Potato Crust Quiche

I spend way too much time cruising around Facebook. One of the sites I really like is Tasty.  It has a lot of recipes that look....well....tasty!  I recently found a quiche recipe that works for breakfast OR dinner.  It has thinly sliced potato slices instead of a crust.  As usual, I made a few minor changes to suit me.

  

Potato Crust Quiche

1 pound Russet potatoes, I used two medium
olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 1/2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese  I had a three cheese blend that I used
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced. about 1/4 cup
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled.  I used the pre-cooked bacon
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

  

Heat the oven to 400º.  Spray a pie plate with Pam.

  

Wash and peel the potatoes.  Thinly slice them.  This would be a good time to use a mandoline slicer, but I was too lazy to put it together and then clean it.  So I tried to cut the potatoes very thin and uniformly.

  

Place the slices in a large bowl and drizzle them with a olive oil, about 3 Tablespoons.  Add 1 teaspoon of the garlic salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the ground pepper, and the shredded Parmesan.  Mix gently so that the potato slices are covered.

  

Put one slice in the middle of the prepared pie plate.  Then work your way around in a spiral with the slices overlapping.  Overlap slices all around the edge of the pie plate.

  

Bake for 15 minutes.  The potatoes should be cooked, but not browned.  Remove from the oven.

While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon, whip the eggs and milk. I used the same bowl that had held the potatoes.  I did give it a quick wipe with a paper towel.

  

Add the rest of the garlic salt , pepper, green onion slices, diced tomatoes and the cheddar cheese to the egg mixture.  Crumble the bacon and add that.  Carefully pour the egg mixture into the pie plate. If the potato slices try to float to the top, push them back down.

  

Bake for 25 minutes or until the eggs are set and the edges of the potatoes start to brown.

  

Remove and let sit for a few minutes. Then slice and serve warm.  I served it with orange slices.

  

I like quiche and I like to have different recipes to try. This one has Cheddar cheese and it was very good.  I may try it with Swiss cheese the next time.

Kipling House Quiche

   

This summer we all went to Lee's hometown of Escanaba, Michigan.  He hadn't been back since his college days. He met cousins that he had last seen when they were children and now they are grandparents!  Lee found a really great Bed and Breakfast in the nearby town of Kipling on the Internet and we all stayed there.  It was the Kipling House

The breakfasts were wonderful and I particularly liked the quiche we had there.  It was taller and silkier than any quiche I have ever had.  Meghan, the innkeeper  ( www.kiplinghouse.com ), was gracious enough to share her recipe.  Mine didn't turn out as fabulous as hers, even though it was wonderful.  The top got a little too brown.  Next time I make it I will lower the temperature a bit.  My oven is kind of wonky, that is a technical term, and the temperature can vary by a LOT.  So I will suggest 335 for the temperature, particularly if you have a wonky oven..

Kipling House Quiche

1 Pre-made Pie Crust
8 to 10 pieces pre-cooked bacon
5 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
10 eggs
4 - 5 cups of half and half  It seems like a lot, but this serves a lot!
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

You will need a spring form pan.  This CANNOT fit in a regular pie pan!!!

 

    

 

Take the pie crust out of the box and let it rest and warm up a bit on the counter while you get out all the ingredients.  Pre-heat the oven to 335.  Spray the tightly closed pan with Pam.  Set aside.

Put the pre-cooked bacon on a plate and microwave for about 2 minutes to get it crispy.  Drain on a paper towel.

I used a rolling pin to make the crust a wee bit bigger.  Don't go crazy or it will tear.  I folded mine into fourths and then placed it with the point in the center.  Or you can just take the crust from the package and center it in the pan.  Use your fingers to smooth the wrinkles and make the whole thing fit tight to the inside of the pan.

   

Place the bacon strips to cover the bottom of the pan and cover them with the Swiss cheese.

   

I used a blender to mix the rest of the ingredients.

   

 Here is a hint for you.  I sometimes lose track of how many eggs I have put in things...phone ringing, cats bothering....  So I suggest putting the egg shells in the sink.  You can always come back and count them.  It is easier than trying to figure how many broken yolks make one egg!

   

I could only fit in 4 cups of half and half in my blender. 

   
   
After blending I poured a bit more half and half into the blender and then poured the whole thing, carefully, over the Swiss cheese.
   
   

Bake for 1 hour in the oven.  I put mine in at 350 but the top got a little too cooked so that is why I am telling you 335 for the temperature.  Don't blame Meghan, she suggested 335 to 350 and I should have gone with the lower temperature.  After 1 hour, turn off the oven and open the door for about 10 minutes.  Then put the quiche on the counter to cool for about 20 more minutes.  It needs time to set up.

   

Use a plastic knife or spatula to loosen the edges from the pan.  Gently release the spring and lift it off.  I cut the quiche right on the bottom of the pan and lifted the generous slices to the plates.

I made this for a dinner so it was served with a salad.  It was creamy and delicious, but Meghan's was better!

 

 

   

 

Quiche

In anticipation of pigging out over the next few days, I made a quiche and a salad for a light dinner. I used the recipe from Rich Donnis. He was a very good friend of ours from our old stomping grounds, Granite Bay, CA. His father was a chef and he grew up making wonderful food and he and his wife Mary were wonderful hosts. We went on a trip to Tahoe together and they made this wonderful quiche and generously provided the recipe for us.

Quiche

9" pastry shell
8 slices bacon, diced
1/2 lb swiss cheese, shredded
1 TBL flour
1/2 tsp salt
dash nutmeg
3 eggs beaten
1 3/4 cup milk

I tend to use shortcuts when available, so here is what I did. I bought a frozen pie shell. Use one and save the other for a future date. Bake for 7 minutes in a 350 oven. I use pie weights that I place on a bit of foil to keep them clean and so they don't sink into the crust. When removing the pie shell lower the heat to 325.

While the crust is cooking I microwave some pre-cooked bacon. I cook as many pieces as will crowd their way onto a plate ( 10 or 12, they're thin) and then turn them out onto a paper towel. Blot. Then whisk the other ingredients except the cheese and the nutmeg. It tends to fall to the bottom of the bowl.

Using the paper towel, crush the bacon and dump...I mean place, it in the empty pie shell. Save the paper towel to wipe the plate used for cooking. It can then be placed in the dishwasher. Add a 6 oz package of shredded swiss. Sure, you can buy a block and then shred it, but I am talking easy here.



Add the egg mixture and then using a microplane, grate a bit of nutmeg over the top. OK. Here is when I am inconsistent. I like the fresh stuff better and I have a microplane, so that is what I do. You can sprinkle it from the spice container. I doubt it will make a difference.



Bake at 325 for 35 to 40 minutes. You can slide a knife in the center and if it comes out clean, but damp, you are ready. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.