Moonstruck Bay’s Rustic Country Quiche with a Hash Brown Crust


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Moonstruck Bay’s Rustic Country Quiche with a Hash Brown Crust

Hello loves! It’s been awhile I know…but I’ve had so many inquiries on the recipe for this quiche after I posted a picture on my Facebook page, Moonstruck Bay; Instagram–moonstruckbuni and Twitter–@MoonstruckBuni that I just had to take the time to sit down and get it to all of you!

This recipe is one of my very favorites and one that I put together following a conversation with my sister noting that she used hash browns instead of pie crust for the crust on her quiches. A couple of years later we were hosting a friend for a weekend at Moonstruck that loves breakfast and brunch but follows a gluten-free lifestyle. A hash brown crust deliver a GF crust, added flavor, texture and a little bit of artistic drama to my rustic country quiche! Not only did she love it, so did the rest of our friends and family!

Leftovers, while rare, offer a superb lunch or light dinner reheated and then served with a simple vinaigrette dressed salad of baby arugula or mixed baby greens.

I also oven roast my mushrooms (recipe follows) but they can be sautéed with the other veggies or omitted altogether–whatever delights you and your guests.

allowed me to serve her something that she hadn’t had in many years.found one Moonstruck Bay’s Rustic Country Quiche w a Hash Brown Crust

To give credit where credit is much due–much of the technique and ingredients for my recipe are based on an “Epicurious” recipe—“Asparagus & Two-Cheese Quiche w/Hash Brown Crust”. However, I’ve made several personal changes to make this recipe my own!

Pairing: Simply delicious served with your favorite Bloody Mary! Or champagne–no Bellinis here, please!

Enjoy, my darlings!

Moonstruck Bay’s Rustic Country Quiche with a Hash Brown Crust

Ingredients 

Crust

  • 10” well-seasoned cast iron skillet (ideally use one that’s sides curve at the bottom like a shallow bowl)
  • 2/3 of a 20 oz. pkg of prepared Hash Browns
  • 2 T. EVOO
  • 3 T. Salted butter—separated
  • 2 t. kosher salt (Diamond Crystal only, please)
  • ½ teas. freshly cracked pepper

Filling

  • 6 jumbo eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ¼ c. half and half
  • 1 c. leeks, sliced thinly (white to light green)—1 large or 2 small leeks
  • 2 sm. (tiny) sweet peppers (red & orange for color)
  • 8 oz. pkg of sliced white mushrooms (optional). Note: I oven roast them rather than sautéing them with the other veggies. See my directions at the end of the instructions for this recipe.
  • ½ t. onion powder
  • ¼ t. garlic salt
  • A pinch of Knorr Chicken Flavor Bouillon
  • 1 ½ c. Mexican 4-Cheese shred

Topping/Garnish

  • A dusting of Paul Prudhomme Cajun Seasoning
  • Grape tomatoes cut into quarters
  • Scallions cut on the diagonal—white and green

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° for the quiche. (Unless you intend to oven roast mushrooms–a preheat of 400° F–you will need to do those first then reduce heat/preheat at 350° for the quiche)

In a large bowl toss the hash browns with the salt and pepper—set aside.

Heat EVOO and 2 T. of the butter over medium high heat in the bottom of the cast iron skillet until the butter is melted. Using a rubber/silicone spatula “paint” the butter EVOO generously around the sides of the pan—all the way to the top, please.

Add potatoes and immediately start forming the crust by pushing the potatoes flat against the bottom and pressing them up the sides of the pan using a metal or glass ½ c. measuring cup. Continue pressing the potatoes until you have covered the bottom and sides (to the top) and are binding together. Continue cooking the crust until it starts to brown—about 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 T. butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, sweet peppers, and mushrooms and sauté until leeks are transparent—5 to 6 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk room temperature eggs (no stripes of whites), ½ & ½, garlic salt, onion powder and chicken bouillon together—set aside.

Sprinkle sautéed vegetables and then cheese evenly across the browned hash brown crust and then pour in the egg mixture. Shake side to side gently so that everything settles.

Bake until the quiche is set and the crust is well-browned—30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature before cutting into wedges and serving from the plate. (I have also remove the entire quiche, placed it on a cutting board and cut and served wedges from that—impressive—and where that curved sides at the bottom of the pan make it easier to get the whole quiche out0

Quiche can be made up to one or two days in advance—cool to room temperature and then wrap with plastic and refrigerate.

To reheat, bake at 325° F until warmed through—15 to 20 minutes.

Oven Roasted Mushrooms

Preheat oven to 400°. Spread sliced mushrooms on a large, rimmed baking tray. Drizzle olive oil—about 2 Tablespoons—on the slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix the mushrooms, olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated. Spread it all out into a single layer and place the tray in the preheated oven on the center rack for about 30 minutes—tossing once at the 15-minute mark to ensure even roasting throughout.

 

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