First food I ate in 2012

Since we had our bestest couple friends come over for New Years Eve, I knew I wanted to be prepared for breakfast the next day. And I knew that I didn't want to be messing around in the kitchen just in case I woke up with a headache :) This recipe jumped out to me thanks to the hash brown crust :) I'm a sucker for anything potato. This was a very easy recipe to put together.

The flavors were mellow in the Quiche and I think I would have preferred a little more punch. Maybe a few jalapenos (finely chopped) or an addition of a sharp cheddar cheese would have given it just a little more flavor. But the great thing about this quiche is that you can add or leave out whatever you like!! Very easy to cater to your tastes. And the nice thing about this Quiche is that you can make it in advance... just pull the quiche out of the fridge about 30-45 minutes before you are going to eat, cut a slice and heat it up in the microwave. I thought about putting it in the oven to heat up but I didn't want to heat up the entire quiche, just the slices I cut for us to eat.



Goat Cheese Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
(adapted from Martha Stewart) – serves 8

2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 package (1 lb) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
10 large eggs
Sea salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
half of one yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup baby spinach
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
1 package (4 oz) soft goat cheese, room temperature
4 scallions, thinly sliced


Preheat oven to 375˚F.


Brush a 9-by-2 1/2-inch springform pan with butter, and line the sides of the pan with strips of parchment paper (same height as pan); brush paper with butter. (I forgot to brush the outside of the paper but all turned out okay)

Squeeze excess moisture from thawed hash browns. Mix hash browns in a bowl with butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Press into bottom and up sides of prepared pan, using a moistened dry measuring cup. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the edges start to turn slightly golden brown. (My hash browns were thawing enough for this impatient chick so I threw them into the microwave for a few minutes to hurry up the process... worked fine)

Saute the onion in a pan with the olive oil for about 2 minutes, then add the red pepper and saute for another minute, then add the baby spinach and saute for 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk sour cream, goat cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well combined; whisk in 9 remaining eggs. Then stir in the red pepper-spinach mixture.

Pour the egg mixture into the hash brown crust, and sprinkle the top with scallions. Bake until the quiche is set, 45 to 50 minutes. Tap the side of the pan, if the sides of the quiche are set and the middle is slightly jiggly, the quiche is done.

Unmold quiche, and peel off parchment paper before serving.