For some reason, up until recently I was never inspired to make a healthy quiche. It’s a dish I’ve loved for ages; I mean, what is there not to love? Creamy eggs baked in a buttery pie crust with whatever add-ins you’d like. Rich and indulgent, quiche – for me – was relegated to the category of food to enjoy every once in a blue moon instead of a homemade staple.
The turning point was when I came across this olive oil press-in quiche crust from Once Upon A Plate.
I subbed in whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose, and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to press the dough into a pie plate. No rolling out dough and painstakingly transferring it to a pie plate for this recipe, folks… just use your fingertips to press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides.
Easy peasy.
As for the filling, I winged the egg-milk ratio and ended up happy with the result (plus, it fit perfectly into my pie plate without overflowing). I tossed in some cubed ham and cheddar, but you could use any ingredients that float your boat.
The baked quiche will puff up in the oven, but the filling will deflate & settle after cooling for a few minutes.
Quiche is really quite versatile. You can serve it hot, at room temperature, or chilled… and leftovers are delicious. Quiche is perfect for breakfast (with a side of fresh fruit), lunch (with a green salad), or dinner (accompanied by salad & roasted potatoes) and is a great addition to any potluck get-together.
With this quiche, I think I successfully made a healthy & tasty version of the classically decadent dish. The whole wheat olive oil crust is much lighter than the typical butter-laden crust, and 1% milk takes the place of fattening cream or half-and-half.
All of the flavor and texture is still there, though! Crisp crust, creamy filling, sweet ham, and sharp cheddar… yum.
If you do decide to serve the quiche hot, the cheddar will be melty and gooey – which is tough to beat – but honestly, I prefer quiche at room temperature.
I could go for a slice right about now!
Ham & Cheddar Quiche
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Keywords: bake breakfast entree eggs cheese ham French
Ingredients (8 servings)
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large eggs, preferably organic
- 1 cup 1% milk, preferably organic
- 6 oz cubed thickly sliced cooked ham
- 4 oz cubed sharp cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add in the water and olive oil and stir just until combined. Lightly knead the dough in the bowl just until it comes together (don’t overwork the dough).
Press the dough into – and up the sides of – a 9 inch pie plate (in as even a layer as possible).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until well-combined. Season with salt & pepper and pour into the dough-lined pie plate. Make sure the egg mixture does not reach the very top of the pie plate. Scatter the diced ham and cheese evenly over the filling.
Bake quiche for 30-35 minutes or until set, lightly golden, and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving. I prefer quiche at room temperature, so I let mine sit on a wire cooling rack for about 1 hour.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
234.3 calories, 14.4 grams fat, 4.8 grams saturated fat, 2 grams fiber, 12.1 grams protein
