This classic and old-fashioned cheese and ham quiche is perfect for weeknight dinners or at your next family picnic.
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To make the shortcrust pastry, place the flour and butter in a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form. Add the egg yolks and water and process until the dough just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth. Shape into a disc. Wrap and place in the fridge for 30 mins to rest.
Preheat oven to 200°C. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a 3mm-thick disc. Line a 4cm-deep, 23cm (base measurement) fluted tart tin, with removable base, with the pastry. Trim the excess pastry. Place in the fridge for 15 mins to rest.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 mins or until soft. Stir in the ham. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.
Line pastry with baking paper and fill with pastry weights or rice. Place on a baking tray. Bake for 10-15 mins. Remove paper and weights or rice. Bake for 8-10 mins or until light golden.
Reduce oven temp to 160ºC. Sprinkle the onion, ham and combined cheeses over the pastry base. Whisk the eggs and cream together in a large jug until well combined. Season. Gently pour into the case. Bake for 40 mins or until just set. Sprinkle with chives and serve warm or at room temperature with a seasonal salad.
You could use ham steaks or a 150g piece of ham from the deli. Alternatively, you could use diced bacon pieces.
COOK. STORE. SAVE.
Use it up: Save the discarded egg whites from the shortcrust pastry and make the perfect meringues.
It doesn’t get more Australian than a classic cheese and ham quiche. This recipe features a savoury filling of eggs, cheese and ham encased in a golden homemade shortcrust pastry crust. Serve with a simple mixed leaf salad for an easy but impressive main you’ll be making again and again.
While it may seem intimidating, making your own shortcrust pastry doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Made from just four ingredients, including flour, butter, eggs and iced water, it’s as simple as blitzing everything in a food processor, gently kneading and letting the dough rest. From here, you can roll out the pastry into a tin and blind bake. This is the process of baking the crust of the quiche in the oven without the filling to seal the surface and crisp the case. Once the crust is ready, you can begin to add the filling of red onions, ham, cheese, eggs and thickened cream.
Designed to feed 10, this ham and cheese quiche is the perfect dish for weeknight dinners, to bring to the park for a picnic, or when you’re asked to bring a plate at your next family barbecue. Any leftovers make a great lunch the next day, too. While this recipe calls for ham, you can also use ham from the deli, ham steaks or even diced bacon pieces.
Now that you’ve nailed how to make shortcrust pastry from scratch, flex your cooking skills with this mixed plum tart, mini quiche lorraines, or this classic apple pie.