Manly Quiche

Last night was another of my Family Dinner Nights.  We had a bunch of left overs from my daughters 1st birthday party - deli meat, cheese, and veggies galore!  We made a truly delicious gluten free quiche with a hash brown crust that was inspired by a goat cheese and arugula quiche recipe found here. I tossed a bunch of the left over crudité with some spring lettuce mix for a tasty salad. To quote my husband, "Real men eat quiche. Especially when it is made with hash browns and bacon!" There was not a spec left!

INGREDIENTS:
cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter, melted - plus more for pan
1 pound package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
8 large eggs
sea salt and ground pepper
½ cup light sour cream
1 cup half and half
sea salt
8 - 10 oz  grated cheese (I had left over deli cheese so I just chopped it roughly) 8 - 10 oz  chopped deli ham
1/2 cup red onion - small dice
3/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon (4 - 5 slices)

DIRECTIONS:
1)  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2)  Spray a 9-by-2 1/2-inch spring form pan with cooking spray. Line the sides of the pan with strips of parchment paper (trim to the same height as pan). Spray the parchment with more cooking spray - this part is essential, it will give you a beautiful golden crust and as well as keep the crust from sticking to your pan.
3)  Place hash browns on 3-4 thicknesses of paper towels and fold paper towels over potatoes. Hold over sink and squeeze excess moisture from hash browns.
4)  In a large mixing bowl whisk  melted butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add squeezed hash browns and mix until all the butter egg mixture is coating the hash browns. Pat into bottom and up sides of prepared pan, using your hands. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes (we did 18 minutes in our convection oven).
5)  In a large bowl, whisk 7 remaining eggs, sour cream, half and half,  cheese, ham, onion, bacon, 1 teaspoons sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined. Pour into crust, and bake until set, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove outer ring of springform pan, and gently peel off parchment paper.
6)  Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.


NOTES: you could sub any meat and cheeses you like.  Spinach, arugula, chopped broccoli, chopped asparagus, or green onions would be good too.

(photo curtsey of Sarah Germain)