Hash Brown Quiche

I made this quiche a few weeks ago and then froze it. At the last minute I decided to pop this in the oven at 350 for 40-45 minutes, and served it with a side spinach salad. I now promise myself to always have a quiche in the freezer!! This is the original recipe, but my modifications are in parentheses. The hash browns as the crust is a wonderful idea so I am confident anything you decide to put in would be delicious.

3 cups shredded frozen hash browns (I used 4 to get a better crust and have no gaps)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup half-and-half

3/4 cup diced cooked ham (I used tomatoes instead because I didn't want any meat but I will try this next time)

1/2 cup fresh baby spinach (I added this, was not in original recipe)

1/2 cup diced green onions

1 cup shredded Cheddar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed. I had to cover the edges at some point so hash browns didn't get too brown. I didn't dollop with sour cream but next time I sure will!