Quiche with a Hash Brown Crust

I have a thing for unique and creative crusts.  I’m not really a traditional pastry crust lover, so it comes natural for me to find ways to avoid it.  Sure, I could make a frittata instead of a quiche…but something would be missing.  And that something is a crust.

I’ve made crusts out of brown rice and even spaghetti!

Ingredients:

For the crust:
-3 Cups Shredded Russet Potatoes
-3 Tablespoons Butter

Preheat oven to 450F.

Peel and grate potatoes.

Until you have a whole lot of them (3 cups takes a bit of effort!)

Squeeze out any excess liquid from the potatoes.

Toss the grated up potatoes in melted butter in the pie plate, and then press against the edges and bottom to form a crust.

Bake at 450F for 20-25 minutes, until it starts to turn golden around the edges.  If you like your hash browns crispy, turn the broiler on and broil for about 1-3 minutes.  Keep an eye on it while it’s under the broiler!

Allow crust to cool for at least five minutes.  Lower oven temperature to 350F.

For the filling:
-4 Eggs
-1 Cup Half-and-Half (or 2% milk works fine)
-1/2 Cup Diced Green Onions (greens and whites removed)
-1 Cup Freshly Grated Cheddar Cheese
-Freshly Grated Black Pepper, to taste

Whisk together all ingredients and pour into the cooled hash brown crust.  Bake at 350F for 40-50 minutes until egg mixture is set and starting to turn golden.

Serve with a mimosa.  🙂

Broccoli Cheddar Quiche with Brown Rice Crust

With the holidays among us, I’ve made an attempt to cook more healthful meals.  If you’ve ever seen my other quiche recipes, you might think that this is a joke.

My personal favorite creation is Bacon & Leek Quiche.  But hey, I’m not here to tempt you with rich, creamy, cheesy quiches.  Or am I?

This recipe is lower fat than your average quiche, but with just as much flavor.  Plus, the brown rice crust makes it gluten free.  Which, of course, I didn’t even realize until after I ate the entire thing and started writing about it…

Ingredients:

The Crust:
-2 Cups Brown Rice, cooked
-1/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese, finely grated
-1 Egg

The Filling:
-4 Eggs
-1 Cup Milk
-2 Cups Broccoli, chopped
-1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
-1 Pinch Nutmeg (optional)
-Salt and Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450F.  Mix rice, one egg, and 1/4 cup of cheese in a bowl.  Press rice mixture firmly in a pie pan with a fork.  Bake for 5-7 minutes, until it starts to turn golden.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Turn oven temp down to 375F.

Meanwhile, mix eggs, milk, broccoli, salt, pepper, and cheese.  Pour into the crust.  Bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes, until golden and set in the center.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.