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.
I’ve been wanting to make this since I pinned it! OMGosh! I made a “double” & used largest springform pan–turned out incredibly delicious AND beautiful! So, I doubled EVERYTHING and tweaked a few things (because it’s what I had!). I used pre cooked everything (mostly!) bag of crumbled (real) bacon, pkg. of cubed ham, chopped canned mushrooms, frozen, thawed, chopped onions & red and green peppers (all thoroughly drained and dried with kitchen towel!), sharp cheddar and heavy cream (in place of whole milk). WOW! Just WOW! And, thank you! It was my “trial run”–Bingo! This will be my new GO TO for a holiday crowd or group brunch. I can see even making different versions…with whatever you like. Swiss, chopped spinach ….the list is unending! LOVE IT! Thanks, again!
WOW! Kat!! Thank *you* for sharing! It’s one of our favorites and I love everything you did to yours too! Have a great week!
Just made this for lunch, had company over and it was an absolute hit! I used mild Italian sausage, green onion, garlic, red pepper and cheddar cheese. Shredded my own potatoes for crust and used paper towel to squeeze excess moisture out, not quite as crispy as I would have liked but delicious just the same!
Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad you liked it!
Thnx so much for the recipe, i made it & it was so good i am gonna do it this week again .
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing!
I have this in the oven right now and it smells amazing! I used Costco chopped pre-cooked bacon and just heated it in the oven to get it crispy and then blotted it on paper towels. What we had on hand was sharp cheddar so that is what I used, plus a bunch of asparagus chopped in bite-sized pieces. It’s not quite ready yet, but everybody is sneaking peeks in the oven window and it looks pretty good!
Thank you so much for sharing! Let me know how it turns out!
Emergency! Can this be made in a regular pie pan? I don’t have a spring form and I have all the ingredients to make this for our Christmas breakfast!
Hi! Yes you can! Just spray it well with non-stick spray or butter generously so it will come out easily! Merry Christmas!!
Made this in a pie plate and used carrots and sausage. Delicious recipe, thank you!
I was short on time so I did this in cupcake tins instead of a pan !
I’m concerned about the wax paper and cooking at 400 degrees. Should this be
parchment paper? Seems like the wax paper would melt into the food ??
Hi Claudia! Good call out! I use wax paper without any problems, but I just changed it to parchment, because I think that’s easier for people! Thanks for letting me know!
Could I make just the crust the night before and still have it remain crispy?
Hi Donna! You can try it, but my experience it gets a little soggy.
i made this in a pie crust… I added the hash browns inside the quiche with tons of sharp cheddar, bacon, sausage, 5 eggs and 3/4 cup milk. Served with ranch or katchup on the top.. Smells amazing!