Diced Ham Swiss and Cheddar Cheese Breakfast Quiche

You will love this baked ham and cheese quiche made with a flaky homemade southern pie crust. This savory recipe is loaded with diced ham, and a combination of both shredded Swiss and cheddar cheese. Baked in the oven for 45 minutes, resulting in a golden and cheesy quiche that's perfect to enjoy for breakfast or brunch.

We are coming in hot for another Southern-style idea for breakfast - diced ham and cheese quiche! Like our crowd favorites at Fueling a Southern Soul (I am talking about you Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quiche, Green Chilis & Egg Quiche, and Bacon-Egg-Cheddar Quiche) you're going to love this creamy, savory, eggy goodness that is perfect to enjoy for breakfast.

When I was recipe testing this quiche, I wanted this to be EXTRA cheesy and have a depth of flavor. So I decided to go with a blend of both Swiss cheese for a sharp bite and cheddar cheese for that creamy cheese taste we all know and love. They both melt well and give a delicious bold cheesy flavor. I used a pinch of dry mustard to amp up the sharpness of the cheese and round out all the flavors, plus compliment the salty ham. My mouth is drooling as I type!

Of course, I baked this in a flaky homemade Southern pie and quiche crust - I would have it no other way! And I will walk you through step by step (with pictures!) of how and why you need to bake the crust BEFORE you bake the actual quiche.

This is perfect to serve for breakfast, a weekend brunch, make ahead for holiday breakfast, or to serve at a bridal shower. Let me show you step by step how to make this and all the ways you can make it ahead of time if needed.

Jump to:

• FIRST STEP - BLIND BAKING A PIE CRUST
• HOW DO I BLIND-BAKE A CRUST?
• INGREDIENTS NEEDED 
• INSTRUCTIONS
• CAN YOU MAKE A QUICHE AHEAD OF TIME?
• Recipe

FIRST STEP - BLIND BAKING A PIE CRUST

Before we start making quiche, we need a crust to put it in!

And while you absolutely can use a store-bought crust....a homemade one is 10x better! Regardless if you use store-bought or homemade, you will need to blind-bake it before you fill it with egg filling.

But what does blind baking a pie crust mean? Blind baking a pie crust is taking an unbaked pie shell and baking for a set amount of time BEFORE putting in the filling inside and finishing baking according to the recipe. This helps ensure that the bottom of the crust gets fully baked so that you get all the flaky layers on the bottom not just the sides and top.

Because a quiche filing is an egg-based liquid filling if you were to pour it into an unbaked shell and bake, the heat would bake the quiche filling through - but since it's heavy and wet, the bottom of the crust would stay soggy, and raw... which we do not want.

By using the technique of blind-baking FIRST, we ensure the bottom of the crust gets baked entirely all the way through. PS - you need to do this with any custard or liquid filling-based pies such as pumpkin and pecan. So now that we got the explanation out of the way, let's actually walk through how my mom taught me how to do this.

HOW DO I BLIND-BAKE A CRUST?

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place wax or parchment paper over the preformed pie crust on a pie plate. Pour in baking beans or pie weights and evenly distribute around the shell.
3. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Pick up the edges of the wax or parchment paper and pour the beans into a mason jar. Proceed with the recipe as directed.

Fun fact and pro tip....my mom stored her "baking beans" in a large blue mason jar on our porch always. She bought a bag of dried pinto beans for $1.00 (actually probably less because #inflation), which she used to help weigh down the crust when baking. You need some weight on top of the crust, otherwise, it will form air bubbles throughout the cooking process and not be an even bottom. The weight helps it bake flat and even. When she was done, she just lifted up the parchment paper, poured the beans back into the jar, and put them on the shelf for the next pie. I now have my own pie baking beans mason jar in my pantry and it's one of my prized possessions. Along with my jar of bacon grease. If you're from the South, you feel me on this!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED 

• Pie Crust
• Eggs
• Milk
• Salt, Pepper, & Dry Mustard
• Swiss Cheese
• Cheddar Cheese
• Diced Ham

Ham Options & Varieties: You have a couple of different options on the ham, and I have made/tested all of these so they will all work just depending on what you have on hand or can grab at your grocery store.

1. You can buy a bag of diced ham like the one in the picture below that I used for this recipe, and it's found in the lunch meat section in the deli.
2. Or you can use ham lunch meat you have a home and chop it finely.
3. Or one of my other favorite things to do is if you have leftover ham or honey-baked ham from the holidays, to dice it up small and use it in this quiche. The sweetness of the honey-baked ham is delicious with the sharp and salty cheeses - and it is a great way to use up the end of the ham that isn't sliced too. So lots of options if needed!

INSTRUCTIONS

Once you have blind bake the crust, follow these simple steps:

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
2. Grate both the Swiss and the cheddar cheese with a boxed cheese grater. It is better to grate your own cheese than use pre-shredded (both from a flavor perspective and there is no caking agent on a block of cheese you shred yourself).
3. In a large bowl, add 8 eggs and beat with a fork until the yolks are broken.
4. Add in the milk, salt, black pepper, and dry mustard. Whisk well.
5. Add in the cheese and ham. Mix well.
6. Pour carefully into the blind-baked pie crust and place into the oven to bake for 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees or until the middle is set and doesn't jiggle anymore (check at 45 minutes - if still jiggles in the middle, bake for 5-10 more minutes until just set).
7. Let cool for 10-20 minutes before slicing and serving.

CAN YOU MAKE A QUICHE AHEAD OF TIME?

Quiche is a great dish to make ahead of time! Whether you want to eat on it for breakfast throughout the week like us or prep for brunch or shower, it's always a great dish to make in advance!

Make ahead tips - to make the day before serving

• Prep and bake according to directions. Cool and place covered in the fridge for 24 hours.
• When ready to serve, remove it from the fridge. This can be served cold, at room temp, or if you would like it warm - place it in a 200-degree oven for about 10-20 minutes until gently warmed back up!

Click here to see all the ways you can make a  homemade pie crust   in advance!

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