3 Square Meals (+ Dessert) is one of my favorite themes at The Kitchn, but I am equally excited about this next month that's guaranteed to be packed with tips and recipes for warm weather entertaining. This week we are focusing on appetizers, but there's Easter to look forward to, as well. I figure I'd pack a double whammy: quiche is the quintessential spring dish, whether served as a nibble before the main event or as the shining star of a casual brunch.
Yesterday we showed you how to make a foolproof quiche, and I wanted to take it one step beyond and show you my favorite way to make quiche even better for a party. A few months back I spied a show stopper recipe in Martha Stewart for a quiche baked, in of all things, a sheet pan. I couldn't get the fabulous idea out of my head and just knew it would be perfect for all of my upcoming entertaining. I made some pretty drastic changes to the original recipe, but what came about is definitely worthy of feeding a discerning crowd.
Instead of a traditional roll-out pastry dough (which I've been known to butcher a time or two) I attempted a quick and easy shortbread crust, minus the sugar. It's so simple in fact, that all you have to do is pat it directly into the pan. Hallelujah! I was nervous of the outcome at first, but it in the end it worked like a charm, yielding flaky goodness almost as light as air.
I wanted to use produce in the filling that really showcases the season; I can't think of two better examples of spring in the South than sweet Vidalia onions and salty country ham. For the custard, I tripled (!!) my favorite tart recipe. It includes a tip I learned from Thomas Keller: the batter gets a whirl in the blender to create lots and lots of bubbles, which help suspend the filling ingredients instead of letting them sink to the bottom. Oh, he's a clever one, that man.
I'm excited to say that everything came together to create a sublime quiche—a beyond buttery crust, a creamy custard, and flavor bursts of onion and ham. It definitely feeds a crowd, so make sure you have some hungry mouths to feed.

Country Ham and Onion Quiche
Serves 12
For the crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/2 cups (2 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
For the filling
Olive oil, to taste
1 cup chopped sweet onion, preferably Vidalia (about 1 large)
1 cup chopped country ham (or cooked bacon or pancetta)
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon kosher salt
White pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F.
For the crust, add the flour, Parmesan, butter, salt, and cayenne to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Pulse until the mixture just starts to resemble coarse cornmeal; there should still be some visible pieces of butter. Gently pat the mixture evenly into the bottom (but not up the sides) of a 12-inch x 18-inch half sheet pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, then bake until pale golden in color, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while making the filling.
For the filling, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle the onions, ham, and Gruyere evenly over the baked crust.
Add cream, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper in a blender and mix until frothy. Remove and discard any foam from the top. Pour the custard evenly over the onion-ham-cheese mixture, directly into the crust.
Bake the quiche until the custard is set, about 33 to 38 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for a minimum of 15 minutes, or wait to serve at room temperature (Thomas Keller serves his chilled). Cut into 12 large rectangles or small squares; serve with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with sprig of Italian parsley for color.

Related: Make-Ahead Recipe: Crustless Mini-Quiches
(Images: Nealey Dozier)
Kart Serving Tray b...

Comments (3)
This looks great! Someone in our family is gluten sensitive. Can you recommend a flour blend or type of gluten free flour that would work best with this crust? Also can it be made with egg substitute for the cholesterol watchers? Thanks for your creative ideas!
Delicious recipe! I had a few challenges with mine, mostly my own doing I think. I should have pressed the crust a little more into the pan. It came out cracked after the first baking, I layered the cheese on first to help prevent the egg from seeping through but alas it still did. I used 8 enormous eggs and it was way too much. Our chickens must lay larger than normal eggs but I haven't used store bought for so long I forget I guess. The last thing is mine was in the oven for 26 minutes and it could have come out a little sooner so it looked like yours in the picture. Thank you for sharing, I am sure it will be a hit this afternoon at the graduation! : )
Is there no liquid in the crust? How does it stay together?