Savory Leek and Ham Quiche

Quiche is really easy to make but it takes almost an hour to cook.  Luckily it's one of those recipes that you can freeze and reheat later in the week.  Don't stay away from this recipe because of the leeks.  It's not a common ingredient but they add a nice mild onion flavor to dishes.  Plus I'll show you how to clean them properly so you don't end up with a sandy dinner!

This recipe came from the Kraft Foods website.  I didn't use the brand specific ingredients but you certainly can if you prefer.

Ingredients

•  1 Tbsp oil
• 3/4lbs leeks (about 3 medium), halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
• 1/2 cup chopped smoked ham
• 1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust
• 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half & half
  

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add leeks; cook and stir 8 to 10 min. or until tender. Stir in ham. Remove from heat; set aside. 

 

Prepare pie crust as directed on package for unfilled 1-crust pie using 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly onto bottom of crust. Top with leek mixture and remaining cheese. Beat eggs and half-and-half with wire whisk until well blended; pour over ingredients in crust. 

  Bake 35 to 40 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

How to Prepare Leeks

 Leeks are a member of the onion family but are much milder in flavor than regular onions.  In cooking, you want to use the white and light green part of the leek.  The roots and dark green leaves are discarded.

Cut off the top and bottom of the leek.  Then cut the leek half lengthwise.  You can see the dirt and sand trapped in between the layers.

Cut the leeks in the half moon shapes and soak in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes.  Make sure to break the layers apart and swish them around.  Scoop the leeks off the top of the water and you'll see all of the sand and dirt left at the bottom.

Recipe is from www.kraftrecipes.com 

Happy Cooking!

Jenny