It is often said that we eat with our eyes. I believe this is true. When a dish looks appetizing and beautiful we want to savor it; we might eat a little slower so we can stretch out the experience. I have made many quiches; some with, some without a crust, but this technique makes the final product a feast for the eyes. We are fortunate to raise chickens that lay eggs with extremely dark yolks. This made the color of this quiche a bright yellow, which only added to its appeal. It is made in a spring-form pan instead of a pie plate. This allows for a nice deep well for the filling, which I appreciate; but the real joy comes from using hash browns as the crust. It literally comes out looking like a work of art.
Feel free to change up the ingredients in the filling to suit what you have or your taste preferences. You can use arugula instead of spinach or a combination of the two. You can also use Swiss chard. Vegetarians can leave out the bacon, and you can use Comte instead of Gruyere. You decide. It will all taste delicious.
SPINACH & GRUYERE QUICHE WITH A HASH BROWN CRUST
INGREDIENTS:
FOR HASH BROWN CRUST:
1 package frozen hash browns, thawed and squeezed dry
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 farm-fresh egg, light beaten
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
FOR THE QUICHE:
1/2 cup red (or any color you have) seeded and diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 farm-fresh egg whites, and 3 additional farm-fresh eggs
1 1/2 cups Gruyere or Comte cheese, shredded
4 cups lightly packed spinach and/or arugula mixed
1/2 cup half and half
4 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CRUST:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with olive oil, then line both bottom and sides with parchment paper; brush with oil again.
Combine the hash browns, melted butter, garlic salt and egg. Mix thoroughly and press into spring form pan, pushing them up the sides.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hash browns start to crisp up.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR QUICHE:
Fry bacon in skillet, drain and crumble.
In a small skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute onions, red pepper and garlic for 8-10 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add spinach and saute for another 1-2 minutes or until spinach has wilted. Set aside to cool.
In a bowl, combine the egg whites, whole eggs, 1/2 and 1/2, shredded cheese and crumbled bacon. Add the cooled onions and red pepper and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into hash brown crust in spring form pan.
Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for 40-45 minutes or until eggs are set.
Serves 6
Note: This recipe is from my new cookbook Twisted Basics: Laugh, Cook, Eat. You can purchase it at our website
“The kitchen is seasoned with love.”
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