Vidalia Onion and Ham Quiche is a rich creamy quiche made with sweet onions and leftover ham.
Vidalia onion and ham quiche
Vidalia onions were developed in Georgia during the Depression because they grew well in the local sandy soil. At first the farmers didn’t know what to make of the unusually sweet onions, but for obvious reasons they soon became popular and have since gained cult status. France and Italy aren’t the only ones who have ‘terroir’ and fancy legal protection for their special foods. Vidalia onions were officially branded and trademarked in the 1980s and by law they can only be grown in certain parts of Georgia where the low sulfur soil produces their distinctive sweetness.
If you can’t find Vidalia onions, you will definitely find ‘unofficial’ varieties at your local store, just look for ‘sweet onions’. And there are other well known sweet onions besides Vidalias; the Walla Walla, from Washington, and Hawaiian Maui onions are just a couple that come to mind.
First up, the crust. This one is Martha’s and it makes 2 crusts, so freeze the other half for later. I like to use tart pans with removable bottoms for quiches, not only does the finished product look better, they make the cutting easier and somehow everything just tastes better out of a fancy pan.
I use the crust unbaked, but if you like a crisper crust you can blind bake it briefly before adding the filling.
Mascarpone cheese, heavy cream, and lots of farm fresh eggs make a rich filling. I just blend it up in my food processor for a super silky consistency.
There’s no need to pre-cook the onions, they’ll soften in the oven. I like to slice the ham in little ribbons, but chunks work too. When I don’t have leftover ham available I just purchase some from a deli counter.
This quiche has a creamy texture and a subtle flavor. The little ribbons of onion and ham give it an interesting texture. It’s dressed up comfort food, perfect for brunch, great as an appetizer with a glass of wine, or a light lunch or dinner.
we love quiche!
- Quiche Lorraine
- Eggs Benedict Quiche with Hollandaise Sauce
- Spinach and Artichoke Quiche
- Blue Ribbon Zucchini Pie
- Vidalia Onion Pie
Vidalia Onion and Ham Quiche
Equipment
- 7×11 'brownie' pan with removable bottom, or 9×9 tart pan with removeable bottom.
Ingredients
crust
quiche
- 2 Vidalia onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 lb Black Forest ham, sliced thin from the deli counter
- salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- fresh thyme leaves
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 8 oz container Marscapone cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream, half n half, or 1/2 milk, 1/2 cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
pie crust
- Put the flour salt and in a processor and pulse to combine.
- Add the pieces of butter and process until grainy.
- While pulsing, add in the ice water, starting with 1/4 cup, just until the dough comes together.
- Empty the bowl of the processor onto a sheet of plastic wrap and bring it together into a dough.
- Cut the amount in half, shape into disks, and wrap each disk in plastic.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours before rolling out one of the disks to fit your pie or tart pan.
- Put the tart pan back in the refrigerator to keep it cold while you make the quiche filling.
quiche
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large shallow pan and saute the onions until they are softened and translucent. Season with salt, pepper and thyme leaves.
- Layer all the ham slices on top of each other and roll the whole pile up tightly. Slice the roll into thin ribbons. I like to cut the ham this way so it gets incorporated throughout the quiche, and the thin ribbons complement the onion slices. Add to the onions and mix well.
- In the bowl of a food processor put the eggs, cream, Marscapone and Parmesan cheeses. Whirl until thoroughly blended.
- Distribute the onion and ham mixture evenly onto the dough in your quiche pan.
- Pour the custard mix evenly over the top. Use as much of the custard as necessary to fill but not overfill your pan.
- Bake for about 45-50 minutes until the quiche is browned and set and a toothpick comes out clean.
Best quiche ever!
๐ thanks!
Hi -what size tart pan do you recommend for best results with this recipe? Thank you!
A 9 or 10 inch tart pan should work well Martha. This is an older post and I used an odd sized pan in the photos, I think that’s an 8×12 pan.
Whatโs other cheese can I use beside marscapone?
You might try cream cheese.
Sue,
I do not have this type of tart form, will the recipe fit into a 10โ ceramic pie plate? Thx
You can, but with a large pan like that you may need to increase the filling by a little bit.
Could you make this ahead of time? Like the night before and bake in the am? Or would it be best to mix everything up and then pour the mixture into the pie crust in the a.m?
I would mix everything up the night before, and then fill and bake the next day. Alternatively you could make the quiche, cool it completely, wrap well, and freeze it fully cooked.
This appears to be the finest quiche I’ve ever ever ever seen! Can hardly wait to enjoy it with my family! All will be delighted (including me)! Thanks ever so much for this luscious recipe!
omg this looks so good. I always look for Vidalia substitutes, better than Spanish onions, but never quite as good. This quiche is bookmarked.
This looks amazing! Love your photos!
Your quiche looks fabulous! And your photos are beautiful!
This is a true “comfort me with onions” recipe. And I did not know much the Vidalia onion – so an especially fun read.