cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (2024)

By Melinda 10 Comments

cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (2)

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There is something so satisfying about a deep dish quiche baked in cast iron. The tender crunch of a savory black pepper olive oil crust stuffed with hearty bites of ham and melty sharp cheddar cheese. Simple enough for a week night meal. Impressive enough for guests. Gratifying for even the hungriest diner. Serve with a simple green salad. Here’s proof positive that real people eat cast iron quiche!

I bought a lot of eggs this week.I tend to stock up this time of year.

There is something comforting, when approaching the darkest months, about having lots of supplies on hand. If I bake it the sun will come. There was a sale at the supermarket and then I actually made it down to the farmers market today and was able to get some local farm fresh eggs. I’ve been craving savory tarts like this potato onion tart.But one lousy egg? And all I’ve had to eat today is a smoothie. Which was delicious, but I should’ve had lunch. One should always have lunch, especially if breakfast was a smoothie.

Looking for other things you can make in your cast iron?

Some of my favorites include this flourless chocolate cake and this cornbread tamale pie (yes it does have tomatoes in it, but it’s a short cooking time so fear not with well seasoned cast iron!)

cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (4)

cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese

options and methodology and such

  • Update: since sharing this has become a staple in our house any time of year, using leftover turkey, mushrooms, and, still my favorite, ham.
  • The crust has a bit of whole-wheat pastry flour and extra virgin olive oil added to hearty things up a bit. I did quite a bit of splash of this, short pour of that in this recipe so the amounts given are wild approximations in some cases- I’ll indicate where. But you’ve probably already gotten what you wanted out of this recipe, which is permission to use your cast iron skillet to make a deep-dish quiche. I wasn’t planning on sharing but I’ve got lights for after dark shooting and the mister dubbed it best quiche ever.
  • I went a bit lighter on the cream than most recipes call for but there is room to grow in the pan so you could increase the amount of cream if you wanted a custardier filling.
  • Speaking of filling. Ham and cheese are awesome in eggs. But I love eggs so I think almost every meat and vegetable is awesome in eggs. Salty is nice, bacon, ham, or sausage. As is a cheese with a bit of flavor- sharp cheddar or Swiss. And, in keeping with a cast iron philosophy, I kept the seasoning straightforward.
  • Yes, the directions say chopped cheddar cheese. You could shred it if you want but I like 1/2-3/4″ blocks to give you bites of cheese rather than just the flavor.

cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (6)

cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese

Enough for one 10 1/2 inch cast iron skillet

5 from 2 votes

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Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

for the crust

  • 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup AP flour
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 6 T unsalted butter cut into about 12 pieces – chilled or slightly frozen
  • About two T extra virgin olive oil a two or three second pour
  • About 1/4 – ½ cup cold water

for the filling

  • Butter or olive oil for cooking the onion
  • ½ onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups chopped ham
  • 1 cup chopped sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 T spicy mustard I used my homemade mustard which is like a seeded Dijon
  • 6 eggs
  • ½-1 cup heavy cream I poured what was left of a quart into the egg mixture
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 3 T or more chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Combine the flours and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Whir to combine. Add the butter, pulse few times and then add the olive oil, pulsing about five or six times until the butter is chopped into petite pea sized pieces and the olive oil is distributed throughout. Slowly add the cold water until the starts to adhere together in little pebble like bits and if squeezed in your fist just stays together without crumbling.

  • Press the dough into a disk and refrigerate wrapped in plastic wrap or waxed paper.

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F (200C)

  • While the dough is chilling chop your onion and get it started softening with a teaspoon or two of oil or butter in your cast iron (10 1/2 inch) over a medium low heat.

  • Chop your ham and garlic and set aside. Once the onion has softened add the ham and garlic to the pan and allow to cook for another few minutes, stirring only once or twice. This is when I chop up the rest of my ingredients.

  • Remove the onion ham mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

  • In a medium bowl whisk up the eggs and mustard. Add the cream, cheddar cheese, and parsley and mix until thoroughly combined. Once the ham mixture is no longer hot hot hot add it to the egg mixture and thoroughly combine. Wipe out the cast iron if necessary (I just made sure all the onion bits were out) and put in the freezer to cool.

  • Take out the dough and roll it out into an approximate 15-inch round. When rolling out a dough that requires a bit more structure I fold the dough a few times and then roll it out to create layers and more evenly incorporate the butter (like a rough puff pastry)

  • Place your crust into the chilled cast iron, crimping the top edge. Add the filling. Brush the little bit of creamy egg mixture left in the bowl onto the edge of the crust to give it a bit of gloss.

  • Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes until crust is browned and filling has completely set. Allow to cool for a about ten minutes and then serve warm or at room temperature.

Tried this recipe?Mention @recipefiction or tag #recipefiction!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (7)Pang @circahappy says

    This looks so yummy, Melinda. Breakfast, here I comes 🙂

    Reply

    • cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (8)recipefiction says

      The pictures aren’t as pretty as your posts but it was delicious 😉

      Reply

  2. cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (9)Just a cooking guy says

    I’ve used this recipe many times now it never fails to impress. Thanks so much for sharing it.
    I’ve started using smoked gouda instead of cheddar, and the results are fantastic.cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (10)

    Reply

    • cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (11)Melinda says

      Yum, smoked gouda sounds like a great sub! I’m delighted to hear you are enjoying this.

      Reply

  3. cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (12)Syd says

    Can I make this in 9 in pan?

    Reply

  4. cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (14)Dkelley says

    One of my favorite quiche dishes! I am now hooked on making quiche in my caste iron skillet! However, I substituted the heavy cream for milk for a lighter calorie count. I even added a little taste of smoked Vermont sharp cheddar to add bit more kick. Great recipe!cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (15)

    Reply

    • cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (16)Melinda says

      Thank you! I’m so glad you like it and the substitutions sound great to me 😉

      Reply

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cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (17)
cast iron quiche w/ham and sharp cheddar cheese — Recipe Fiction (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep cheese from sinking in a quiche? ›

In a small bowl, toss shredded cheddar cheese with 1 tablespoon flour. (This will help keep the cheese from sinking to the bottom during baking.) Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the egg mixture. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top of the quiche is puffed and lightly browned.

How do you beat eggs in a quiche? ›

"Add your eggs to a bowl, then whisk them for about 3 minutes (or use a hand mixer) before adding heavy cream. Whip the mixture again for about 4 minutes before adding your other ingredients and pouring everything into your crust." (Dearmond notes that for a regular quiche, she uses about 6 eggs and ½ cup of cream.)

Why is my quiche tough? ›

The best quiche consists of a custard that's the perfect ratio between eggs and milk. Using too many eggs in the custard results in a quiche that rubbery and too firm when baked, while not using enough will prevent the custard from setting. Follow This Tip: Remember this ratio: 1 large egg to 1/2 cup of dairy.

Should quiche be cooked at 350 or 375? ›

BAKE in center of 375°F oven until center is almost set but jiggles slightly when dish is gently shaken and knife inserted near center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Can you put too many eggs in a quiche? ›

The Kitchn cautions that using too many eggs can make the consistency of the quiche rubbery and tough, while using too few eggs can prevent the custard filling from setting properly, giving you a runny, soggy quiche. The recommended proportion is one egg to one-half cup of cream or milk.

What is the best cheese to use for quiche? ›

Cheese: Some favorites include feta cheese, goat cheese, cheddar cheese, white cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, and gruyere. Add-Ins: Add up to 2 cups add-ins including vegetables and meat/seafood. Most quiche add-ins should be pre-cooked and can still be warm when mixing into the egg filling.

What is the formula for quiche? ›

Ratios: The best way to make a quiche is to add the eggs to a large measuring cup, then add the cream or milk. For every egg used you should add enough milk or cream to create a 1/2 cup. Meaning for 1 egg you will add enough cream or milk to make 1/2 a cup of mixture.

Should you beat eggs for quiche? ›

BEAT eggs, milk, thyme and salt in medium bowl until blended. Carefully POUR over filling in pie shell. BAKE in center of 375°F oven until center is almost set but jiggles slightly when dish is gently shaken and knife inserted near center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Why do you put flour in quiche? ›

Roll it out a tad bit thicker than you normally would for a standard pie if possible, and absolutely use it all. Confidently press any overhang or extra pieces into the walls of your pan. Add flour to your filling: Adding a bit of flour to your quiche filling helps absorb moisture and stabilize things in general.

Do you need to prebake pie crust for quiche? ›

Some recipes like quiches recommend partially cooked pie shells because the baking time wouldn't be long enough to fully cook the dough otherwise. Pre-baking a crust can ensure that your pie or tart crust will be fully baked and browned, and not soggy.

When making quiche do you Prebake the crust? ›

And yes, as you'll see, you should always prebake quiche crust to avoid a gummy pastry. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Roll out your homemade or purchased refrigerated dough into a 12-inch circle.

How do you keep quiche filling from sinking? ›

It uses a mixture of milk and double cream, and, interestingly enough, calls for the filling to be vigorously whisked until "light and foamy". This, apparently, helps to keep the other ingredients suspended, rather than allowing them all to sink to the bottom.

Why do my quiches sink? ›

Excess moisture is one reason why quiches collapse in a watery pool on your plate. Vegetables and meats like ham give off tremendous amounts of water when they're cooked. Therefore, if you're using vegetables in your quiche, it's imperative that you cook them first.

How do you make quiche not deflate? ›

If you want an extra puffy quiche, Blind bake the pie crust in the oven (ie. just the pastry unfilled) so it is crispy then pour in the beaten eggs. Instead of putting it back in the oven, cook in the microwave until set.

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