Ham and Cheese Mini Quiche Recipe

This ham and cheese mini quiche recipe is whipped up in a regular ol’ muffin tin, and the cute little quiches are a hit whenever I serve them to friends or family!

Judging by the fact that this is the first-ever quiche recipe posted in my last decade of blogging, one may think that I am not a fan of quiche.

That I don’t support quiche.

That I have something personal against quiche.

But that isn’t the case at all. I mean, I wouldn’t go so far as to say I crave it or dream about it, but the quiches I’ve had over my lifetime have all been pretty darn delicious (except for that one that just…wasn’t).

You really can’t go wrong with a buttery pie crust filled with a soft, creamy egg mixture, loaded with cheese and baked to perfection.

This mini quiche recipe takes all the valid merits of a good quiche and compacts the deliciousness into bite-size (or maybe three-bite) form.

My friend, Machele, shared this recipe with me after she and I made 75 of them to feed a group of dads at church one Sunday morning.

Have you heard the satirical saying that “real men don’t eat quiche?” Yeah, well, that silly theory was quickly debunked as these ham and cheese mini quiches were absolutely devoured by several dozen pretty real men.

The little quiches were gone even before these double chocolate muffins and these blueberry muffins.

AND, we had men and women (and a lot of teenage kids) raiding the church kitchen only to be disappointed that the quiches were long gone.

Don’t worry, there were plenty of muffins left for the hungry scavengers ditching Sunday School.

I’ve now made this mini quiche recipe many, many times. They are perfect for entertaining or a holiday breakfast!

But truthfully, you don’t need a special reason to make these. (Yes, I’m thinking of next Tuesday night when you’re going to be wanting a little breakfast-for-dinner action.)

I use a slightly altered variation of my favorite-ever pie crust recipe for these mini quiches (detailed below). But as I explain in the recipe notes, you can use your own tried-and-true pie crust or a storebought pie crust as long as you can cut 12 circles (about 2- to 3- inches) out of it.

You can also cut the circles bigger (assuming you have enough pie crust) so the crust comes all the way to the top of the muffin cups. I personally like the crust mostly just on the bottom and maybe a hint up the sides, but that’s just me and my rebel quiche ways.

I prefer baking in these USA muffin tins (nothing sticks to them EVER) but I also have a couple Farberware muffin tins, and they work pretty well, too. {affiliate links for the muffin tins}

A great brunch option, this mini quiche recipe is endlessly adaptable! I love the simple ham and cheese variety, but I have a feeling you’re going to come up with some pretty smashing variations.

One Year Ago: The Best Carrot Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Two Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Caramel Cookie Bars
Three Years Ago: Skillet Swedish Meatballs
Four Years Ago: Best Homemade Yellow Cake Recipe Ever
Five Years Ago: Hawaiian Fried Rice

Yield: 12 mini quiches

Mini Ham and Cheese Quiches

Total Time:1 hour 20 mins (includes time to chill the pie crust)

Prep Time:30 mins

Cook Time:18 mins

Ingredients:

Pie Crust:

• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 7 tablespoons (3.5 ounces) very cold butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
• 1/3 cup sour cream, chilled

Egg Mixture:

• 8 large eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch of black pepper (I use coarsely ground)
• 1 cup finely chopped ham (about 4 ounces)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
• Chopped green onions or chives, for garnish

Directions:

1. For the pie crust, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the butter into the dry ingredients. With a fork, toss the butter and flour mixture until the butter pieces are all evenly coated with flour. Don’t break down the butter pieces in this step, just lightly toss until they are coated with flour.
2. Add the sour cream. Using the same fork, mix the sour cream into the butter/flour mixture by pressing the fork down into the sour cream in order to mash the large clumps of sour cream into the flour and butter. After a few turns with the fork, it is easiest to use your hands to pull the dough together. It will look a bit shaggy, but as you press it together (quickly and firmly so the the butter pieces don’t melt), it should start to form a cohesive ball. If it still seems overly dry, add a tablespoon of ice water. It’s ok if there are still a few dry spots or cracks in the dough.
3. Press the mixture into a thick disc and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to several days.
4. Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured counter or on a pastry cloth/board to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut 12 circles (use a larger cookie cutter if you want the crust to go higher up the sides of the pan – there should be enough crust for slightly larger circles). Press each circle lightly into a lightly greased 12-cup muffin tin.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
6. For the egg mixture, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until well combined.
7. Divide the ham and cheese evenly among the muffin cups (can also sprinkle a few green onions or chives in right now if you want them baked into the quiches).
8. Spoon the egg mixture over the ham and cheese, filling about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with green onions or chives, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. I find it’s easiest to remove them from the muffin tin once they are mostly cooled; run a sharp knife around the edges before removing. 

Notes:

You can adapt the quiche fillings depending on your preference or what you have on hand. For instance, you can use cooked bacon or sausage instead of ham…or leave them meatless. You can also vary the cheese (Swiss, pepper jack…lots of options!). Try adding veggies, if desired! You can also try omitting the milk and using all heavy cream (1/2 cup total) for a richer version or omit the cream completely and use all milk (1/2 cup total) for a bit lighter version.

For the pie crust, you can sub in a favorite pie crust recipe of your own (although the pie crust included in this recipe is divine and easy to make), or you can use storebought pie crust – it just needs to be enough to cut out twelve 2-inch or slightly larger circles.

Make Ahead: The mini quiches can be made ahead of time, cooled and refrigerated. I like to reheat them in a 200 degree oven until just warm and then serve.

All images and text ©Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

Recipe Source: adapted from my a recipe my friend, Machele, gave me after we made it for a church activity and everyone went crazy ?

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