HASH BROWN QUICHE

One of my favorite ways of finding new blogs is to visit one of my "old favorites" and click through their list of favorites. This is how I found Amy from Dinners for a Year and Beyond. If you haven't checked out her blog, be sure to do so soon. Since we were heading into the weekend, what immediately caught my eye was her recipe for a hash brown quiche. I had bought a large bag of them to make potato cheddar soup, then didn't get to it because I had lots of leftovers this week. Amy's recipe was based on a recipe by Paula Deen. I used Amy's recipe as a springboard and lightened it up a bit. Here's my version of Amy's version of Paula's version. Don't you just love food bloggers!

Hash Brown Quiche
8 servings
5 WW pts per serving

makes 1 (9-inch) quiche

4 cups frozen hash browns (defrost them in the refrigerator)
1/2 stick butter, melted
4 large eggs
1 cupfat free half and half
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, then chopped
2 thinly sliced scallions
1 cup lowfat shredded cheese (I mixed cheddar and mozzarella)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the hash browns with the melted butter. Place the hash browns in 9-inch pie plate and press them into the bottom and up the sides plates to form a crust. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until golden brown and starting to get crispy. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in the same bowl, add the eggs, half and half, and scallions and whisk to combine. Spread the chopped bacon over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the bacon, then pour the egg mixture evenly over all. Return to oven and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.
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TASTE NOTES
This is a recipe you can definitely play around with. I want to try it next time with my Spanish tortilla ingredients (roasted red pepper, onions, Sazon, colby cheese). My only disappointment was that I could only eat one slice (5 WW points is at the high end of what I allocate for breakfast). DSO had 3 pieces and was very happy with this new brunch dish. The bacon and scallions made for a flavorful filling. The fat free half and half worked perfectly in the filling and I may try egg substitute next time to further lighten the calories. Amy, thanks for a wonderful Sunday treat.