Crab and Spinach Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

Crab and Spinach Quiche with Hash Brown Crust

by Traci Bump
adapted from two recipes:

Crust from Potato Pancakes in Country Living Magazine

Filling from Hot Eats and Cool Reads
The Wine Dive recommends Simply Naked Chardonnay to be paired with this dish.

I absolutely love to make and eat quiche. But the crust has always just been the vessel, not really adding anything spectacular to the quiche. That's why I thought, why not use hash browns as a crust? Who doesn't like that crunchy goodness of potatoes mixed with eggs? There are some other recipes out there that use a hash brown crust, but these two worked together so well, I am really happy with the result.

This recipe is only a guideline. There are so many things you can do with this dish! Make it your own and have fun with family and friends.

Makes 6 large muffin-tin quiches.

Hash Brown Crust:
2 cups frozen hash browns, thawed and drained

2 Tablespoons flour

1 large egg, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Variations: garlic, onions, nutmeg, chili powder, horseradish powder, Aleppo pepper.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until the flour is well blended. Grease the bottoms of a muffin tin. Divide the potato mixture into 6 parts and press into each muffin cup, bottom and sides.

Bake for 10 minutes, check for even browning. You may need to rotate the pan. Continue baking until you have an evenly golden-brown shell, about 20 minutes in total. Let cool while you mix the filling.

Filling:
5 large eggs

4 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained

1 medium green onion, sliced

4 ounces Gruyère, shredded

1/4 cup bacon bits

1 ounce Pinot Grigio 

6 ounces crab meat (I had shelled Dungeness crab in the freezer. You can use canned if you'd like, but make sure to drain it well)

Salt and pepper to taste (don't forget that you have alreadyseasoned your hash browns!)

Variations: mushrooms, ham, asparagus, artichokes, tomatoes, various kinds of cheese.

Beat together the eggs and wine until combined and a little frothy. Stir in the spinach, green onion, and cheese. Gently fold in the crab. Pour about 1/2 cup of the filling into each hash brown cup. Do not be alarmed if the filling overflows the sides of your quiches, that just makes them prettier. Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes.

Again, check for uniform cooking and rotate the pan, if necessary. Cook for 15 minutes longer. Check for doneness (the filling should be set). Remove from the oven, plate and serve.

This dish is great with a salad, fruit, or even just on its own.