Ham Quiche with Potato Crust - Weekend Recipe

Not all quiche needs a traditional crust.  This recipe is from the book Will it Skillet by Daniel Shumski (Workman, 2017) and it uses potatoes as the crust and a skillet for the pan. It is a unique recipe that is especially tasty for a savory or dinner quiche.

The direct heat of the skillet crisps the shredded potato crust while this quiche sets. Be sure to keep the potatoes high along the edge of the skillet to create crunchy potato bits.

Ham Quiche with Potato Crust

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 cups diced white or yellow onion (about 1 medium-size onion)
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp salt
5 oz baby spinach

1/2 cup diced cooked ham
2 medium-size russet potatoes (about 1 pound total)

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp dried savory

1/2 tsp thyme

6 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded mild cheese (such as Fontina, Gruyère, or Swiss)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with one rack in the middle.

Add 2 teaspoons of the oil to the skillet and heat over medium heat until the oil is hot, about 2 minutes. Add the onion, mushrooms, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and the mushrooms are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Add the spinach in two batches, cooking and stirring each time until the spinach wilts, about 30 seconds. The spinach will barely fit in the skillet at first, but will cook down quickly when stirred. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Drain off as much liquid as possible and scrape the vegetables into a large bowl. Add the ham and set aside. Wipe the skillet clean, then rub in a thin layer of oil into the skillet.

Using the coarse side of a box grater or a food processor, shred the potatoes. (You should have about 3-1/2 cups.) Squeeze the shreds in a clean kitchen towel until they’re as dry as you can manage.

In a medium-size bowl, toss the potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Press the potatoes into the skillet in an even layer across the bottom and all the way up the sides.

Bake until the potatoes are golden brown at the edges, about 30 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven and re-set the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.

Pour off any liquid in the bowl with vegetables and ham. Distribute the cheese evenly atop the potato. Spread the ham and vegetables in an even layer over the cheese. Pour in the egg mixture.

Bake until the eggs are set at the edges (the center may still jiggle a bit), about 30 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer it to a rack to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 2 days. Serves 6

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole (C&CMay)

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes (VegJun)

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes (ZucJul)

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes (MustardAug)

September 2019 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals

November 2019 - Pies

December 2019 - Mocktails