Gran’s Incredible Ham and Cheese Quiche

Jump to Printable Recipe

Jump to Picture Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Where I make a small commission on purchased items, at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure for details.

(This post has been updated from the original January 2014 version to provide a better experience for you)

Gran’s ham and cheese quiche recipe is the stuff of legends! Packed full of flavour, easy to make and no blind baking required! It honestly couldn’t be easier to create a ham and cheese quiche in your very own kitchen.

For as long as I can remember my Gran has spoilt us with delicious, homemade treats. It’s amazing what this lady can do with a few, simple ingredients! By a country mile, one of her greatest and most renowned bakes has to be this ham and cheese quiche.

Any time there is a family get together there are actually queues outside the door and, sometimes, even fights over it. It’s that good! It doesn’t matter what anyone else makes, the quiche will be gone first. It’s a guarantee and for good reason! (Although my Mum’s caprese salad recipe comes pretty darn close!)

It’s the same with her amazing cheese scones recipe and pickled beetroot too! If you want to know how to pickle beetroot yourself, you should definitely check out her recipe!

As my Gran is so completely wonderful, she allowed me to invade her kitchen and commandeer the recipe for you lovely lot. Aren’t you lucky?!

If you feel a little daunted by tackling this ham and cheese quiche recipe, you might like to work through baking for beginners first. It’ll really boost your confidence!

What cheese is best in quiche?

Gran says to use a strong cheese for the best flavour. A good mature cheddar or strong Red Leicester works well, but her top recommendation is Grandma Singletons.

This applies to all quiches to be honest, even broccoli quiche!

Can you make quiche the night before?

You can absolutely my quiche the night before! All you need to do is allow it to cool completely then cover in foil and refrigerate until needed.

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream for quiche?

Gran uses milk as her first port of call anyway and it’s always turns out beautifully! So long as you have a good egg to milk ratio (like in my Gran’s recipe) it should turn out fine. No cream needed.

What you need to know

Here’s where I’m going to share all of my Gran’s wisdom with you so you can make her quiche perfectly first time.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you need to know about the ingredients.

Pastry

• Flour – Gran uses self raising flour believe it or not. I thought it was odd too but go with it – I promise it works! Don’t have any in? See how to make self raising flour.
• Trex – Instead of butter, Gran swears by using vegetable fat in the form of Trex. (Shortening in the US.)
• Salt – Never skip adding the salt, it’s important for the overall flavour.
• Water – Tap water is fine! No need to buy anything special here.

Filling

• Mustard Powder – This is great for flavour but also creates a little barrier between the unbaked pastry and the filling. Do not substitute this for regular mustard, it needs to be powdered.
• Ham – You can use any ham you like. Tinned ham, sliced wafer thin ham, end cuts… all will work great.
• Cheese – Use a strong cheese for the best flavour. Grandma singletons is best but a mature cheddar or strong Red Leicester will work too.
• Eggs – Gran uses large eggs but whatever size you have should be fine as you’ll top it up with milk anyway.
• Milk – Full fat gives a richer flavour but semi skimmed would also work great.
• Salt and Pepper – Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper are preferred but any type will do! Just don’t leave it out.

How to make Gran’s ham and cheese quiche – recipe summary

Pastry

1. Rub flour, Trex and salt together into fine crumbs, then add water and mix until it forms a dough.
2. Roll out then press into a dish.
3. Trim the excess and chill until needed.

Filling

1. Rub mustard powder over the bottom of the pastry case.
2. Spread out the ham then top with the grated cheese.
3. Beat 3 eggs in a jug and top up to 250ml with milk.
4. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the cheese.
5. Bake for 30-40 mins.

Recipe tips

Here are some wise words from Gran that should guarantee your ham and cheese quiche success!

• Don’t waste money buying expensive ingredients, use up what you have. Particularly with the ham – any type will work. Tinned, end cuts or even wafer thin slices. You could even switch it out for cooked bacon.
• Again, use what you have in when it comes to the cheese too. Although Grandma Singletons cheese is Gran’s favourite!
• Chill the pastry case while you’re getting the filling ingredients ready to prevent shrinkage.
• Don’t forget to add the layer of mustard powder! It not only tastes great but creates a barrier between the unbaked pastry and quiche filling.
• Use a pastry blender (affiliate link) to make quick work of rubbing the pastry ingredients together.

Gran’s Incredible Ham and Cheese Quiche – Step by Step Picture Recipe

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

Here is what you will need to serve 8.

Pastry

• 110g (3/4 Cup + 1/8 Cup) Self Raising Flour
• 55g (1/4 Cup) Trex/Vegetable Shortening
• Generous pinch of Salt
• Cold Water

Filling

• 200g (7 oz) Ham, roughly chopped
• 140g (1 + 2/3 Cup) Strong Cheddar Cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
• 3 Free Range Eggs
• 50ml (1/4 Cup) Milk (approx)
• Salt & Pepper

Essential equipment

• 8″/20cm Round Baking Dish
• Mixing Bowl
• Pastry Blender (affiliate link) *
• Flat Knife
• Rolling Pin
• Measuring Jug

*not essential but very handy!

Pastry instructions

Gran says the first thing you need to do is get a cuppa and a biscuit. Apparently it’s mandatory. (I’m not going to argue!)

Preheat your oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/428ºF. Grease and flour the base and sides of your dish.

In a large mixing bowl, measure out the flour (110g | 3/4 Cup + 1/8 Cup) and the Trex (55g | 1/4 Cup) then add the salt (generous pinch).

Using a knife, roughly cut until the Trex is smaller in size. If you have a pastry whisk – in a light, sweeping motion, whisk until ‘breadcrumbs’ are formed. Alternatively, use your forefingers and thumbs to lightly rub together until the same result is achieved.

Using a splash of cold water at a time, add into the centre of the bowl and mix with a flat knife. Continue to add a little at a time until it just comes together. Press into a ball ready to roll out.

Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll out the pastry to about 3mm thick or until larger than the base and sides of your dish.

Carefully lift the pastry over the dish and lightly press into the edges.

Cut the excess pastry off on the outside edge of the ‘lip’. This will help prevent the pastry shrinking as much when you bake it later. Pop the dish into the fridge whilst you prepare the filling ingredients. (Keeping the pastry cold will help reduce shrinking.)

Filling instructions

Chop up your ham (200g | 7 oz) into chunks and grate the cheese (140g | 1 + 2/3 Cup) if you haven’t already.

Here comes Gran’s twist on the classic – spread mustard powder (1/2 tsp) evenly all over the base. Trust me, I’m a granddaughter. Do it.

Now top it with all that ham…

And the cheese…

Then in a jug, beat together the eggs (x 3) and top it up to 250ml/1 Cup with milk. (It should be approx 50ml | 1/4 Cup but don’t worry if it’s a little more or less.) Season well with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the quiche.

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30-40 minutes until a deep golden colour on top.

What happened next…

Now my Gran is from a waste not want not generation, living through war rations and everything. While I was busy snapping pics of her beautiful quiche, she was in the kitchen using up those leftover bits of pastry.

You know, those little scraps that we all just throw away? Yep! She only went and made some custard tarts for pudding!

I love this lady so much. Seriously Gran, you are an absolute legend, and now everyone can experience a little taste of your awesomeness with this beautiful ham and cheese quiche recipe. Thank you!

Other recipes you might like…

• Gran’s epic cheese scones recipe
• Vegetarian mince and onion pie

Have you made this recipe?

Have you made Gran’s incredible ham and cheese quiche? I’d love to know if you have! Send me your pics, comments and questions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.

Loved this recipe? Pin it!

Continue to Content

Gran's Ham and Cheese Quiche - Printable Recipe

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Gran's ham and cheese quiche recipe is the stuff of legends! Packed full of flavour, easy to make and no blind baking required! It honestly couldn't be easier to create your own.

Print

Ingredients

• 110g (3/4 Cup + 1/8 Cup) Self Raising Flour
• 55g (1/4 Cup) Trex/Vegetable Shortening
• Generous pinch of Salt
• Cold Water

For the filling

• 1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
• 200g (7 oz) Ham, roughly chopped
• 140g (1 + 2/3 Cup) Strong Cheddar Cheese, grated
• 3 Free Range Eggs
• 50ml (1/4 Cup) Milk (approx)
• Salt & Pepper

Essential equipment

• 8″/20cm Round Baking Dish
• Mixing Bowl
• Pastry Blender *
• Flat Knife
• Rolling Pin
• Measuring Jug

Instructions

For the pastry

1. Lightly grease and flour your baking dish and preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/428ºF. Rub together the flour, Trex and salt in a mixing bowl until it forms crumbs. (Using a pastry blender will make this easier.)
2. Add 1 tsp of cold water at a time and mix with a flat knife until it comes together into a dough.
3. Roll out to 3mm with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.
4. Carefully lift into your dish and press into the edges.
5. Trim the excess pastry off on the outside edge of the dish (this will help avoid too much shrinking) and chill until needed.

For the filling

1. Spread the mustard powder evenly over the base of the pastry case.
2. Put the ham in and spread out evenly.
3. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top.
4. Beat the eggs in a jug and top up to 250ml (1 cup) with milk. Season with salt and pepper then pour it evenly over the quiche.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 mins until cooked through and a deep golden colour.

Notes

* Not essential but very handy.

See 'Recipe Tips' section in main post for lots of Gran's helpful tips!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

• 
  Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowl Set 3 Piece

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 606mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 14g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

Did you make this recipe?

I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a comment on the blog or tag me on Instagram.