The ultimate brunch recipe! Quiche with Smoked Ham, Roasted Peppers, and Goat Cheese is a show-stopping savory recipe perfect for a brunch gathering. This rich and creamy quiche is an elegant dish that will make your guests feel pampered.
Full of texture and flavor, this crowd-pleasing recipe is easy to pair with other brunch items to create a delicious menu. Add some crispy potatoes, fresh fruit, and a Strawberry Buttermilk Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel to make the morning feel special.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- The combination of flavors - smoky, sweet, and tangy - creates a ham and cheese quiche that is more elevated than the traditional Quiche Lorraine.
- Caramelized shallots add depth of savory flavor and are a sweet counter to the goat cheese.
- This is an easy recipe to pull together. Many of the components of this recipe can be prepared the day before. Finish the recipe in the morning and serve a homemade, warm quiche.
- This quiche recipe creates a very rich, creamy breakfast, perfect for special occasions. The lucious and velvety texture melts in your mouth.
Looking for some brunch suggestions? Here are a couple of recipes for a delicious breakfast - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/creamy-garlicky-green-shakshuka-recipe/https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/savory-breakfast-galette/
Ingredients
While you can use a store-bought crust for the quiche, I recommend making a homemade flaky crust. The flakiness and crunch in this pie crust recipe make the small amount of work worth it. https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/buttery-flaky-pie-dough/
Vegetables - bell peppers, shallots
Dairy - large eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, and goat cheese
Fresh Herbs - flat leaf parsley, thyme
Meat - smoked ham
How to Make Quiche From Scratch
Prepare a Pie Crust For the Quiche.
If you are preparing a homemade crust for the quiche, give yourself time to refrigerate it after rolling the dough. You will need time to parbake the crust whether you use a store-bought or homemade one.
Prep the Vegetables
It is important to precook the vegetables to remove some of their water. Too much water creates a soggy bottom crust.
- Roast the peppers - I roast peppers with a full flame on the stovetop. Place the peppers on the flame and rotate as they char and turn black.
- When the peppers are completely roasted, place them in a plastic bag for 5 - 7 minutes. This captures the steam which makes it easier to remove the peel.
- Once you have removed the blackened peel, remove the core and the seeds. Cut the pepper into strips.
- Cut the shallots - Peel and cut the shallots into ¼-inch slices.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a saute pan. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼-teaspoon of ground black pepper. Saute the shallots for 9-10 minutes until they are caramelized.
- Prepare fresh herbs - Pull the thyme leaves from their stem and mince the flat leaf parsley.
Make Quiche Custard
- Add 4 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks to a large bowl.
- Pour in the whole milk and the heavy cream. Whisk everything together until the eggs are completely incorporated.
- Add the prepared fresh herbs, kosher salt, and ground black pepper to the custard.
Assemble the Quiche
Place the pie dish on a sheet pan. This helps to catch any drips and to remove the quiche from the oven.
- Add half of each ingredient on the bottom of the pie shell. Pour the quiche filling into the shell.
- Add the remaining ingredients into the pie shell.
Place the sheet pan in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake the quiche for 55-60 minutes. It may have a slight jiggle in the center but the top of the creamy custard filling should be golden brown, dry to the touch, and set. Let the quiche cool for 25-30 minutes.
Common Mistakes
- Not parbaking the crust. There is the temptation to eliminate this step but the result is a quiche with a soggy crust.
- Let the quiche cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. There is carry over cooking allowing the custard to finish setting. If you slice the quiche straight out of the oven, it will fall apart.
- Precook the vegetables. The water in the vegetables will be released and will evaporate. Taking this step will help eliminate a soggy quiche.
- Overcooking the quiche will make the filling dry and the crust will be too dark.
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few ideas of side dishes, perfect to serve with the quiche.
- green salad - A salad made with your favorite greens and tossed with a vinaigrette is a great accompaniment. The acidic tang of a vinaigrette works well with the rich, creamy flavor of the quiche.
- crispy potatoes - Any breakfast or brunch meal is made better with crispy potatoes. Hash browns or potato wedges are a welcome addition.
- fresh fruit - Fresh fruit is a juicy and sweet side for quiche. Try pineapple, cantaloupe or honeydew melon.
Prepare the Quiche Ingredients Ahead of Time
If you want to make your life a little easier if you are serving the quiche for a breakfast or brunch, here are a couple a steps you can make ahead of time.
- Parbake, also known as blind bake, the crust the day before. This is a big time saver - the crust will be waiting for you not you waiting for the crust. Cover the crust with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Take it out 30 minutes before assembling the quiche so it is at room temperature.
- Prepare the vegetables up to a day before. Saute or roast the vegetables and when cool, cut them into ¼ inch slices. Store in an airtight container or a ziplock bag.
- You can mix the custard the night before. When you are ready to bake the quiche, whisk the egg mixture to ensure everything is fully incorporated. Store in a covered container or glass bowl.
When you are ready to bake the quiche, follow the steps to assemble the quiche. Place in the oven and in 55-60 minutes you will have a freshly baked homemade breakfast.
Family Favorite
If you are looking for a breakfast or brunch recipe that is a bit fancy, Quiche with Smoked Ham, Roasted Peppers, and Goat Cheese is the recipe for you. This homemade quiche is an indulgent addition to any holiday menu or weekend brunch.
With the creamiest filling and the flaky crust, this will become a family favorite. You will come back to this recipe again and again.
Recipe
Quiche with Smoked Ham, Roasted Peppers, and Goat Cheese
Equipment
- 1 food processor for homemade crust
- 1 Rolling Pin
- aluminum foil
- pie weights or dry beans
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- 1 tongs
- 1 Saute pan
- 1 large bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 9-inch pie dish, 2 inches deep
Ingredients
- 2 bell peppers, roasted & sliced (1 cup/6 ounces/171 grams)
- 5 shallots, sliced (1 cup/4 ounces/115 grams)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup smoked ham, sliced (3 ounces/88 grams)
- ½ cup goat cheese (3 ounces/86 grams)
- 6 large eggs (4 whole, 2 yolks)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1½ teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Prepare Pie Crust
- Prepare the recipe for Buttery Flaky Pie Dough - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/buttery-flaky-pie-dough/
- Prepare the pie dough the day before. The dough should be chilled before being rolled out. You can also blind bake the crust so it is ready in the morning to be filled with the quiche ingredients.
Prep Peppers and Shallots
- I roast red peppers over a high flame, generally on the stove top. Just keep rotating the pepper until the entire surface has been blackened. If you do not have a gas stove, the peppers can always be blackened under a broiler. Wrap the warm peppers in plastic wrap or place them in a ziplock bag. The residual heat from the roasting will create steam under the plastic
- Once the peppers have been in the plastic for 5 -7 minutes, you can easily remove the charred skin. Make sure to remove the seeds and the interior membranes. Slice the peppers into thin strips.
- While the peppers are roasting and resting, cut the shallots into ¼-inch slices. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a saute pan. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and season with ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼-teaspoon of ground black pepper. Saute the shallots for 9-10 minutes until they are caramelized.
Blind Bake the Pie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough to fit your pie dish. Make sure to dock the dough with a fork.
- Chill the prepared crust in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pie dish from the refrigerator. Line the dough with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Add pie weights or dried beans to the dish. You should have beans reach up to the top edge of the dough.
- Place the pie dish in the preheated oven. Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes. Remove the pie weights or beans as well as the foil or parchment paper. The top edges of the crust should be lightly golden. The bottom of the crust will be shiny from the butter in the dough.
- Put the pie dish back in the oven for approximately 5 minutes. The bottom crust should be lightly browned. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Make Quiche Custard
- Add the whole eggs and yolks to a medium bowl. Pour in the whole milk and the heavy cream. Whisk everything together until the eggs are fully incorporated.
- Add the fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
Assemble the Quiche
- Slice the ham into thin slices. Add ½ of the ham, roasted peppers, and shallots to the pie crust. Break the goat cheese into pieces and add half to the crust.
- Pour the custard into the pie dish. Add the remaining half of the ingredients to the top of the quiche.
- Place the pie dish on a sheet pan then put it in the oven.
- Bake the quiche for 55-60 minutes. There may be a little jiggle in the center of the quiche. However, the top will be browned and feel dry to the touch.
- Let the quiche cool for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Julie says
Great flavor combination.