Quiche Lorraine with a Hash Brown Crust: A delightful classic quiche recipe gets an update. This gruyere and bacon hash brown quiche is perfect for your brunch entertaining.
Happy Easter!
Two year's ago we began serving quiche for our Easter brunch. We love a good quiche Lorraine, but we thought we'd put a twist on it with a hashbrown crust. It turned out to be the most delicious quiche we had made yet! And we have been making a variety of quiches with hashbrown crusts ever since!
The only drawback to this quiche recipe is the length of time it takes to prepare because you have to cook the crust and bacon first. You may not want to do this for a quick weekday dinner, but it’s perfect for a weekend or Holiday brunch with your favorite friends and family.
I love dishes that can be tweaked and this one has endless possibilities. You could do a meatless vegetarian option with mushrooms, peppers and asparagus OR try sausage and sharp cheddar! It's so versatile. Fill it with your favorite omlette toppings and get creative! Use different veggies and meats and experiment with unique cheeses! Anything you'd like!
Ingredients
2 medium yellow or white Onions - sliced or diced
6 ounces of Bacon or Ham (we used 6-7 slices of bacon)
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups half n half
3/4 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese (I often use Yarlsberg since it's so affordable when you get it at Costco!)
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
4 tbsp. Butter, melted
3 cups shredded Hashbrowns (I just use the bag of shredded hashbrowns found in the refrigerated section at the grocery store)
First, cook the bacon at 350 degrees for about15 minutes on a baking sheet with wire rack. Watch carefully not to overcook. Once almost fully crisp, remove and let it cool. Once cool, cut into small pieces. You could also choose to fry the bacon on the stove-top, but ever since I started cooking it in the oven I have never turned back b/c it's much less messy. If you choose to fry, Just be sure to drain the cooked bacon on paper towels.
For the crust - Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Gently press the drained hashbrowns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp. (can take longer depending on oven)
While the crust is baking, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium high heat and saute the onion until soft and lightly caramelized (about 5-6 minutes).
Once crust is golden brown, remove and reduce oven to 400 degrees. Spread the onions and bacon over the hashbrown crust and top with grated cheese.
For the filling - In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, pepper and nutmeg. If you are not a nutmeg fan like myself, it still tastes delish if you omit the nutmeg.
Pour the egg mixture into the prepared crust, bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 45-50 minutes until set. The quiche should be golden brown on top and a knife should come out clean when fully cooked. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to set completely.
Serve warm or cold with a simple green salad. I like to serve spring mix greens with this Champagne Dressing.
May you feel the hope of new beginnings, love and happiness during this joyful Easter holiday!
xo,
Meredith