Post-Christmas Day Ham and Cheese Quiche

This recipe was created in collaboration with Midwest Dairy. I was compensated for my time, but the content and opinions included are my own. 

Wondering how you’re going to use up all that leftover ham from Christmas?? I think some people use it in black eyed peas for New Years (correct me if I’m wrong??), but I’ve got a better idea. A quiche! And not just any quiche, but a quiche filled with caramelized onions, savory sweet potatoes, and sharp cheese. (Oh, and don’t forget about that flakey, buttery crust).

Now, I’m a little confused about the difference between Thanksgiving food and Christmas food. Because with my family, we always have turkey with “all the sides” at Thanksgiving, but then we have turkey or ham with “all the sides” again at Christmas. Are the same foods traditional for both? Or is ham just an Easter food? Please set me straight and help me to understand here. My assumption for this recipe is that there WILL be ham served on Christmas day. But if not, just go out and buy a small package of ham for this recipe. And also grab a pre-made crust. Sure homemade crusts are delicious, BUT SO ARE PRE-MADE CRUSTS and they are so much easier. Do yourself a favor and simplify. There’s enough to think about with this holiday season.

I also recommend buying a variety of cheeses while you’re getting the ingredients for this. Not because it calls for a million different cheeses, but because your fridge is never well-stocked without cheeses for various situations. 😉 I used a sharp white cheddar for this quiche, but I think a hard, aged gouda would pair REALLY nicely as well. I attended an online “Cheeseboard chat” earlier this month with Midwest Dairy and they sent a variety of cheese for a cheese board tasting and sustainable nutrition discussion. They sent me an aged gouda with it and I’ve been pairing it with lots of various egg dishes or pasta and it’s simply delicious. Here are a few takeaways I had from the virtual chat with ACTUAL dairy farmers:

In making this recipe, I learned a few tips and tricks for baking pie crusts. I make quiches pretty regularly (we have an egg-based dish for dinner every week), but have never put in the time to learn how to properly bake a crust. Without fail, the crust sides would always fall down and fold on top of the center. I discovered that to avoid that, you can just put parchment paper and dried beans on top to help it stay in place and not “shrink”. I found this video helpful for learning various techniques for styling the crust. And I also learned that it’s super important to let the dough warm up enough to spread out without cracking or breaking. But regardless, you ultimately don’t need it to look pretty—just taste delicious. So even if you have a pie crust fiasco, rest assured you’ll still enjoy the final product.

A few other notes—I know cottage cheese is a strange ingredient, but I find that it increases the cheesy flavor and helps with the texture (a spongey quiche is not what we’re looking for here). It’s totally optional, but I always put it in my quiches. Also, I find it’s easier to distribute the fillings more equally if you put them into your crust and then pour the egg/milk mixture on top. There’s no right or wrong with that, but I just find it is easier to ensure equal distribution. ☺️ And lastly, I know quiches take awhile to prep and cook. My recommendation is to prep the ingredients the night before, that way all you have to do is put your filling in and bake!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Have a Happy Holidays!

Yield: 4-5

Author: Ashley Smith, RD

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Post Christmas Ham and Cheese Quiche

Wondering how you’re going to use up all that leftover ham from Christmas?? I've got an idea. A quiche! And not just any quiche, but a quiche filled with caramelized onions, savory sweet potatoes, and sharp cheese. (Oh, and don’t forget about that flakey, buttery crust).

Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Ingredients

• Pre-made pie crust
• 1 cup sweet potatoes, 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 onion
• 1/2-3/4 cup ham, chopped
• 5 eggs
• 3/4-1 cup cheese, shredded (I used a sharp white cheddar)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup cottage cheese
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 and take your crust out of the fridge.
2. Thinly slice your onion and chop your sweet potatoes into medium bite sized pieces (1/2 inch cubes).
3. Spray your pie pan with non-stick spray and roll out your crust into the dish. If you are having difficulty unrolling it, give it a few more minutes to come to room temperature. Shape the edges of the dough according to your preference (see video above). Poke bottom of the crust with a fork. Place a piece of parchment paper and dried beans on top (or pie weights) and bake for 12-14 minutes. Take out parchment paper and beans and bake again for another 2 minutes.
4. While crust is baking, heat a pan to medium-low heat and add olive oil and thinly sliced onion. Cook, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until onions are soft and caramelized. You may need to add 1 Tbsp water periodically to keep the onions from sticking or burning.
5. In another pan, heat oil to medium and add cubed sweet potato along with garlic powder and onion powder. Cook until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. Again, you may need to add water to prevent burning or sticking.
6. Once crust and vegetables are cooked. Add vegetables, ham, and cheese to the crust. Scramble the eggs in a separate bowl and add the chopped rosemary and cottage cheese. Pour over the quiche filling and slightly move the pieces around to make sure the egg gets to the bottom. Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes (or until set).

Chewy Chocolate Protein Balls

Anyone else here in big need of snack ideas?? 🙋‍♀️ With breastfeeding Harlow, I’m extra hungry, causing me to need more food more frequently. And if I’m honest, I get tired of eating the same things over and over. There are times that I’ll walk into the kitchen to get something to eat and think “I’m SO hungry, but what do I eat that I haven’t already eaten at least once today?” 🤪I need something filling, satisfying, and easy that also leaves my body feeling good. That’s where these chewy chocolate protein balls come in. Think cold, chewy no-bake cookie. They’re the perfect combination with plenty of protein, carbs, and fat as well as fiber from the oats, chia seeds, and banana. I’ll make up a batch, throw them in the freezer and then grab a few for a delicious and filling snack.

This Christmas season, Isaac and I decided to make various traditional Christmas foods at our house. So I’ll be munching on homemade snack mix (I finally found Bugles at the store. Who knew they were so hard to track down?!), sausage balls, and crackers and cheese over the next few weeks. If you have any current favorite snack ideas, comment below. I’d love to hear what you’re munching on.

Hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Author: Ashley Smith, RD

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Chewy chocolate protein balls

Dense and chewy, these chocolate peanut butter oat protein balls are the perfect combo to provide protein, carbs, and fat in a convenient and delicious way!

Prep time: 15 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup collagen peptides
• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use peanuts and almonds)

Instructions

1. Stir together the peanut butter, honey, chia seeds, and mashed banana.
2. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir until combined. Form into balls (or use a small cookie scoop), and freeze on a baking sheet with parchment paper for an hour. Transfer to a container or freezer bag. 
3. I recommend eating straight from the freezer!!

Black bean, sweet potato, and quinoa power bowl

Hello hello! I’m about to make your lunch meal prep or meatless Monday dinner a LOT more exciting. I can’t get over the amazing combinations of flavors in this meal. Inheritance is currently my favorite coffee spot, and occasionally I stop to get lunch and work. I have to be honest—I’m not usually prone to meatless meals. I typically just find them to be unsatisfying or unfilling. But I tried their black bean grain bowl and it changed my mind! So so good and really filling and satisfying. I decided I needed to make it at home for dinner, and BOY DID I DELIVER!! Not trying to toot my own horn, just really excited about how delicious this meal is. 🤪

It’s got a lot of different components, but each one adds a different element—crunch, saltiness, sweetness, acidity, etc. So although it takes some time prepping all the ingredients, the result is totally worth it. And it could easily be doubled for lunches all week. Just keep the ingredients separate in your fridge and then combine when packing your lunch. If you need a significant source of protein to feel full/satisfied or just feel best having an animal source of protein, chicken or fajita steak would be a really addition. And can I just point out all of the beautiful colors below?!?! 😮😍

If you end up making this, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Tag me @DonutEatingDietitian on Instagram. Happy eating!!

Yield: 4-6

Author: Ashley Smith, RD

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Black bean, sweet potato, and quinoa power bowl

This meatless meal is BURSTING with flavor and is perfect for a low budget dinner or lunch on the go.

Ingredients

• 1 cup multicolored quinoa, uncooked
• 2 cans black beans, undrained
• 2-3 large sweet potatoes
• Pickled red onions (see below)
• Magic green sauce (see below)
• Crumbled feta
• 4 cups kale, chopped
• Avocado oil, for roasting
• 3/4 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper

Pickled red onions

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt

Magic Green Sauce *adapted from Pinch of Yum

• 3/4 cup cilantro
• 3/4 cup parsley
• 1/2-1 jalapeno
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 Tbsp pepitas
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• water to thin

Instructions

Pickled onions

1. Bring the apple cider vinegar, water, and salt to a boil. Pour into a glass jar or container and add the thinly sliced red onion. Let it set for at least 30 minutes to allow the onions to pickle and soften slightly.  

Magic Green Sauce

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add water as needed, but be careful about adding too much and making it runny. 

Rest of bowl

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Prep picked red onions according to directions. 
3. Cut sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes and toss with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Roast in oven for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until potatoes are fully cooked and lightly browned and crispy. 
4. Cook quinoa according to directions (I use a 1:2 quinoa:water ratio).
5. Bring undrained black beans, onion powder, and garlic powder to simmer and cook until most of the water has evaporated and the black beans are thick and saucy. 
6. Make magic green sauce in blender according to directions. 
7. Chop kale and massage it with 1 Tbsp oil and 1/8 tsp salt. 
8. Once all of the components are ready, assemble bowl with kale, potatoes, quinoa, pickled red onions, green sauce, and feta. 
9. Enjoy!