Paula Deen Hash Brown Quiche

Paula Deen Hash Brown Quiche turns frozen hash browns into a crispy, buttery crust loaded with ham, eggs, cheddar, and green onions. Ready in just over an hour with only 10 minutes of hands-on work. It feeds 10 and fits right in at Saturday brunch, Easter morning, or a church breakfast.

The hash brown crust makes or breaks this recipe. Paula presses them into a pie plate with melted butter and bakes at 450 degrees until golden and crisp. Skip this step or leave too much moisture in, and the bottom goes soggy under all that egg filling. Dry those hash browns well.

You can thaw and drain the hash browns the night before. Squeeze them in paper towels right before pressing the crust. The quiche puffs up in the oven and settles as it cools, so give it five minutes before slicing.

Paula Deen Hash Brown Quiche

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: BreakfastCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

55

minutes

Calories

205

kcal

A crispy, buttery hash brown crust baked at high heat and filled with a savory mix of beaten eggs, half and half, diced ham, green onions, and melted cheddar cheese.

Ingredients

• 3 cups thawed and drained frozen shredded hash browns
  

• 4 tablespoons melted Butter
  

• 3 large beaten eggs
  

• 1 cup half and half
  

• 3/4 cup cooked diced ham
  

• 1/2 cup diced green onions
  

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

• Preheat: Preheat oven to 450 °F.
• Form the crust: 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.
• Mix the filling: 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.
• Bake the quiche: Lower the oven temperature to 350 °F and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 9.5-inch glass pie plate, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use fresh shredded potatoes instead of frozen hash browns?

Fresh potatoes work, but they hold more moisture. You need to rinse, drain, and squeeze them in a towel until they are very dry. Frozen hash browns are pre-cooked and easier to press into a crust, so they give more consistent results.

How long does hash brown quiche keep in the fridge?

Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in a 325-degree oven for about 10 minutes to bring back the texture. The microwave works in a pinch, but the crust will soften.

Can I assemble this the night before and bake it in the morning?

You can prep all the ingredients ahead, but the crust needs to bake separately at 450 degrees before the filling goes in. Pressing and filling it the night before would leave you with a soggy bottom. Build and bake the morning you plan to serve it.

Why does the crust need to bake at 450 before adding the filling?

The high heat crisps the hash browns and sets the crust so it holds its shape. If you pour the egg mixture over raw hash browns, they steam instead of crisp and the whole thing falls apart when you cut it.

What can I use instead of ham?

Crumbled cooked breakfast sausage or chopped bacon are the closest swaps. Turkey or chicken sausage works if you want something lighter. Leave out the meat entirely for a vegetarian version, but add an extra quarter cup of cheese to keep the filling rich.