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.

rolling out pie crust for Vidalia and ham quiche.

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!

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Vidalia Onion Pie

Vidalia Onion and Ham Quiche

3.65 from 31 votes

Vidalia Onion and Ham Quiche is perfect for brunch or a light dinner.

Print Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:50

chilling:2

Total Time:3 5

Servings: 8

Equipment

7×11 'brownie' pan with removable bottom, or 9×9 tart pan with removeable bottom.

Ingredients

crust

2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut in pieces
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup ice water, more if necessary

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.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American Southern

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: dinner, eggs, ham, leftovers, pantry, quiche

Nutrition

Calories: 454 kcal · Carbohydrates: 24 g · Protein: 14 g · Fat: 33 g · Saturated Fat: 18 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g · Trans Fat: 0.01 g · Cholesterol: 181 mg · Sodium: 619 mg · Potassium: 238 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 6 g · Vitamin A: 1087 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 155 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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3.65 from 31 votes (30 ratings without comment)