Exciting News: This is just one of a bunch of Whole30 Recipes here at The Nourishing Home. PLUS I’ll be sharing even more Whole30-compliant recipes as we start our next Whole30 Challenge January 2016. (P.S. You can join us anytime you’re ready to Jumpstart Your Health with Whole30!)
I couldn’t be more excited to share this flavorful and hearty veggie quiche! The tasty hash brown crust adds such a unique twist to this savory creation that I had a hard time deciding what to call it …
Should I call it a frittata since it really tastes more like a frittata than it does a quiche? Or should I call it a quiche, because technically speaking, the preparation method more closely resembles a quiche?
Honestly, no matter what you decide to call this delightful egg dish, there’s one word I think we can all agree best describes it – yummy!
As with any recipe, one of the keys to easy, quick and successful preparation is to remember your “mise en place.” By pre-chopping and gathering all of your ingredients prior to putting the recipe together, you’ll be able to focus your attention fully on the most critical aspect of what makes a meal a success – cooking!
The highlight of this savory quiche recipe is an easy hash brown crust, which makes a tasty gluten-free/grain-free option that everyone will enjoy whether they’re GF or not.
And it’s highly versatile too! You can use yukon gold potatoes or sweet potatoes with equal success – although I do recommend white sweet potatoes, since they’re less sweet than the orange variety.
Although I love saving time in the kitchen, you’ll notice I’ve added the extra step of sautéing the veggies first before adding them to the egg custard – why? Because you just can’t beat the deep, rich flavor that sautéed veggies add, especially when it comes to egg dishes. Another delicious option is to use leftover grilled veggies, just be sure to keep the proportion of veggies to egg custard similar to the recipe and you can’t go wrong!
Quiche isn’t just for breakfast or brunch – it also makes a wonderful light summer dinner served with a mesclun greens salad and a side of fresh fruit.
And trust me, leftovers are even better! The flavors in this hearty Veggie Quiche with Hash Brown Crust meld and deepen, making this quiche an absolute favorite for breakfast or lunch the next day! (I’ve often been caught eating it cold straight from the fridge. Yum!)
Time-Saving Tip: Double the fun! Why make one when you can make two – one to serve now and one to refrigerate and serve as a quick breakfast or lunch during busy weekdays.
Ingredients
- 3 cups tightly-packed shredded yukon gold potatoes (or white sweet potatoes)
- 3/4 cup fine diced yellow onion, divided
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 cups chopped swiss chard (or kale)
- 1/2 cup precooked Whole30-compliant bacon (or sausage)
- 8 large pastured eggs
- 1/4 cup almond milk (or coconut milk)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- ghee or coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Use ghee, coconut oil or palm shortening to generously grease a tight-fitting 9-inch springform pan, or 9-inch deep dish pie plate. (If your springform pan does not fit together tightly, you may want to tightly wrap the outside of the pan with a large sheet of foil to help catch leaks, or use a deep dish pie plate instead.)
- Using a box grater, shred the potatoes (if using sweet potatoes, peel first). Rinse the shredded potatoes in a strainer; then press the shredded potato between a large layer of paper towels (or kitchen towels) to absorb excess moisture.
- In a large bowl, add the shredded potatoes, 1/2 cup of fine diced yellow onion, 2 tablespoons of melted ghee or coconut oil and 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon sea salt. Toss until combined.
- Firmly press the shredded potato mixture evenly along the bottom of the prepared springform pan, making sure to press the potatoes up the sides of the pan at least one inch.
- Bake crust for 15-18 minutes, until set. Then place on stove top to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
- While crust is baking, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil. Sauté together the remaining 1/4 cup of yellow onion, red pepper and mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until veggies are softened. (If substituting with extra veggies instead of meat, sauté them with this onion mixture.)
- Next, add the swiss chard and stir until greens are wilted (about 2-3 minutes). Mix in the crumbled bacon or sausage, if using. Remove skillet from heat. Season with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Wipe clean the large bowl used for the potatoes. Then add the eggs, milk, basil, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk until eggs are slightly frothy.
- Add the veggie mixture to the bottom of the hash brown crust. Then, gently pour the egg custard over the top of the veggie mixture.
- Place the springform pan on a large baking sheet (to catch any leaks) and place in preheated oven. (If you're using a pie dish, it's not necessary to use the baking sheet.)
- Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes until quiche is set. Remove from oven and allow to sit 3-5 minutes. Then gently loosen sides of quiche by running a knife along the side of the pan.
- Remove springform pan and place on a serving platter. Serve with your favorite green salad and fresh sliced fruit. Enjoy!
looks scrummy
thank you! 🙂
Im calling this, Breakfast Pizza; looks like a pizza–I may even add some pizza sauce instead of the milk and use mozzerella! So yummy I want to go eat some now and I never eat in the middle of the nite, even with my horrible insomnia.
🙂
That’s a great idea to make a breakfast pizza! Yum! Let us know how it turns out? And we should chat about essential oils, as there are several that can help to promote sleep. Feel free to email me. Blessings, Kelly 🙂
Do you know if they freeze well Kelly? You are awesome. Thanks for the yummy recipes.
That’s a good questions, Tiffany. I am not sure because I haven’t tried to freeze this. I will speculate that it may become soggy (overly moist) upon thawing, and I’ve noticed that potatoes get a bit mushy when frozen and thawed. I would be inclined to just refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. 🙂 And thanks for your kind words. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes! 🙂
wondering if russets will work… i hope so since that’s all i have.
s
Yes, absolutely. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Sarah! I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
I am wondering if I could use frozen hash browns for the crust?
I haven’t tried it, but I’m sure it would work just fine. Of course, be sure they are completely thawed and follow the step in the recipe to remove excess moisture so the crust doesn’t end up being soggy. 🙂
Kelly, thank you so much for the meal plans, recipes, and grocery lists. We are working our way through the 2015 Whole 30 Meal Plan. Love it so far! Thanks for another great recipe.
You are so welcome, Susan. So happy you’re enjoying the meal plans and recipes! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note! Blessings, Kelly
Make sure you have a good spring form pan. My egg just ended up all over the kitchen counter. Super frustrating. And I am STARVING!!!
Oh no! What a bummer! I have a Farberware Spring Form I got on Amazon for $14 and it works great. Tight seal and even baking. It sounds like perhaps the egg didn’t cook through? Since all ovens vary in temp, that may have been an issue too? I hope you’re able to get a new pan and try this again. I make it often for brunch fellowships, it’s quite delicious. 🙂
I made this in single sml pie dishes, really nice but even better, i made cassava flour wraps then cut one pie in half wrapped it long ways in cooked prosciutto then the cassava wrap. Man, beautiful!
What a creative idea! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Appreciate you taking time to leave a kind note! 🙂
Wow, that sounds like a feast for the eyes and stomach! Thanks for sharing 🙂
You are so welcome! I appreciate your kind words! Enjoy! Blessings, Kelly 🙂
I made this using spring form pans and the eggs totally leaked out everywhere, and the pans totally hold other batter so my guess is it has to do with them being warm when you add the liquid. So if you use those pans I’d do two things, use a bit more potatoes for your crust (actually I recommend that either way) and put the eggs in slowly to see if they hold. Then, if they don’t, stick it in the oven on a foil covered pan for a few minutes to let those eggs set, then add a bit more of the eggs, cook for a few more minutes, repeat until they’re all in. That’s what I did after my initial flood of egg batter all over my counter and it worked for the rest. Otherwise my review of this is it’s very good. I made it without real or fake meat, and probably more mushrooms and red pepper than were called for.
Sorry to hear you had trouble with leaky pans, and thank you for including in your note about what you did to help stop the leaking. I do have a feeling that some spring form pans are superior to others and that may be the main issue here. Regardless, the potatoes really need to be pressed firmly into the pan, as I note in the recipe, and cooked first before adding the eggs, so they help to create a leak-proof barrier. I make this recipe frequently (at least 2-3 times a month) exactly as outlined and haven’t ever had a leaking issue. 🙂 So I really think some pans are constructed better than others. Thanks again for taking the time to leave a kind note. With blessings, Kelly
Just made this 1st time, eating whole 30. De..licious!!!
Yay! Thanks for taking the time to leave a kind note. I’m so glad you enjoyed this. It’s one of my favorites too! Wishing you a delicious Whole30 adventure! 🙂
Looks delicious! I’m hosting a girls weekend soon and my mom can no longer have dairy or gluten, so this will be perfect. Quick question – if I make this ahead of time, do you recommend fully baking and then just reheating in the morning, or what’s the best way to do that? Thanks!
Hi, McKenzie. This is the perfect dish for a girls’ weekend! As far as making it ahead goes, the egg mixture will seep down past the potatoes if you don’t cook it right away, so I’d recommend baking it and then reheating it. Enjoy! xoxo