Quiche with Hash Brown Potato Crust
A gluten-free twist on the classic French quiche.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Course: brunch, dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: French
Servings: 8
For the crust
- Non-stick vegetable spray, for greasing the pan
- 3 1/2 cups shredded potatoes, thawed if frozen, and squeezed in a towel to remove excess moisture
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the filling:
- 3/4 cup cooked, cubed ham
- 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
For the custard:
- 5 large eggs, beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
- A dash of ground nutmeg for perfume
- 1 cup half-and-half (or, use all milk or all cream)
Making, forming, and blind-baking the crust:
Preheat the oven to 400°F, and lightly grease a deep dish pie pan with non-stick spray.
Put the (shredded and squeezed) potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the beaten egg, oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Use a fork to thoroughly combine the ingredients.
Press the potato mixture along the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie pan. Bake until the edge of the crust turns golden -- 20-25 minutes.
The ham and spinach filling:
Lower oven temperature to 350°F. Tip the ham, spinach, and cheese into the potato shell, and give them a quick toss just to mix them up.
The egg custard:
In a bowl, whisk together the 5 eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and half-and-half. Pour the mixture oven the ham and spinach filling.
Baking the quiche:
Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until the custard puffs and browns -- 35-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.