Potatoes, Spinach, And Cheese Quiche

 

Potatoes, Spinach, and Cheese Quiche

Enjoy this quiche for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! For breakfast, serve with a side of bacon and some fruit or juice; for lunch, present with a salad and iced tea; or for dinner, plate it with a side of steamed broccoli or carrots and some crusty French bread.

Ingredients:
1 sheet pastry dough for 9-inch tart 
5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups frozen hash browns, thawed
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere Cheese, divided
7 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons everything but the bagel seasoning
3 dashes hot pepper sauce such as tabasco, or to taste

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). 

  Cut a 9-inch circle of parchment paper.

  Place pastry crust in a 9-inch quiche or pie pan, gently shaping and stretching to fit. Prick crust with a fork several times and place parchment circle over top. Add pie weights or dried beans on top of parchment paper.

  Set the pan on a baking sheet and place in the center of the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake about 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully remove pie weights or beans and parchment paper. Leave oven on.

  While the crust is cooling, squeeze thawed spinach between several layers of paper towels, to remove most of the moisture. Set aside.

  Add thawed potatoes to the cooled crust. Sprinkle 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese on top.

  Stir beaten eggs, cream, bagel seasoning, and hot pepper sauce in a large bowl until ingredients are fully incorporated. Stir in spinach, breaking up any clumps. Pour mixture over the cheese and potatoes. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Gruyere on top.

  Place in the center of the oven and bake until eggs are set and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Bacon Breakfast Tortes

Bacon Breakfast Tortes

This is another egg dish printed in our newspaper's weekly Food section. If you are having a crowd for the Easter holiday, it makes an easy serve yourself dish.

Ingredients:

12 strips bacon

2 Tablespoons butter

4 green onions, white and some of the light green part chopped

2 cups white corn fresh or frozen defrosted

1 16-ounce pkg. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

2 cups fresh or frozen hash browns

6 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 shakes Tabasco sauce

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese

***

Directions:

Cook the bacon until it renders its fat but is still pliable; drain on paper towels.

***

Coat the inside and top of 12 muffin tins with non stick cooking spray and arrange the bacon strips in muffin cups so that they line the cups. Some bacon strips will shrink more than others when cooked. If your bacon is particularly long after rendering the fat, trim it to fit the cup.

***

In a large skillet, heat the butter and saute the onion, corn and spinach until the water in the pan has evaporated. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool. Add the hash browns to the bowl.

***

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, Tabasco and mustard. Pour over the vegetables and stir to blend. Fill each muffin cup to the top with the mixture. Sprinkle the top with the cheese.

***

At this point you can cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 2 days.

***

When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator for at least 45 minutes. A cold pan can reduce your oven temp by 25 to 50 degrees.

***

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the tortes uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

***

To freeze the baked tortes, bake them for 15 minutes, cool to room temperature, cover and freeze for up to 1 month. When the tortes are firm,they can be transferred from the muffin cups to zipper top plastic bags and stored. Defrost in refrigerator, arrange on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil, and bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until warmed through. Serve warm or at room temperature.