Ham and Spinach Quiche

A delicious quiche filled with ham, fresh spinach and gouda cheese. This ham and spinach quiche is perfect for breakfast or dinner!

Leftover quiche is just as delicious as the day it's prepared and is perfect reheated for lunch.

Quiche

This is a quiche done my way! In every sense of the word, this is a quiche, but I've changed things up just a bit!

What really makes this my own is the ratio of eggs I've used. Many quiche recipes just call for 3-4 eggs per 1 ½ cups of cream, but I used 6 eggs! Partially to fill this pie dish, but also because we always have a refrigerator full of our fresh eggs.

Using up the eggs means I'm using what we have! That's just all part of raising chickens - you always have an excess of eggs. But to tell you the truth, I like that this quiche has a bit more substance to it!

This ham and spinach quiche is loaded with fresh spinach and delicious little bites of ham. Then there's the cheese - gouda! It adds such a creaminess.

Quiche is one of those foods that can be eaten for any meal. Nobody will even think twice if you serve it for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. How many foods can say that about?

This ham and spinach quiche can also be served for almost any occasion - holidays, baby shower, wedding shower, afternoon tea party, business meeting, family gathering, potluck buffet and it's perfect to take on a picnic.

Leftover quiche is also just as delicious as when it's first served. In fact, I believe my kids actually prefer it reheated the next day. Just think of the envious stares you'll receive when you take out a slice of homemade quiche at work!

Key ingredients

• Pie crust - make your own or purchase a store bought crust. You'll need one to fit a deep dish pie.
• Eggs - 6 whole eggs
• Spinach - fresh baby spinach roughly chopped, although frozen can be used too
• Ham - fully cooked and cut into small cubes. Leftover ham is perfect or buy from your deli.
• Gouda cheese - feel free to substitute cheddar or monterey jack
• Half and Half Cream - whole milk or heavy cream can also be used or use a mixture!
• Dijon mustard

Step by step directions

• Make your pie crust. I make a 10 inch pie crust to fit my deep dish pie plate. If using a store bought crust, you will probably need to roll it thinner in order to fill the pie plate.
• Dock or prick the pie crust with a fork
• Line pie crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. This helps prevent the pie crust from puffing up while baking. I've had my pie weights for more than 25 years. Ceramic pie weights are more popular now.

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• Bake pie crust for 15 minutes
• Remove foil and pie weights and bake for an additional 5 minutes
• Allow pie crust to cool. It can still be warm when adding filling, but you do not want it to be hot.
• Whisk eggs together with dijon mustard and salt and pepper
• Add half and half and whisk until well incorporated
• Place ham in the pie crust

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• Add chopped spinach
• Pour egg mixture over the top of spinach
• Use a fork to press spinach down into the pie dish

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• Bake in a preheated 350 °F oven for 45-50 minutes
• Remove from oven and allow quiche to cool for 15-20 minutes before serving

Recipe tips

• Be certain to parbake pie crust
• Use a deep dish pie plate that is 2 inches deep
• If using frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze liquid out of spinach before using
• You can change to order of your quiche - consider placing spinach on top of ham and then topping with cheese
• Bake quiche on a baking sheet. This makes getting the quiche in and out of the oven easier and it will also catch and spills or overflows if the quiche is filled just a tad too high.
• Allow quiche to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. You can cool for longer and serve warm or at room temperature.
• When you first cut into this quiche and remove the first piece, you may notice the quiche is a little weepy. This is from the moisture in the spinach and the ham. Just use a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture. The longer the quiche cools, the less moisture you'll notice.
• Wrap leftover cool quiche and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days

How to know if your quiche is done

• Set a timer for the correct amount of time
• Give the dish a little wiggle. If the center of the quiche is jiggly, it needs more time. If it's firm, remove the quiche from the oven and do a knife test.
• Insert a butter knife into the center of the quiche and pull it out. If it's gooey with egg, it needs a few more minutes. Otherwise, it's done!
• Allow quiche to cool for 15 minutes before cutting into it

Frequently asked questions

Variations

• Use cooked turkey instead of ham
• Pick your favorite type of cheese - gouda, cheddar, swiss or monterey all work well
• Make crustless! Omit the crust, just be certain to spray your baking dish with a nonstick spray before adding ingredients.

Serving suggestions

Serving suggestions will vary, depending on when you are eating your quiche

Breakfast/Brunch

• Fresh fruit
• Coffee cake muffins
• Cream cheese danish
• Homemade breakfast sausage

Lunch/Dinner

• Small salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing
• Dinner rolls
• Honey glazed carrots
• Marinated cherry tomatoes

Party Buffet

• Stuffed cherry tomatoes
• Puff pastry cheese straws
• Crab stuffed mushrooms
• Boursin cheese spread
• Homemade crackers

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop