Ham, Cheddar & Asparagus Quiche

Ingredients:
1 cup thinly sliced fresh asparagus
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
4 ounces finely chopped smoked deli ham
6 large eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
black pepper to taste

pie shell or 1 1/2 cups unseasoned dried breadcrumbs

Preparing the quiche:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.

Combine 6 large eggs with 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream and a good crack of black pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Sprinkle 3/4 cup unseasoned, dried breadcrumbs into the buttered baking dish, add the 1 cup of sliced asparagus to that and sprinkle another 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs over the top of that.

Carefully add the custard mixture trying not to disturb the bottom too much, sprinkle the ham and cheese over the top of that. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes (the quiche will puff up quite a bit and should feel somewhat firm to the touch when it is done, but it will shrink back down a bit as it cools).

Note: The reason for the 2 separate layers of breadcrumbs is so that the breadcrumbs can absorb some of the water in the asparagus as the quiche bakes.

Go slow adding the custard so that the breadcrumbs remain on the bottom, although some will float up to the top.