Buttery Pastry Quiche with Ham and Cheddar

There’s nothing quite as comforting as a golden, buttery quiche fresh from the oven. This easy ham and cheese quiche combines a crumbly homemade pastry with a rich, creamy mustard béchamel filling. It’s the kind of dish that feels special but comes together with simple pantry ingredients and very little fuss.

What makes this recipe different is the no-liquid butter pastry. You simply rub the butter into the flour and press the crumbly dough into your pie dish, with no rolling, no chilling for hours and no fiddly pastry skills required. The result is a short, tender crust that holds up beautifully under the cheesy, ham-packed filling.

Ready in about an hour and serving 6-8 people, this quiche is perfect for family lunches, weeknight dinners, picnics or leftovers the next day. It’s also a great way to use up cooked gammon ham, and the recipe is easy to double if you want to use a full 450 g pack and make two quiches at once.

Ingredients

Pastry

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• pinch cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 120 g butter

White sauce

• 2 tbsp cake flour

• 2 tbsp butter

• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup milk

Filling

• 230 g cooked ham
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 2 tsp chopped parsley
• 2 tsp mustard
• pinch of cayenne pepper

Method

1. Combine the pastry ingredients and press the butter-rich dough into a pie dish.
2. Make a thick béchamel sauce, stir through the ham, cheese, parsley, mustard and cayenne, then spoon into the pastry case.
3. Bake at 180°C for approximately 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
4. Rest briefly before slicing.

Kitchen Tip

Woolworths Gammon Ham (450 g pack) works perfectly for this recipe. Chop or grate approximately 230 g of the cooked ham for the filling. Serve with a simple green salad.

Creamy Ham and Cheese Quiche with Homemade Butter Pastry

Irene Muller

A comforting savoury ham and cheese quiche with a buttery, no-added-liquid pastry and a creamy mustard béchamel filling. Makes one large quiche for 6–8 people.

Kitchen tip: Use approximately 230 g of cooked Woolworths Gammon Ham. To use the whole 450 g pack, double all ingredients and make two quiches, or use a larger dish and adjust baking time.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  

Pastry

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 120 g butter

Béchamel / white sauce

• 2 tbsp cake flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup milk

Ham and cheese filling

• 230 g cooked ham chopped or grated
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 2 tsp fresh parsley chopped
• 2 tsp mustard of your choice
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper

Instructions

 

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Lightly grease a 22–24 cm pie dish.
  
• Make the pastry: combine cake flour, baking powder, sugar, cayenne and salt. Rub in the 120 g butter until the mixture comes together as a short, crumbly dough. Press it evenly over the base and up the sides of the pie dish. If it will not hold together, chill briefly before pressing; do not add liquid.
• Make the white sauce: melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-low heat. Stir in 2 tbsp flour and cook for 1 minute without browning. Gradually whisk in the milk, then add ¼ tsp salt. Stir until smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat.
• Fold the chopped cooked ham, grated cheese, parsley, mustard and pinch of cayenne into the béchamel sauce. Spoon the filling evenly into the prepared pastry case.
• Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the pastry edges are golden and the filling is hot and lightly coloured. If the pastry needs longer, bake for a few additional minutes. Rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing into 6–8 portions.