Golden and crispy hash brown crust filled with a baked mixture of luscious eggs, cream, gruyere cheese, caramelized leeks, peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and prosciutto.
Preheat oven to 425° F (220 ° C). Prepare a 9-10 inch leak-proof springform pan by spraying well with spray oil, then lining with parchment paper (cut out a circle for bottom and strips for sides. Spray again.
Thaw and squeeze out water from hash browns using paper towels. In a large bowl, mix hash browns, beaten egg, melted (cooled) butter, onion & garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well and press into evevnly into a springform pan, on the bottom and up the sides. For crisper crust, spray with a little spray oil (I like Avaocado). Par-Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and crispy, remove from oven until quiche prep is done.
I like to use the bottom and sides of a glass or measuring cup to press the crust down into the bottom and sides of the pan, giving you an even crust.
For the Quiche
In a large fry pan, saute the leeks and red peppers in the butter for 10 minutes or so, add the mushrooms and saute for another couple minutes. Push veggies to one side of pan and add chopped prosciutto and crisp cook quickly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
½-1 cup baby Portabella mushrooms, 2 small small leeks, ½ small red pepper, 8 slices prosciutto ham, 2 tablespoons butter
In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, cream, salt and pepper, mix well until creamy. Stir sauteed veggies, artichoke hearts, cheese and prosciutto into the egg mixture, it will be very thick. Place your crust on a parchment lined baked sheet (just in case it leaks) and pour egg mixture into crust.
6 oz artichoke hearts, 8 large eggs, 1 ½ cups heavy cream, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 cups Gruyere cheese, ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
Immediately place into preheated 425° F (220 ° C) and REDUCE HEAT to 400° F (205° C) oven and bake uncovered 45 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and continue to bake another 10-20 minutes until golden brown and only a teensy jiggle in the center. Test doneness; a skewer inserted in the center should come out clean, or touch gently, it should spring back. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
May be made ahead of time, cooled completely, covered and refrigerated. When ready to reheat, cover with foil and place in 325° F (165° C) oven for about 30 minutes, until heated through.
Notes
Variations and Substitutions
Fresh chopped spinach
Stir 2 tablespoons pesto into egg mixture
Use crisp bacon or cubed ham instead of prosciutto
Replace Gruyere with Swiss, Sharp Cheddar, Smoked or regular Gouda cheeses (or a mixture)
Use Half & half in place of cream.
If you don't like a veggie, leave it out! For instance; leave out the mushrooms or artichoke hearts, replace the red pepper with your favorite, etc.
This recipe may also be made in a 9 or 10 inch deep dish pie plate. Reduce eggs to 6 and heavy cream to 1 cup.
Top Tips
Ensure you’ve filled in every little gap in the hash brown crust. This will prevent leakage when the filling is poured into the par-baked crust.
If desired, the hash brown crust may be made ahead of time, cooled completely, wrapped well and frozen until ready to fill.
Test this either by inserting a skewer into the centre (it should come out clean) or by touching the centre gently (it should spring back).