Spectacular Ham, Potato, And Cheese

Get ready to change quiche as you know it and amaze your family or guests with an intricate-tasting yet easy-to-make twist of this German/French indulgence. But this dish is extremely rich and hearty; you may want to tweak it a little bit to suit your taste.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ham steaks, precooked (about the size of a slice of bread)
• 4-5 medium waxy potatoes
• 2 tsp (10ml) dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) maple syrup / honey
• 1 small onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1.5 tsp (7.5 ml) dried rosemary / 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
• 0.5 cup (125 ml) sour cream
• 0.5 cup (125 ml) fresh milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (250 ml) grated Grana Padano cheese
• 1 cup (250 ml) grated Cheddar cheese
• 4 Tbsp (60ml) olive oil
• 0.7 tsp (3.75 ml) salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and spray an ovenproof dish/muffin tray with non-stick spray.
2. Warm a pan to medium heat and place the ham steaks next to each other in the pan. Allow them to brown lightly for about 2 minutes on either side.
3. Whilst they brown, mix together the mustard and syrup/honey. Pour half over one side of the ham, then turn onto the other side and pour the other half over
4. Allow the glaze to warm up and stick to the ham before flipping again. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes.
5. In the meantime, peel and chop the onion as well as the garlic. Peel the potatoes, rinse them and cut them into cubes of about 1cm.
6. Remove the steaks from the pan and allow to cool before cutting into 1-centimeter cubes. Coat the same pan with olive oil, add the onion and cook over medium heat until translucent. Toss in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
7. Add the potato cubes and turn down the heat a notch or two so they can fry thoroughly without burning.
8. Sprinkle in the salt and rosemary* and stir every minute or two, ensuring the potatoes remain loose and cook evenly on all sides
   If using fresh rosemary, remove the little leaves from the stalk and toss them in the pan to move around easily with the rest of the contents.
9. Test the potatoes after 15 minutes of cooking. If they’re soft, remove from the heat. Set aside to cool down.
10. Pour the milk, sour cream, and eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Add the Grana Padano, giving it another brief stir to combine everything.
11. Add the ham and potato mixture to the liquid, stir again, then pour the custard into the ovenproof dish or divide evenly into the muffin holes
12. Top with Cheddar cheese and pop into the oven to bake. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, and serve