This Ham and Asparagus Quiche is terrific for a springtime brunch, Easter dinner, or even just a weeknight meal. Make it up to three days ahead and serve it room temperature or warmed up.
For the Easter holiday, I thought I would adapt our mushroom quiche recipe into a Spring brunch dish, with asparagus and ham. It turned out great, my one note is to not add any salt as the ham brings enough salt to the party.
How to Tell When Quiche is Done Cooking
The hallmark of a good quiche is that creamy, custardy texture that you get when the quiche is baked just enough without becoming over-baked and rubbery. To achieve this, pull the quiche from the oven when the sides are set, but there’s just a bit of wobble in the middle when you gently shake the pan.
The quiche will set completely as it cools, and you’ll be left with a perfectly silky slice.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat Quiche
You can make this quiche up to three days in advance. Store it in the refrigerator, covered. Let the quiche come to room temperature on the counter before serving, or gently warm it in a 300° F oven.
To freeze a baked or unbaked quiche, let the quiche cool completely, place it on a baking sheet, and let it freeze overnight. Once frozen solid, wrap it tightly in a double layer of foil and place inside a freezer storage bag. Freeze for up to two months.
Do not thaw before reheating or cooking to avoid a soggy crust. If reheating a pre-baked quiche, place in a cold oven, set the oven to 350° F, and bake for about 20 minutes or until warmed through. If cooking an un-baked quiche, bake the quiche as directed in the recipe (starting in a cold oven), but add about 10 extra minutes to account for cooking it from frozen.
Want More Great Quiche Recipes?
- Cheesy Crustless Quiche with Broccoli and Ham
- Spinach and Artichoke Quiche
- Asparagus Quiche with Fontina Cheese
- Quiche Lorraine
- Mini Salmon Quiches
Ham and Asparagus Quiche Recipe
- Prep time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Cook time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
- 1 recipe pie dough, enough for one bottom crust (see Pâte Brisée recipe)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 10 ounces asparagus spears, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch long pieces
- 1/2 pound ham, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 large eggs
- 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1 1/2 cups)
Special equipment:
Method
1 Roll out dough and fit into tart pan, then freeze: On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 10-by-1 1/2-inch round tart pan (with or without a removable bottom), pressing dough into corners. Transfer to freezer to chill for 30 minutes.
2 Pre-bake tart crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line pastry with aluminum foil, pressing into the corners and edges. Fill to the top with baking weights — sugar, dried beans, or rice.
Bake for 45 minutes. Lift sides of aluminum foil to remove pie weights from tart pan. Move pre-baked crust to a wire rack to cool while making filling. (See How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust for more details on this step.)
3 Cook shallots and asparagus: Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add shallots, and cook, stirring, until translucent but not brown, about 1 minute.
Add asparagus. Cook, stirring frequently, until asparagus are just cooked (al dente), slightly browned, firm, not mushy, 8 to 10 minutes.
4 Assemble quiche: Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Place tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any run-off there might be (especially if you are using a pan with a removable bottom.)
Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the bottom of the crust. Spread asparagus and ham over the cheese and then top with remaining cheese.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, and eggs. Season with fresh ground pepper. Pour over cheese.
5 Bake: Transfer to oven, and bake at 375°F until just set in the center, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before slicing.
