Tomato Basil Quiche with Potato Crust

Nearly 20 years ago my roommate from college gave me a recipe for a quiche with a shredded potato crust. I don't remember now everything that was in the quiche, although I'm pretty sure it also had sausage in it.  I do, however, remember the crust.  At first it seemed weird, but over time, it seemed interesting and finally very good.

Flash forward about 15 years. I was home alone for some strange reason (didn't happen often then, as I was raising a toddler), and wanted quiche.  In the house I had tomatoes, onions, frozen hashbrowns, cheese, probably some chicken, and not much else I was interested in putting in a quiche.  I remembered my friend's recipe with the potato crust.  What was born was tomato quiche in a potato crust that I thought was maaaaah-ve-lous.  Five years later, I've fiddled and tweaked and come up with something I'm finally satisfied enough with not to fiddle and tweak much more.

My husband, unfortunately, is not a quiche person.  Actually he's not much of an egg person.  He's eaten this exactly once and has deemed it "okay."  From him, for this dish, I'm taking as high praise.  But my girlfriends love this dish.  I make it for them often when we have the opportunity to get together.

In the pictures here, I've used a mix of red and yellow cherry tomatoes from the community market.  A whole diced tomato would work nicely as well.  I also don't make this very eggy, because I like the veggies to shine through, but you could certainly up the egg in this to 3 eggs instead of the 2 I use.  The amount of  shredded potato you use will depend on your pie dish.  Mine is fairly shallow, so I use about two cups of potato.  This is also one of those rare occasions, I prefer frozen hash browns over fresh potatoes I shred myself.  I like that the frozen hash browns are dryer, creating a crispier crust.

Tomato Basil Quiche with Potato Crust

2-3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes or shredded potatoes

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup red onion, diced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, torn

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, torn

salt

2 teaspoons oil

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375.  Place hash browns in pie dish and form a crust by pushing them up the edges.  Salt lightly. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until potatoes are hot.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet.  Saute onions until just translucent.

Remove crust from oven and sprinkle with cheese.  Top with tomatoes, onions, basil, and parsley.  

In small bowl beat two eggs.  Add milk and beat until combined.  Pour over vegetables in pie dish.

Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until eggs are set.