Ham and Spinach Pie

The kitchen is in full spring mode. The oven at 375 (always 375), the crockpot on the counter, the pantry stocked with jars from last August's canning — the evidence of a woman who preserves summer against winter and loss against forgetting and food against everything.

The recipe this week: cinnamon rolls extra frosting. Standing at the stove, Marlene's wooden spoon in my hand (the cracked one, the one that will outlast us all), the recipe either from the card box or from my own expanding collection, both equally real, both equally mine. The kitchen holds all of it — the old recipes and the new ones, the teacher's food and the student's food, the grief and the joy and the cinnamon. All of it. Always.

Seed starting continues at the Holloway household — the windowsill green, the grow lights purple, the soil mix precise. The annual miracle of February and March: things grow even when everything says they shouldn't. The growing is the argument against everything.

With the grow lights still humming over the seedling trays and the crockpot doing its slow, reliable work on the counter, I needed something that could hold its own in a kitchen already full of motion — something savory and green and substantial, the way spring itself feels when it finally arrives for real. This ham and spinach pie is exactly that: it comes together quietly, it feeds everyone well, and it tastes like the kind of food that belongs in a kitchen where things are always growing.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 refrigerated pie crust (or homemade single crust)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 oz fresh baby spinach (or 10 oz frozen, thawed and squeezed dry)
1 1/2 cups diced cooked ham
4 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded Swiss or Gruyère cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Press the pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish, crimp the edges, and prick the bottom a few times with a fork. Pre-bake for 8 minutes, then set aside.
Cook the filling base. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add spinach and stir until wilted (if using fresh). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Combine the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until smooth.
Layer the pie. Spread the diced ham evenly across the bottom of the pre-baked crust. Top with the spinach and onion mixture, then scatter 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese over the top.
Add custard and bake. Slowly pour the egg custard mixture over the filling. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake at 375°F for 35–40 minutes, until the custard is set in the center and the top is lightly golden.
Rest and serve. Let the pie rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ham and Spinach Pie — The Kitchen That Holds Everything