Cheesy Hash Brown Quiche

Quiche.  I didn’t know how to spell it for the longest time.  I remember years ago trying to look it up in a cookbook and was looking under “k”!  That tells you how bad of a speller I am (sorry for typos!).

Quiche is normally made with a pie crust which is good… but HASH BROWNS!?  It’s amazing!  And even though this quiche isn’t super low in fat or calories, making it with hash browns instead of a pie crust actually saves you 90 calories and 5 grams of fat per serving.  “So you’re telling me this tastes better AND is lower in fat and cals?”  Yes siree!

Lets move past the crust and into the filling.  Now, this is a recipe of my mom’s that I have adapted.  One change I made (because I was missing ingredients and trying to use up what was in my fridge) was swapping the cheddar and Swiss cheese (still great!) for Colby Jack and Jalapeno White Cheddar (made by Kraft).  My husband already loved this quiche but when I made it with those two types of cheese… his mind was blown! 🙂  The Jalapeno White Cheddar really gives it the perfect kick.

Oh and then there is ham which ads an element of both sweet and salty.  Plus this is another way to use up your leftover ham from Easter that you have in your freezer (I freeze some of my ham already diced just for this quiche!)… but you can also just buy a 1/4 inch thick slice at the deli and that will work too. 🙂

And last but not least, I love this quiche because it is a tradition started by my mom to have it Christmas morning along with cinnamon rolls (recipe coming!).  Not the healthiest way to start the day but it sure brings smiles, full bellies, and fun memories!  But don’t wait until Christmas to make it!  Serve it for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner!  Enjoy!

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Cheesy Hash Brown Quiche

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Author Garnish & Glaze

Ingredients

• 1 12 ounce pkg. shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed (or 1 1/2 cup fresh*)
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 4 eggs beaten
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 cup Colby jack cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup jalapeno white cheddar or pepper jack, shredded
• 1/4 cup onions finely diced (microwaved in 1 tablespoon butter to soften)
• 1/2 cup ham diced
• Nutmeg
• Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 and grease a 9 inch pie plate.
• Press fresh or thawed hash browns between paper towels to remove moisture and then press the hash browns into the bottom of the pie plate to make a crust. Brush the hash brown crust with 2 tablespoons melted butter.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• While baking, whisk together eggs, cream, and seasoned salt.
• Once crust is done cooking, turn oven temperature down to 350 degrees F and then layer on both cheeses, onions, and ham.
• Pour the egg mixture over all the layers and then sprinkle the top with nutmeg.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until knife comes out clean. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with cilantro.

Notes

*You can make your own hash browns by washing, peeling, and shredding a large baking potato. After shredding you will need to rinse in cold water a few times and then dry by placing in a towel or paper towels and ring out excess water.

Recipe Source: Adapted from RaeJean Eisenhauer (less cream, more egg, less butter, added cilantro, different cheeses…)