Ham and Cheese Quiche (Potato Crust)

hamcheesequichepotatocrust This Potato Crust Quiche, made with a base of thinly sliced potatoes, is simple, delicious, packed with protein and naturally gluten-free. It’s loaded with ham, bacon bits, shredded cheese and a velvety smooth custard. You can even have fun with different types and styles of potatoes, such as sweet potatoes or hash browns.

Potato Crust:
4-5 large russet potatoes, washed, peeled and cut thinly with a mandolin
2 tsp. vegetable oil
¼ tsp. sea salt
⅛ tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked

Filling:
8 slices bacon, cut into ½" pieces and cooked until golden brown
⅓ cup cooked ham, chopped
1¼ cups Swiss or cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked
1 pinch ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C/180°C fan, Gas Mark 6).

Arrange potato slices so that they are slightly overlapping in a single layer on the bottom and sides of a 9" pie dish. Toss in little vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until fork tender and a little golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Reduce heat to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook sliced bacon until golden brown. Remove the cooked bacon bits and drain on a paper towel.

Sprinkle the ham and bacon evenly inside the pie crust, then top with half of the cheese.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne and mustard (optional). Mix until well combined, then pour over the ham and bacon mixture. Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake the quiche in a preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until the egg mixture is set in the middle. You can test by gently shaking the pan just a little to see if the middle of the quiche is still runny. If you still aren't sure, insert a toothpick or knife into the center and it should come out clean.

Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Cook's Notes:

If your pie crust gets too brown but the quiche isn't finished cooking, tear off 2" strips of aluminum foil and lightly tuck them around the crust to prevent it from browning even more.

Variations:

Sweet Potato Crust Quiche: Made the same way, except with sweet potatoes. Skip the ham and shredded cheese and fill with spinach, bacon and goat cheese instead.
Hash Brown Potato Quiche: Instead of russet potatoes, line the pie plate with shredded hash browns. You’ll still want to prebake the crust but watch the bake time.
Spinach and Mushroom Potato Crust Quiche: Skip the ham and bacon and add sautéed spinach and mushrooms for a vegetarian version.

Storing, Freezing and Reheating:

Refrigerator: wrap well with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Be sure and cool your quiche completely, then wrap well in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil. You can store quiche frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheating Instructions: In order to reheat a frozen quiche, thaw it in the fridge overnight. Once thawed, the instructions are the same whether it was in the freezer or fridge. Just rewarm in a preheated 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3) oven until warmed through, or about 30 minutes. You may want to cover the crust with aluminum foil part-way through if it begins to brown too much.