Mini Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
Mini Quiche with Hash Brown Crust – Whether you’re prepping brunch for a crowd or doing a little meal prep for the week, these mini quiche with hash brown crust are the perfect dish to serve!
This post is written in partnership with Sprouts Farmers Market and the happy egg co. All opinions are my own. Tune in on Friday, April 14th to watch me make this recipe (and two Easter crafts!) LIVE on Facebook.
‘Tis the brunching season!
Now that spring has sprung and Easter is in the air, I’ve been dreaming up recipes for Easter brunch. I wanted something flexible (since it seems everyone is eating a different way these days), something easy, and something that could be served in single servings. These mini quiche with hash brown crust are the perfect solution!
What I love about this recipe is that there are SO many different ways you can fill and flavor these mini quiche. From vegetarian to meat-lovers and everything in between, there’s bound to be a combination that works for your crowd.
I started with some hash browns (I love Sprouts brand hash browns since they’re 100% potatoes–no additives, fillers, sweeteners, salt, etc.). I fitted them into muffin cups, pressed down to make a little well and baked them till crisped.
When the hash brown cups are ready to go, I filled them with a variety of toppings–diced ham, cooked bacon, shredded zucchini, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and sautéed bell peppers. You could really add almost anything. I recommend checking out your sale flyer to see what’s on sale and going from there. A few other ideas…
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Sautéed Mushrooms
- Caramelized Onions
- Cooked butternut squash
- Roasted bell peppers
- Sautéed greens, like spinach, kale, or chard
- Cooked, crumbled breakfast sausage
- Grilled (or steamed/roasted/sauteed) asparagus
- Fresh herbs–basil, chives, cilantro, parsley
You can make each one unique or make half a pan of one flavor, and half the pan another flavor. Once you’ve got the toppings added, you fill the cups the rest of the way with some whisked eggs. I LOVE these happy egg co eggs. Their signature golden yolks come from small flocks of hens raised on family farms. The hens are given more room (10 TIMES more room!!!) than other free-range hens, which makes for happy hens laying happy, delicious eggs.
I bake the quiche, let them cool and then we’re ready to enjoy! I like serving these along with a few kinds of salsa (something green and something red) that we can spoon over the top for an extra flavor kick, as well as some hot sauce, salt, and pepper. To fill out the meal, you can serve these with an Easter ham, some muffins, a bright fresh fruit salad, or a yogurt and granola parfait bar.
Notes on the Recipe:
A note on muffin pans. I’ve tried these using my favorite silicone muffin pan (which I love for their nonstick properties) and a standard metal muffin pan. Both worked, but the metal pan made for crisper, more browned potatoes. If you’re using a silicone pan and want your potatoes to brown, you’ll likely need to bake them a bit longer.
Can I sub sweet potatoes? Yes you can, and they’re delicious. You’ll want to shred them and saute them for about 5 minutes before baking. Also know that they probably won’t crisp up as much as white potatoes (they can burn in a metal pan if you don’t watch them). This is a good option for paleo eaters.
Can I freeze them? YES! This is maybe the coolest thing about them. Just place them in a zip-top bag or freezer-safe airtight container in a single layer and freeze till solid. To thaw, you can put them back in the oven at 375 for 10-12 minutes, or pop them in the microwave.
How long will they last? About a week in the fridge. You can eat the leftovers for breakfasts or lunches throughout the week. They’re AWESOME for meal prep!
Other brunch-y faves to enjoy:
- Cinnamon Pecan Muffins (gluten free, vegan)
- Honey-Lime Fruit Salad
- Apple Fritter Muffins
- Honey Sweetened Berry Lemonade
Mini Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
- Yield: 12 mini quiche 1x
Ingredients
- 1 (20oz) package hash browns (like Sprouts brand), thawed
- 3–4 Tbsp olive oil, melted butter, or melted ghee (clarified butter)
- 1–2 cups toppings (see notes for ideas)
- 8 eggs (like happy egg co. eggs)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine hash browns with olive oil (or butter/ghee), and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
- Divide hash browns between 12 muffin cups (spray if you’re concerned about sticking). Press down the center to create a little “well” and press hash browns firmly against the sides (a small glass or measuring cup may be helpful with this).
- Bake hash brown “cups” at 425 for 20-30 minutes, or until they’re starting to brown. (You can cook them longer if you want them more browned).
- Add desired toppings to the center of each hash brown cup.
- Whisk eggs in a small bowl (or liquid measuring cup with a spout) with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Working gently, pour egg mixture over the toppings just to fill.
- Bake again at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes (or until centers are just set). Allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
Ideas for Toppings:
Shredded zucchini or summer squash
Fresh tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes
Sautéed bell peppers or roasted bell peppers
Caramelized Onions
Fresh herbs–cilantro, parsley, basil, or chives
Roasted butternut Squash
Sautéed mushrooms
Sautéed greens, like spinach, kale, or chard
Diced Ham
Cooked, crumbled bacon
Cooked, crumbled breakfast sausage or chorizo
To freeze leftovers: Place in a single layer in a zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze until solid. To re-heat, bake at 375 degrees about 15 minutes, or microwave.
To substitute sweet potatoes – Shred sweet potatoes and saute about 5 minutes to soften slightly before transferring to muffin pans and following directions above. Watch for burning.
Love the hash brown crust! These look like the perfect addition to Easter brunch!
While your recipe looks amazing and totally yummy – I am really sorry to tell you that your information about happy eggs is not true. About a year or so ago a couple of the papers did an expose on a couple of their suppliers and found the hens in atrocious conditions they were squeezed into barns with barely enough room to move. They were so stressed many had pecked off a lot of their feathers and there were even a couple of dead hens lying in among them at one of the places. Also as for taste I have tried happy eggs (when they first came out) and found them to be flavorless compared to many other producers, they also had a poor color as well as watery yolks. Coming from a farming back ground I knew that the condition of the eggs meant the hens were either living in poor conditions or had poor food. I will never buy happy eggs as the hens are obviously not happy. Normally I do not comment on sites where I have to give my email addy but I felt this issue was too important. There are many more caring producers out there and people can even have there own hens (they make great pets) if they have room in their garden.
Mezie, Thank you for taking time to comment. (Your email address is simply used to prove that you are a real human not a spam bot. It’s not used or published anywhere. I appreciate your taking time to comment!)
I hadn’t heard anything about that with their US locations, and I will for sure be looking into it! I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve been so pleased by the taste, color, and quality of the US Happy Egg Co. eggs. I’d hate to think that the farming practices aren’t aligned with their purported values. Thank you for giving me something to think about and look into!