Ultimate Breakfast Quiche With Hashbrown Crust Recipe

Whether its for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner, quiche is one dish that knows no time of day. While Americans are more likely to eat quiche in the morning hours, the eggy dish is suitable for lunch or dinner (classic quiche lorraine, anyone?), making it a perfectly versatile dish. This recipe for ultimate breakfast quiche with a hashbrown crust takes the dish into morning territory, with the inclusion of bacon and sausage. The tender custard-like interior, crispy bacon, gooey cheese, and crispy hash brown crust make it texture lover's dream quiche. 

Recipe developer Kate Shungu says, "I love making quiche for a special brunch. This one skips the fuss of a savory pie crust, and instead uses hash browns to hold the filling." She explains that using hash browns is easier than making a pie crust from scratch, since all you really need to do is pack them in tight and give them a little time to bake on their own. "Your family will love the pairing of tender potatoes with the cheese, eggs, bacon, and sausage," Shungu says, adding, "It really is the ultimate breakfast, all wrapped up in a hearty quiche."

The quiche starts with a base of hash browns, butter, and salt. A layer of cheese prevents the hash brown crust from getting soggy, then a layer of crumbled breakfast sausage and crispy cooked bacon go on top. That's all topped with a simple mixture of eggs, half and half, and salt, then baked to perfection. Fresh chives on top are optional. They add a freshness and onion-like flavor to the dish. 

Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Grease a 9-inch pie dish.

Place hash browns on a clean kitchen towel. Wring the towel to remove as much water from the hash browns as you can. You may want to do this over a bowl or sink in case any water drips out.

Place the hash browns in a large mixing bowl with the melted butter and ¾ teaspoon salt. Toss to combine.

Press the hash browns onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan, pressing firmly so they stick together.

Bake the crust for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 F.

Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the baked crust.

Scatter the crumbled bacon and crumbled sausage over the cheese.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.

Pour the egg mixture over the bacon and sausage.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center of the quiche no longer jiggles when you shake the pan gently.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chives if desired before slicing and serving.

Since this quiche forgoes a traditional pastry crust, we'll create additional texture in the hash brown crust instead. Not only do we want the hash browns not to be soggy, we want them extra crisp on the edges. To do so, we'll par bake the crust. Similar to par baking pie crust, it involves baking the crust before adding the filling. This gives the hash browns a chance to start cooking (so they aren't soggy) and get a head start on getting crisp. The addition of butter to the hash browns not only ensures that the crust sticks together, but it helps with creating the brown, crispy edges. 

When an egg filling gets added to quiche, the crust can take on some of the moisture in the filling, rendering it soggy (this happens with both hash browns and pastry dough). To counteract this, we'll add a thin layer of cheese on top of the hash browns, which acts as a barrier between the filling and the hash browns. The end result is a delightfully crispy crust that's not soggy, and perfectly cooked through. 

The beauty of quiche lies not only in its flavors and textures, but in its versatility. It's endlessly adaptable to your favorite mix-ins. Your swap can be as simple as changing out the cheese (monterey jack would be a nice substitute) or as complex as turning the flavor profile completely on its head. 

Instead of meat and cheese, how about a veggie-packed quiche made with roasted vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes? Crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese on top are an excellent complement. Or get some inspiration from a classic quiche Florentine by adding sauteed spinach, Swiss cheese, and pinch of nutmeg. Fans of the Denver omelette can stuff the quiche with smoked ham, sauteed onion, sauteed bell pepper, and shredded cheddar. Whichever mix-ins you choose, just be sure to cook them first. 

Lastly, if you don't have half & half, use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. The ratio is ¾ cup whole milk to ¼ cup heavy cream.