche

Don't you just love a good ham? I mean, you stick it in the oven and let it bake for a while. Then you have the basis for a dozen different dishes. The only problem with that is you and your family will likely get very tired of ham before it is all used up.

Because I have a job, I depend on leftovers for meals. Thankfully, my family doesn't mind but they will only take so much of seeing the same thing set in front of them. That's when you have to get inventive and a little sneaky, if you will, so they won't feel like they are eating the same ham over and over again.

Cheese and ham quiche is just one of the ways I use leftover ham and it is one of my favorites. It can be served for breakfast, lunch, or supper by varying the sides served with it.  Add grits or hash browns when serving for breakfast. Steamed broccoli, asparagus, or green peas and fresh fruit or fruit salad steps it up to lunch or supper standards.

Start by shredding the cheeses and cubing the ham. I hear debates over shredding cheese yourself as opposed to buying it pre-shredded.  Hey, do what is convenient for you. In this recipe, it matters not.
You can even buy ham all ready cubed in  the grocery store if you don't have leftovers to use in this recipe.

I use a frozen, deep dish pie shell for this recipe because it is convenient and I usually have them on hand. Feel free to make your own pastry if you are into that. If using the frozen shell, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes so it will soften enough to prick the sides and bottom with a fork. The shell is prebaked for a few minutes and pricking helps prevent the crust from bubbling up.

Cubed ham, the cheeses, and minced oinion are sprinkled on the bottom of the crust. Pour egg and milk mixture over this. Ready for the oven !

Let the quiche cool for about 10 minutes so you will get a nice, pretty slice. Enjoy!

Cheese and Ham Quiche

  Adapted from Pillsbury "Simply from Scratch" Vol. 2

9-inch unbaked, deep dish frozen pie shell

1/2 cup cooked, cubed ham

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3 eggs

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion or 1 tablespoon instant minced onion

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 & 3/4 cups evaporated milk (a 12oz can of evaporated milk yields 1 & 1/2 cups..just add a little milk or half & half to make up the difference)

Heat oven to 425F. Prick sides and bottom of pie shell with a fork and bake for about 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 325F. Sprinkle ham, cheeses, and minced onion into partially baked shell. In medium bowl, beat eggs until well blended. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour over cheeses. Bake 35 to 45 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 to 10 minutes; cut into wedges to serve. Yield: 6 servings

*Nan's notes: Sometimes frozen pie shells need a little reshaping. Let the shell soften a few minutes at room temperature until it can be handled without breaking the crust. Recrimp the crust if necessary. Reshape the edges of the foil pan if they have been bent during shipping. The crust will be full after adding all the ingredients so taking these steps will prevent the mixture from over running the crust.

Just in case, place the quiche on a foil lined baking sheet before baking.

Happy cooking!

Nan