A combination of half-and-half and whisked eggs make the best quiche with ham, broccoli, and cheddar cheese nestled in a perfectly baked crust.
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“Did the whole thing from scratch including your crust recipe and it was divine. Got rave reviews from the family, final four game night dinner paired with French onion soup. Bonus is I have another pie crust for another yummy quiche for a week night!” -Laura, FoodieCrush reader
I’m Spilling All of My Secrets to Making a Truly Great Quiche
The French were on the right track when they invented the omelet and quiche. Both are fantastic all-in-one ways to serve eggs and both can be made by following a basic, master method then switching up the fillings to make them unique.
In this recipe, I stuck to the basic script of my recipe for Quiche Lorraine with just a couple of ingredient substitutions.
To get that creamy custardy texture, this quiche lover’s secret is the right ratio of eggs to dairy, with just enough ingredient fillings so the egg has space to set and become custardy.
That’s why when it comes to the ingredient fillings — in this case, broccoli, ham, onion, and cheese — more isn’t necessarily better. How you layer the ingredients, and how much you add to this basic egg and dairy formula, is what will make your quiche the best quiche you’ll ever eat.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Freeze the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking so it doesn’t slump or shrink when it hits the hot heat. I typically make the pie shell the night before so I can bake my quiche first thing in the morning.
Place the cheese on the bottom to create a shield. If you’ve struggled with soggy quiche crusts in the past, layering the cheese on the very bottom fixes this issue.
While watching the time is important, also take visual cues like the browning of the egg filling and crust to know when it is done. The quiche will still be somewhat soft in the center, but not runny, when pulled from the oven and will continue to set as it cools. The quiche will puff as it bakes and will fall and settle once it cools.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- All-butter pie crust — If you don’t want to make your own, feel free to sub in a great quality store-bought crust.
- Eggs — You need just 4 eggs to make the filling.
- Half-and-half — Half-and-half creates a just-right custard with just enough butterfat to create that velvety bite. If preferred, whole milk works well too.
- Kosher salt and ground white pepper — For flavor.
- Ham — Use leftover holiday ham, sliced deli ham, or some combination of the two.
- Broccoli — Fresh florets only, please!
- Onion — I used yellow onion, but red onion, shallots, or green onions may all be used.
- Cheddar cheese — I prefer a sharp cheddar, but almost any type of cheese will work with the ham and broccoli filling.
How to Make a Ham and Broccoli Quiche
- Blind bake the crust at 350°F for 40 minutes. Place an oven bag filled with beans into your uncooked pie crust, then bake until lightly browned. Remove the bag of beans before filling (I save the bag of beans in a container with a lid to use over and over again).
- Sauté the onion and ham while blanching the broccoli. Sure, you could add raw ingredients to the filling, but giving these ingredients a warm-up removes their raw flavor and creates a more developed, caramelized bite.
- In the still-warm crust, layer the shredded cheese, cooked ham, onion, and blanched broccoli. This ensures even distribution of the mix-ins in every bite of this quiche.
- Whisk the egg and half-and-half then slowly pour over the layered ingredients, but do not stir or fold to mix. Also, don’t think adding more cheese to the top of the quiche makes it better. This is quiche, not lasagna.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top has puffed up and browned slightly.
- Rest the quiche on a cooling rack before cutting and serving. This gives the egg time to set so it doesn’t fall apart when cut.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Ham and Broccoli Quiche Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch single crust pie shell
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ cups diced ham
- ⅓ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half , or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Par-bake a frozen pie shell lined with a bag of beans (or line with tin foil and use beans or pie weights) for 40 minutes as directed in my all-butter pie crust recipe.
- Once the pie shell has pre-baked, remove it from the oven, set the beans or aluminum foil aside, and raise the oven temperature to 375°F.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add the ham and onion and cook until the onion is softened. While the onions cook, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and blanch for 1 minute then drain the broccoli, roughly chop it, and set aside.
- Scatter the cheese on the pre-baked pie shell then layer the ham and onion, and then the broccoli.
- Whisk the half-and-half with the eggs and white pepper in a bowl or a 4-cup measuring cup. Pour the custard over the layered ingredients, filling the pie shell to the brim but not overflowing. Depending on how deep your pie tin is, you may have extra custard you can discard.
- Bake the quiche for 30-35 minutes or until the top puffs and begins to brown and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean while the center may still be somewhat jiggly.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack where the egg will continue to set. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature. If making ahead, bring to room temperature for 15-30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve with Quiche
- Arugula Salad with Apple and Parmesan
- Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
- Mixed Berry Salad
- Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
- Loaded Bloody Marys
More Quiche Recipes
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Kim
Hi, I always made little tart sized ham, broccoli and cheese quiches. I tried this recipe with a group of Church ladies coming for lunch and was it ever a hit. I used half and half as you suggested. Thanks for such a great recipe ♥️
Thank you for the comment and tip Kim. Glad they enjoyed it!
Laura
Did the whole thing from scratch including your crust recipe and it was divine. Got rave reviews from the family, final four game night dinner paired with French onion soup.
Bonus is I have another pie crust for another yummy quiche for a week night! Thanks for a fantastic recipe
Hayley
Thank you for sharing, Laura! We’re so happy to hear this was a hit with your family! :)
Rachel Brownlee
Hi Heidi! Do you think I could substitute bacon for the ham in this recipe?
Hayley
Hi Rachel! Yes, you could totally use bacon in place of the ham. Just cook it to your liking before adding it. We hope you enjoy!
Kathleen
Small matter, I know, but salt is listed in the ingredients but does not appear in the numbered instructions.
Gena Stahlecker
Not sure why, but this recipe never set up? I ended up baking it for over an hour. Then I let it sit for half an hour, still runny
Not sure why it did either. Maybe the type of milk you used?
Gena Stahlecker
I’m thinking you might be right. I used 2% and perhaps half and half would have been better! Thanks for your input!
Claire Chateau
Hi Heidi,
I tried both the ready-made pie crust and the DIY pie crust. Both have the same consistency, but I find the DIY crust yummier. Of course, I adjusted the recipe to make the taste blend well with the filling. But your recipe is simply divine!
Happy you enjoyed Claire!