7 Quick and Easy Tarts

Smoked Ham and Crispy Onion Quiche
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

This take on the classic French dish, quiche Lorraine, is velvety smooth and so quick to make, you'll never want to sweat onions again. You'll need a 20cm/8in tart tin or pie dish, 2.5cm/1in deep.

375g/13oz ready-rolled shortcrust pastry
flour, for dusting
2 eggs
284ml tub single cream
75g/3oz thinly sliced Brunswick smoked ham (or other good quality smoked sandwich ham - not the Parma-ham type), chopped into small pieces
50g/2oz grated Cheddar cheese
25g/1oz dried, crispy onions (usually found next to the salad dressings in supermarkets)
salt and black pepper

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Unroll the pastry. You will only need about 175g-200g/6-7oz of it, so cut it in half and save the rest for another dish. Roll it out a little more on a lightly floured surface (you don't want it too thick) and line the tart tin or pie dish. Place in the fridge.

Crack the eggs into a jug, pour in the cream and mix well. Add the chopped ham, grated cheese and half the crispy onions. Season with salt and pepper (you may not need to add salt, as the ingredients can be quite salty) and mix well. Pour into the pastry case and sprinkle the rest of the crispy onions over the top.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is slightly risen and golden. Allow to cool on a rack. Serve warm or cold with a crispy green salad.