Crustless ham and cheese quiche with leeks
This crustless ham and cheese quiche with leeks comes together quickly and is perfect for any meal of the day! You won’t miss the crust or the carbs, less work, and fewer calories! While you can switch up the add-ins to quiche the combination of ham, gruyere, and leeks is melt in your mouth delicious!
This recipe is my favorite way to use up leftover ham from lunch meat, holiday ham, or ham steak. It is versatile, you can change out the ham for bacon or sausage, the cheese for any of your favorites, and the leeks for other types of onion! It is the best way to clean out the fridge at the end of the week, add in cut-up potatoes, tomatoes, spinach, you name it! And, it is so much easier to make without the crust…and dare I say tastes better!
If you are making this for brunch you could also add banana nutella muffins or almond flour banana muffins to the spread.
What goes in this crustless quiche
- Heavy Cream and Milk – The best-tasting quiche uses a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. It provides the perfect consistency and texture with the eggs.
- Eggs – Eggs hold it all together.
- Cornstarch – we used cornstarch to help firm up the mixture due to the moisture from the leeks.
- Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg and Cayenne– adds flavor but depending on your add-in you will need to watch the salt, since meats like ham and bacon are already salty. The pinch of cayenne boosts the flavor but does not over spice.
- Leeks – are a member of the onion family and are described as mild onion that is slightly sweet. If you have never tried leeks before, you are in for a treat. Also, here is tutorial on how to clean and cut leeks.
- Butter- unsalted butter is used to sauté the leeks.
- Gruyère cheese – It is one of my favorite cheeses! Gruyère is a traditional Swiss cheese that was originally made in the town of Gruyères in Switzerland. Feel free to switch it out to your favorite cheese, cheddar, goat cheese and feta are all awesome!
- Ham – Adds salt and texture. The ham pictured is leftover from a store bought ham steak. I have also used up leftover lunchmeat ham.
Overview: How to Make Quiche
- Prepare Add-Ins – This includes cooking meats and vegetables, shredding cheese, etc.
- Combine Eggs & Milk/Cream – Whisk together. Fold in add-ins or layer in baking dish.
- Bake – Pour filling into crust and bake until set, 40-45 minutes.
Let it cool a bit, slice and serve.
Directions
Melt the butter a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the leeks and saute utnil the soften about 8-10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat cool and reserve.
Make a slurry. Take 1/4 cup of the milk or cream and whisk in the cornstarch. This prevents the cornstarch from getting lumpy in the mix.
Whisk the cream, milk, cornstarch slurry, salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Scatter leeks on the bottom of a greased 9-inch pie plate. Top with cheese and ham.
Pour the custard mixture over the top and place in the oven.
Bake until the center is set and is golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Cook on a wire rack. Serve warm.
Add-Ins
Most quiche add-ins should be pre-cooked to remove the moisture. This will help to not have a soupy quiche. After sautéing the spinach, I like to squeeze the water out a bit prior to adding it to the quiche. Stick to 1/2 – 1 cup cheese (use 1/2 cup for stronger cheeses like goat and feta) and up to 2 cups vegetables and/or meat. These are some of my favorite add-ins.
- cheddar cheese
- pepper jack cheese
- monterey jack cheese
- goat cheese
- feta cheese
- bacon
- chorizo
- sautéed onions
- sautéed mushrooms
- sautéed spinach
- red or green peppers
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate quiche in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in an oven-safe dish at 350 degrees F or gently in the microwave.
- To Freeze. To freeze, cool baked quiche completely, then cover tightly with a couple sheets of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter, then bake at 350°F (177°C) for 20-25 minutes.
- To make ahead: You can also fully assemble the unbaked quiche as directed up to 1 day in advance. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then bake as directed.
Crustless ham and cheese quiche with leeks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 leeks white and light green parts split in halve and sliced thin
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt separated
- ¼ cracked black pepper
- ⅛ tsp of cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 1 cup diced ham
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or coat with butter.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the leeks and sprinkle them with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté leeks until they soften for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together ¼ cup of the whole milk with 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch until incorporated.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk the cream, remainder of the milk, the cornstarch slurry, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, and eggs.
- Scatter the leeks on the bottom of a 9-inch greased pie plate. Top with cheese and ham. Pour the custard over the top and place it in the oven.
- Bake until the center is set and is golden brown, 40-45 mins.
- Let rest on wire rack for 10 minutes and serve warm.
So light and delicious. This will be your new weekend breakfast favorite!