With its combination of smoky ham, nutty Gruyere cheese and creamy egg custard, Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine is a savory pie that introduces the classic French dish to your repertoire.
A classic dish that adds a level of elegance to any dinner table. Making it extra special I love starting with my Crisco Pie Crust. The flaky, buttery crust is the perfect combination for the creamy interior.
What is Quiche Lorraine?
Quiche Lorraine is a classic French dish that made its way to North America in the 1950’s. It is truly the introduction that the Americas needed to open their eyes to the joy of French cooking. There are many variations of the dish that are all delicious, but our spinach and ham option is one of our favorites.
Jump to:
- What is Quiche Lorraine?
- Why You Will Love This Quiche Lorraine with Gruyere Cheese
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine
- More Recipes You Will Love
- How to Store This Quiche Lorraine with Gruyere Cheese
- What to Serve with Quiche Lorraine
- Top Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions About Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine
- More Recipes You Will Love
- Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine Recipe
This Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine pairs well with our Maple Brussel Sprouts recipe. You may also like our Spinach and Bacon Quiche.
Why You Will Love This Quiche Lorraine with Gruyere Cheese
- Easy: Especially if paired with a premade pie crust this recipe is that much more simple to make.
- Flavourful: The creamy, nutty cheese flavor pairs well with a smoky ham.
- Versatile: There are many ways to mix up this recipe and still have a wonderful outcome. We love quiche because it can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.
- Impressive: Your friends and family will be pleasantly surprised.
- Tradition: Nothing flexes your cooking skills better than a French classic.
Ingredients
Just a quick trip to the grocery store to grab some of the essentials for this Quiche Lorraine with Gruyere cheese.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Pie crust: We use our homemade pie crust, but store bought will suffice.
- Ham (precooked): A heart meat, that is savoury and rich.
- Spinach: Adding greens is a beautiful way to increase flavor.
- Olive Oil: Any light to neutral oil to start the onions works well.
- Yellow Onion: A mild onion flavor to add earthy sweeten to the quiche.
- Eggs: This is the base for a rich custard to envelope all the other ingredients.
- Heavy Cream: This adds richness to your filling.
- Gruyere Cheese: A warm and nutty cheese that will adds balance to the creamy filling.
- Sea Salt: A subtle flavor enhancer to step up the entire dish.
For this recipe, you'll want to have on hand a 9-in pie dish, rolling pin (if you are using a homemade crust), parchment paper and pie weights, small pan, spatula, medium mixing bowl, cheese grater and measuring cups and spoons.
Substitutions and Variations
Love this recipe but want to make it your own? Here are some helpful ideas for you to change this spinach ham quiche Lorraine.
- Bacon: A traditionally French Quiche Lorraine is usually made with smoky bacon (or ham).
- Herbs: Fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley or sage are all great options.
- Cheeses: Many other cheese varieties would pair nicely with these ingredients: Swiss, feta, mozzarella, Emmental, or cheddar.
- Ground Pepper: For a hint of spice.
How to Make Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine
Surprisingly, this impressive dish only requires about 15 minutes to prep. Give yourself a little grace when chopping the ingredients and before you know it you will be serving a remarkable quiche that is full of delicious flavors.
Preheat oven to 425F. If using our homemade pie crust, lightly flour a surface and roll dough out ⅛” thick, and lay the dough into a 9-inch pie dish leaving about ¾” overhang (check out our Crisco Pie Crust recipe), fold the overhang so the pie edge stands up, then crimp the edges. Add parchment paper, pie weights and pre-bake for 5-10 minutes. If using store-bought, thaw pie crusts based on package instructions, and pre-bake the same way.
Reduce oven temperature to 325F.
Heat a small pan over medium heat then add olive oil and cook onion for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, and sea salt until combined, then set aside.
Spread onion evenly on the bottom of the pie crust, then layer the rest of the quiche. Add half the cheese, ham, spinach on top of the onion, then pour the egg mixture over, and layer the remaining half of cheese, ham and spinach. If needed, get a fork and lightly press down the ingredients so they are mostly under the egg mixture.
Bake at 325F for about 45 minutes. The center should be set and lightly golden.
Hint: As the pie cools the fats will redistribute allowing the custard to set up before slicing. Failure to let cool can result in a running filling.
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How to Store This Quiche Lorraine with Gruyere Cheese
This dish is great served fresh, but leftovers are certainly incredible too.
- Refrigerator: Once cooled, place in an airtight container and store for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze the pie after assembly, prior to baking. Alternatively, you can also freeze it after it is baked. You will want to wrap the fully cooled pie in plastic wrap and foil..
- Reheating: Bring your refrigerated pie to room temperature and reheat in the oven at a low temperature to warm before serving. You can reheat individual slices in the microwave at medium power.
- Make Ahead: You can prep some items in advance. Freshly grated cheese and veggies can be prepped up to 3 days in advance. If you use our Crisco Pie Crust you can see exactly how to prep your crust in advance too.
What to Serve with Quiche Lorraine
This pie certainly can be served as a meal itself.
- Coffee or Tea: If serving this as a lunch or brunch item, a coffee or tea is a given. Try our Caramel Mocha Coffee.
- Side Salad: A light vinaigrette on a fresh green bed of lettuce and arugula salad.
- Fruit Salad: While the quiche is baking take the opportunity to prep a fresh bowl of mixed fruits.
- Roasted or Sautéed Brussels Sprouts: Add an earthy taste to complement the tart. Try our Maple Brussel Sprouts recipe.
- French Baguette: Crusty bread or a fresh baguette.
Top Tips
We highly recommend not skipping your crust pre-bake on this recipe. When using pie crusts with very liquid-filled fillings, it is essential in preventing a soggy crust.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine
Do you have questions about Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine? Here are some helpful questions and answers.
You can. You can freeze the pie after assembly, prior to baking. Alternatively, you can also freeze it after it is baked. You will want to wrap the fully cooled pie in plastic wrap and foil.
Quiche Lorraine is traditionally made with an egg custard, cheese, and bacon or ham. Conversely, quiche Florentine is made with an egg custard, cheese, and spinach.
Thaw a frozen quiche by allowing it to sit in the fridge overnight. Preheat oven to 350F and cook for 20-25 minutes.
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Spinach Ham Quiche Lorraine Recipe
Equipment
- 9-in Pie Dish
- Rolling Pin
- Small Saucepan
- Spatula
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Cheese Grater
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
- 1 9- inch pie crust
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion minced
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 100 grams Gruyere cheese shredded
- 1 cup ham diced small
- 1 cup spinach stems removed and finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. If using our homemade pie crust, lightly flour a surface and roll dough out ⅛” thick, and lay the dough into a 9-inch pie dish leaving about ¾” overhang (check out our Homemade Pie Crust recipe here), fold the overhang so the pie edge stands up, then crimp the edges. Add parchment paper, pie weights and pre-bake for 5-10 minutes. If using store-bought, thaw pie crusts based on package instructions, and pre-bake the same way.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325F.
- Heat a small pan over medium heat then add olive oil and cook onion for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, and sea salt until combined, then set aside,
- Spread onion evenly on the bottom of the pie crust, then layer the rest of the quiche. Add half the cheese, ham, spinach on top of the onion, then pour the egg mixture over, and layer the remaining half of cheese, ham and spinach. If needed, get a fork and lightly press down the ingredients so they are mostly under the egg mixture.
- Bake at 325F for about 45 minutes. The center should be set and lightly golden.
Notes
- Pre-baking your crust for 5-10 minutes is crucial for avoiding a soggy texture.
- Quiche Lorraine is traditionally made with Gruyere cheese, but cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Swiss are all delicious options.
- Fresh herbs like thyme, parsley, and chives can be added to enhance flavor, as well as a pinch nutmeg or Dijon mustard.
- Let your quiche cool for at least 15 minutes before serving, to allow it to set for easier slicing.
Nutrition
We would be so grateful for you to leave us a rating and review on any recipes you try. If you make any alterations, let us know how they turned out.
Eva Filer says
Quiche is probably one of my favorite recipes to have leftover in the fridge. You can eat it any time of day, and it is so versatile in how you make it. This recipe packs a lot of flavor with the salty ham and decadent cheese!
Lisa says
So delicious and easy to make! Definitely on my favourites list now!
Eva Filer says
That is great to hear Lisa, thanks for letting us know you enjoyed it!