You know me and cooking. They generally don’t go together, at least not well.

Therefore when I pull something from the oven that turns out edible, even pleasantly so, I have to publish my success to the world to prove I really did it.

Today’s quest was to use some of the leftover Easter ham. I decided to make a quiche.

If the word “quiche” scares you off, don’t be alarmed. I always assumed quiches were difficult to make. This probably stems from the time as a teenager when I babysat a family of five kids whose mom–who ran a catering business–left me a recipe for quiche and expected me to make it for her kids’ dinner without ruining it. I wasn’t sure I even knew how to pronounce “quiche”, let alone how to make it. I prepared it, albeit with great anxiety, and when I served it to the kids I asked how I did. They said: “Not as good as my mom’s.” Aaaaand that was the last time I tried to make quiche.

I only post recipes here if they’re bona fide easy (i.e., I can make it). I used stuff I had on hand. Most quiche recipes call for cream or half and half. Without either, I substituted evaporated milk. It turned out fine, and probably tasted less heavy than it would have with cream. The original recipe didn’t call for onions, but I added them to enhance flavor. I used a lot of onion, so the flavor was strong, but you can adjust according to your preference.

CHEESY HAM QUICHE

Pastry for 9″ pie shell (I used pie crust mix and patted it [didn’t roll it out] into my pampered chef stone pie shell)
1/2 onion, diced (this is if you like onion flavor a lot; use less if you want the flavor more in the background)
2 tsp butter
1 c. diced cooked ham
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I used a mix of Colby jack and Swiss we had on hand, and I probably used more than a cup)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (I just sprinkled a little on)
4 eggs
1 c. half and half (I used a cup of evaporated milk)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika (I omitted this)
1 Tbsp dijon mustard

Line 9″ quiche dish or pie pan with pastry; trim excess pastry around edges. Bake 400 degrees for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and gently prick with fork. Bake 5 minutes longer. Let cool.

Put diced onion in microwaveable dish with 2 tsp. butter, cover, and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Place 1/2 of ham in pastry shell; top with 1/2 of onion and 1/2 of cheese. Repeat with ham, onion, and cheese and then sprinkle with nutmeg.

Beat eggs until foamy; stir in half and half (or evaporated milk) and mustard and seasonings. Pour slowly over cheese in pastry shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until firm.

———————————————————

I also made a cake over the weekend to bribe my 11-year-old primary kids at church to learn the names of the current twelve apostles. This cake is easy, very moist, and plenty sweet. It’s good if you like caramel and chocolate. It may be considered a simplified version of the Better Than Sex cake that involves the addition of whipped cream and chopped toffee bits. You could probably use any chocolate cake mix and frosting, but the ones specified are especially good because they have mini chocolate chips in them that make for a better overall taste and texture.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE FUDGE CARAMEL CAKE

Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge cake mix
Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge frosting
Caramel ice cream topping (I used Mrs. Richardson’s butterscotch caramel topping)

Prepare cake mix according to package directions for round double layer cake. Cool completely. Frost the top of one layer, then place second layer on top. Use handle of wooden spoon to punch holes in surface of cake layers, pushing all the way to the bottom. Heat jar of caramel topping until easy to work with. Pour desired amount over top of cake and into the holes. Finish frosting the top and sides of cake. If needed, put cake in freezer for 10-15 minutes to firm up caramel before frosting completely.