A classic quiche lorraine with a hash brown crust! I bet your local brunch bistro doesn’t have this on their menu…..so how about having brunch at home this weekend? You can stay in your PJ’s and coffee refills are free. AND this Hash Brown Crust Quiche has about 1/3 less calories than traditional quiche – unintentionally!
This is a mash up of two of my favourite brunch dishes – hash brown and quiche!
“This tastes like a cross between a hash brown, quiche and potato dauphinoise gratin. Match made in heaven.”
It took me 5 attempts until I was happy with this so I’ve been fanning out my attempts to friends and family. I think my sister described it best. She said it’s like a “cross between a quiche, hash brown and potato dauphinoise gratin”. The edges are brown and crispy like a hash brown and the filling is a traditional Quiche Lorraine filling with bacon, onion, cheese and egg. The base is also made of hash browns so when you pour the filling in, the potato and egg mixture meld together and turns gratin-like when it bakes.
“It’s incredible….this actually has about 1/3 less calories than the traditional Quiche Lorraine!”
It smells and tastes rich and indulgent. But guess what? This actually has less calories than the traditional Quiche Lorraine because the hash brown crust has less than half the calories of shortcrust pastry! It’s incredible isn’t it?? It’s because shortcrust pastry is made with flour and butter which has a lot more calories than potato. The hash brown crust is made with 600g/1.2 lb of potatoes + 2 tbsp of butter which is 620 calories, whereas a traditional shortcrust pastry has 2,100 calories. So a traditional quiche lorraine has around 500 calories per serving whereas this Hash Brown Crust Quiche Lorraine has only 310 calories.
This keeps really well in the fridge and freezer, like a normal quiche. I highly recommend reheating it in the oven so you can make the edges crispy again!
Have I convinced you to stay in for brunch this weekend?? – Nagi
- 1.2 lb / 600g starchy potatoes (Note 1) OR 4 cups (not packed) frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- 1 tsp salt
- Butter , for greasing
- Oil spray (or olive oil)
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk (preferably full cream, but low fat will also work)
- 3/4 cup cream
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 6 oz / 180g bacon , cut into large dice (about 1cm x 0.5cm / 2/3" x 1/5")
- 1 small onion , diced (or half a large onion)
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 3/4 cup grated cheese (tasty, cheddar or gruyere)
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Preheat oven to 425F/220C with the oven shelf in the top 1/3 of the oven.
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Grease a 9"/ 23cm pie dish (Note 2)
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If shredding potatoes yourself, peel and grate the potatoes. Place the shredded potatoes into a colander and rinse for 10 seconds, using your hands to move the grated potatoes around, until the water runs clear.
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Take a handful of the rinsed grated potatoes OR the thawed frozen shredded hash browns and squeeze the excess water out, then place into a large bowl. Repeat with remaining potato. You should have about 4 cups of shredded potato.
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Add melted butter and salt and mix to combine.
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Pour the shredded potato into the pie dish. Use a large dessert spoon to spread the hash browns over the base and side of the pie dish.
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Use your hands or a spatula to pat down the base of the hash brown crust so it is fairly firmly packed.
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Spray the hash brown crust with oil spray (I used olive oil spray).
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Bake the crust for 30 minutes.
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While the crust is baking, melt 1/2 tbsp butter in a fry pan over medium high heat.
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Add onion, garlic and bacon into the fry pan. Saute until the onion is translucent and the bacon is just starting to brown (but not crisp).
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Remove from the stove and set aside to cool slightly.
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Place Egg Mixture ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.
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When the crust is light golden brown on the surface of the base and golden brown on the walls of the crust (around 30 minutes), remove from the oven.
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Scatter the bacon onion mixture across the base, then the cheese.
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Then pour the Egg Mixture in.
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Return the quiche to the oven and turn the oven down to 180C/350F.
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Bake for 25 minutes, or until the Filling is set. Test this either by inserting a skewer into the centre (it should come out clean) or by touching the centre gently (it should spring back).
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Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
1. You need to use starchy potatoes for hash browns as they breakdown when cooked, becoming nice and fluffy on the inside and golden and crunchy on the outside. The best to use are Russet (common in the US), dutch creams, King Edwards or red delight. However, great all rounders like golden delight, coliban, red rascal and Sebago (popular in Australia) still works great.
I use Sebago which are the brushed potatoes you can get from any supermarket in Australia (ie. the ones with dirt on them). If you are based in the US, a great all rounder to use is Russet which I understand is one of the most widely used potatoes in the US.
2. You must use a pie dish that doesn't have a removable base otherwise you run a (high) risk of the filling leaking out and dripping to the floor of the oven while it bakes. Yes, I'm speaking from experience here. I tried both a springform cake tin and a quiche pan with a removable base. 2 of the 3 attempts, the filling leaked out (once onto the floor of the oven, the other onto the tray I put the pan on).
3. This quiche reheats really well in the oven and lasts for 3 days in the refrigerator. I have not tried to freeze it yet but I am confident that it will work fine. Make sure to reheat it in the oven so the crust crisps up again.
4. Nutrition assumes 8 servings. In my household, it serves 6 (sometimes 4!).
I was really excited for this and am making it now. The base takes longer than 30 minutes, and I’m using slightly less potato and the same sized pan. Hopefully it turns out eventually…. looks yummy, so I’m hopeful!
It’s so crazy delicious, I hope you love it too! N xx
Is the 3/4 cup of cream heavy cream?
Actually, any type of cream works, the heavier / high fat % = richer filling. I do use heavy cream!
This sounds so delicious! I know I can substitute some ham (for the bacon), but I also want to add something green, like broccoli. Can I roast some cherry tomatoes and add them as well? This is going to be for a ladies Christmas luncheon. Any other ideas? Love your recipes!
Thanks so much! Susan
Hi Susan! I would probably avoid tomatoes because I would worry about making the filling too soggy. 🙂 My favourite way to add greens into quiches is to use baby spinach or chopped spinach – add into the skillet with the onion and cook until wilted then proceed with recipe!
Have made this recipe a number of times and it is quite good .
Any leftovers are gone the next morning when my
granddaughter microwaves a slice for breakfast and her
Dad finishes it off cold .
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Nancy! Thank you for sharing your feedback. 🙂 N x
I know this is probably a stupid question, but is the bacon supposed to be cooked before adding it to the quiche mixture? The recipe doesn’t give that information.C
Step 2 under prepare the filling and egg mixture says to sauté the onions and bacon! 🙂
I’m trying to do this in restaurant quantify. Do you think it would work in a shallow baking pan? It would probably be the equivalent of 5 pies.
Hi Penny! Unfortunately I don’t think it will work, the middle will get too soggy I think. Sorry to say!
I want to serve about 16 ladies…could I double the ingredients and bake it in a 9×13″ pan? How long would that take? Thanks for your help. This looks wonderful! I can’t eat wheat so this is perfect. I also use a milk substitute — sometimes coconut milk, also cashew milk that isn’t as sweet as coconut. Do you think this would work??
Hi Lyn! For this one I wouldn’t recommend doubling the size, I’d make 2 of them 🙂 Just not sure how well the centre will cook if you double the batch.
OK, thanks, that works for me. It looks great. I’ll have to use either plain coconut or cashew milk because of my intolerance to cow’s milk. (And when I was growing up, my dad was a milkman!) Thanks for your quick response.
Would this work to make ahead and put in the fridge for a few hours before baking? (Like make before church, then come home and bake for brunch.)
Hi Jan! Definitely. Bake it i.e. cook it then reheat. Reheats fabulously. N x
I want to make this for our annual ladies retreat in a few weeks, but one of our gals is lactose intolerant. Do you have a feeling on may successful outcome if I change the milk to Lactaid milk, and the cheese to a hard cheese such as pecorino? My mouth waters thinking about this, but I want to do your recipe justice. If the changes impact it too much, I will simply use this another time! Sounds amazing.
Hi Gaye! I’m so sorry to say that I don’t know how it would turn out if you sub the milk 🙁 The cheese will be fine but I’m just not sure the filling will set. 🙁
This recipe looks amazing. If I leave out the bacon (all meat actually) will I need to use different portions of the other ingredients?
Hi Denise! I would recommend adding something else in it’s place to ensure there is enough filling volume 🙂 Are you vegetarian? If so, some asparagus would be lovely, or sun dried tomatoes 🙂
Just wondering…how long to reheat in the oven, and what temperature, the next day?
Hi there Dianne! I think 15 minutes would be plenty @ 180C / 350F 🙂
15 minutes wasn’t quite long enough in my oven (I did at least 20), and I put some foil on the outside edges for half of that time because the middle wasn’t quite warmed through as much as the hash brown edge.
And my husband is not a quiche fan, but he said I sure could make this recipe again…it was really good!
(I used baked ham pieces in place of the bacon and added some green pepper.)
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Dianne! 🙂
Just wondering…how long to reheat in the oven the next day?
I have to say that I have tried two other hashbrown quiche recipes and this one is by FAR the best! It freezes beautifully as well 🙂 Thank you for such a scrumptious recipe!
WOO HOO! I am SO GLAD you enjoyed this Amy, thank you for letting me know!
Would this work with leftover ham rather than bacon?
DEFINATELY!!! 🙂