MeIs there anything better than quiche for weekend breakfast or brunch? Heck, I could eat quiche even for lunch and dinner. But, it’s usually just too darn fattening for anything other than very special occasions. Or so I thought.
This warm cheesy comforting quiche is healthy enough to eat any morning — even for my fellow Weight Watchers. And, surprise upon surprise, it is a Paula Deen recipe! While I have yet to come across a Paula Deen recipe that does NOT taste delicious, most are just way too fattening for me to make on a regular basis (see my skinnied down version of her uber awesome cheesy gooey Slow Cooker Creamy Mac & Cheese). But, by substituting out a few lower fat ingredients, this scrumptious dish is both healthy and delicious.
One key item that I did not have to substitute is frozen hashbrowns. Yes, they’re hashbrowns. Yes, they’re potatoes. But, unless fried, frozen hashbrowns are quite lean and Weight Watchers-friendly. Paula ingeniously uses these for her quiche crust instead of a pie crust. If sufficiently thawed and dried, then baked, this hashbrown crust turns out nice and crispy. You don’t feel deprived.
Our kids flipped over this quiche when I first made it, and I can’t wait to play around with the ingredients to come up with some additional tasty and healthy variations.
- 3 cups, shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ¾ cup diced cooked ham
- ½ cup diced green onions
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- 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 F and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.
