I remember the exact moment I first tasted quiche. I was 8 or 9 and attending a baby shower with my mom. Among the smorgasbord was a yellow and green pie(ish) dish, and I plopped a piece on my plate to try. When that spongy egg concoction hit my tongue, I almost spit it out. My eyes darted around the room to see if my mom was looking, fork still perched at my lips. I knew I would mortify my mother if I spit it out, and sure enough, her eyes were drilling right into me as if willing me to chew what was in my mouth. So I chewed and chewed and chewed that cold rubbery egg and spinach quiche until I couldn’t chew anymore and was forced to swallow the bite.

That was my first bite of quiche and I thought it would be my last. This week, I didn’t say anything about my quiche experience when Jon told me it was on the menu. After all, I’ve been known to simply decide I don’t like something (ahem, mushrooms) without any reasoning to back it up. Jon knows this and has systematically disproven all of my dislikes – red peppers, cilantro and broccoli among them. And now, we can add quiche because this crustless ham and swiss quiche is absolutely delightful. I know I overuse the word savory (it’s my favorite foodie descriptor), but this dish truly is a savory treat. Salty ham and cheese and fluffy eggs- it just couldn’t get any better, and because it’s crustless, it’s so easy. Mix, pour, bake and eat. That’s it.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons fine dry plain bread crumbs
• 1 cup frozen chopped onions
• 1 cup diced cooked ham (1/4 pound)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 (8-ounce) package shredded Swiss cheese (2 cups)
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle.

Butter quiche dish, then sprinkle all over with bread crumbs.

Cook onions with ham in butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 5 minutes. Spread in dish, then evenly sprinkle cheese on top.

Whisk together eggs, cream, milk, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pour over cheese. Bake until top is golden and custard is set in center, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into wedges.