Sometimes an idea hits you and you think “I am a genius!” Then you google it and discover a lot of people have done it before. So maybe I’m not a genius, but it doesn’t matter! This simple Quiché with a crispy hash brown crust is delicious. It looks stunning, is super versatile and my family thinks I’m a genius for making it! So really, that’s all that matters, right? ;-)
The only drawback to this Quiche recipe is the length of time it takes to prepare. You don’t want to do this for a quick weekday dinner (like I did! We ended up eating very late!) but it’s perfect for a weekend brunch with your favorite people.
I love dishes that are flexible and this one has endless possibilities. Anything you put into an omelette, can be used in this Quiche. Next time, I want to try crumbled italian sausage, sautéed bell peppers with onions and sharp cheddar. You could use Spinach and Gruyère! Get creative! Fill it with your favorite vegetables for a meatless version. I think asparagus and leeks would be fabulous. Use different cheeses. Add your favorite spices to the crust. Whatever you’d like!
I’d love to see what you come up with, so when you make it, please share! I’m looking forward to reading all about it!
Enjoy Foodie Friends! XOXO
Quiche with a Hash Brown Crust
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter melted, divided in half
- 1 package 1 pound frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 4 oz diced Pancetta
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 TBLS minced fresh oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp coarse ground Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a 9-by-2 1/2-inch springform pan with 2 TBLS melted butter. Line the sides of the pan with strips of waxed paper, brush paper with butter too. Be generous on the bottom of the pan so the potatoes don’t stick. If you don’t have a springform pan, don’t worry, it works just as well in a 9″ pie pan and then you don’t need the wax paper.
- Squeeze as much excess moisture from hash browns as you can. The hash browns should be as dry as possible so the crust will get crispy. In a large bowl, mix thawed, drained hash browns with remaining butter, 1 egg, salt and pepper. Press hash brown mixture onto bottom and up the sides of your prepared pan. Press firmly to mold the potatoes against the edges. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until set and the edges of the hash browns are lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, in a small skillet, sauté the pancetta until it’s crispy. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Do not discard the bacon fat! Put red onions and garlic in the same skillet and sauté in the bacon fat until the onion is soft and the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk the remaining eggs and milk, then add the rest of the ingredients. Pour into prepared crust. Bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes. When it’s done, let it sit for 5 minutes, unmold Quiché, and peel off waxed paper before serving.
OMG! could you get any more delicious than this? i put melted butter, hash browns, eggs, bacon pieces, a little milk, and some cheese into my rice steamer, and it makes a fritatta like this. yummy! going to try your recipe though!~
Making this for my soon – to – be daughter in law’s shower. I used sun dried tomatoes, sausage, herbs de Provence, and artichoke hearts. Smells delicious. Can’t wait!
hello this looks delicious ! I go to a girls retreat in June. We take turns with meals. I was wondering if this can be made a day ahead and still have the crunchy crust? Thank you laura
Hi Laura! The crust will get soggy if you do it in advance. You might want to go with a traditional crust instead. Enjoy your retreat this summer!!
My family actually likes it better the next day!
I made a sausage, and ham for my grandparents and my little brother and it was amazing. There is no more left and I think I should’ve made two. Lol. I am a sixteen year old girl, and this was an amazingly easy delicious dish. I had so much fun making it. Thankyou for sharing this idea *hugs you* you are the best!!!!!!!!
We go away for a weekend in February every year with friends and we rent a place with a kitchen so we can cook to save money. I saw this the morning we were packing to leave and changed my plan for my turn at breakfast. Boy am I glad I did. It was fun to present and yummy to eat. I used bacon, red peppers, onions and mushrooms. It was very tasty.
We decided it look a cake and would be fun to have for breakfast with birthday candles coming out the top.
When I got home I still had enough to make it again so I made it for the kids. Served it with fruit.
That’s a great idea! A birthday breakfast cake!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know!! :-)
Hash brown crust? Really? Could you be any more brilliant! Fantastic recipe Sara and would be great for a holiday brunch. You’ve got my wheels spinning this morning.
Thanks Libby!! We love this recipe! So easy and super versatile! I can’t wait to see what you come up with too!!! <3
Oh my goodness gracious Sara, I saw this on my FB newsfeed and HAD to come over here to pin this! I so wish I had this for breakfast right now. That is just brilliant to make the crust with hash browns. I’m so glad we found each other’s pages, I love following you! :) Sharon
Hi Sharon! I’m so glad we found each other too! Thank you so much for pinning and commenting! <3 Have a wonderful weekend!
Made this tonight for dinner, it was great! Will definitely make it again. Thanks for sharing!
What a wonderful idea!
Thank you!
I’m inspired by this–I’ve got this ‘fine shred’ disc on my food processor, and I wonder if I shredded a potato or two if I could get the same effect as with the frozen hash browns? It looks delicious and I’m sure my family would love to try my experiments. Thanks!
I make my own shredded “hash browns” all the time – bake them first – about 3/4 the time you usually do – cool for 5 min and peel – shred on shred side of a cheese grater – already pretty dry so you can just proceed with recipe – I use this method for all kids of recipes that call for frozen hash browns –
Yes.. it works great to shred using a food processor. U do this all the time. Wonderful fresh flavir. Just remember to place the shredded potatoes on a thin cloth, gather the ends and sides and wring out the extra moisture until dry. Very easy and so much better than frozen.
Lol.. errors run amuck but u get my point, I hooe…lol