Ham and Cheese Hash Brown Quiche

This is a really good dish if you are serving about 4-6 people. Or just a couple really hungry people. Better make two.

Don’t be fooled by the fancy name. This breakfast/brunch dish is easy to make, involved a lot of different textures, and tastes amazing even though all the individual ingredients are rather ordinary by themselves. Never be ordinary when you can be and eat amazing.

SOFTWARE

·         30 oz frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed and dried

·         8 T. butter, melted

·         7 eggs

·         1 c. half and half

·         6 oz. ham, cooked, diced

·         1 t. garlic powder

·         1 t. onion powder

·         1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

METHOD

1.       Heat oven to 450 degrees.

2.       In a large bowl, toss the dried potatoes with the melted butter to coat.

3.       Using a springform pan (see Variants about changing the pan), press the shredded potatoes in the bottom and along the sides to form a crust. Make sure to get in the crease where the bottom meets the sides.

4.       Bake the crust for 40 to 45 minutes or until it starts turning golden brown.

5.       Remove and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

6.       In another large bowl, mix the eggs, half and half, ham, seasonings, and cheese.

7.       Carefully, pour the egg mixture into the crust.

8.       Place into the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the dish is set and puffy on the top.

9.       Remove from the springform pan. Cut into slices and serve.

10.   Enjoy.

VARIANTS

I tried this recipe using a 9-inch stoneware pan. It works, but the cooking time is much longer. If you use a glass or metal pie pan, be sure to watch and adjust your times. Swiss cheese works really well in this dish. If you have extra shredded potatoes after making your crust, form them into a disk and fry them in a skillet until crispy. Use the disk as a quiche topper before slicing.