Hash Brown Crust Bacon and Cheddar Quiche

A baon and onion quiche with a hash brown crust on a platter with two slices out.

We love this recipe for our Hash Brown Crust Bacon and Cheddar Quiche! The hash brown is actually really easy to make and gets crispy around the edge, just the way great hash browns should be. It’s a really great texture to add to the light and fluffy quiche. This quiche recipe has all your favorite breakfast items in one dish, and makes it a super good option when you’re having people over.

How to make Our Quiche Recipe

Process

Squeeze as much liquid from the thawed hash browns as possible and place into a large mixing bowl. Add cheddar, salt and pepper and stir together. This is important to make sure the crust will crisp up.
Lightly grease a 9” spring form pan with cooking spray and evenly press the hash browns mixture into the bottom and sides of the pan, making sure you don’t have any holes within the crust. This is very important to prevent any leakage from happening when you pour the filling into the crust.
Place the pan in the freezer and freeze for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425˚F.
Place frozen crust into the oven and par-bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and slightly cool. This will also help to set the crust so it’s crisp at the end.
In a skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and lightly caramelize for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs and cream. Whisk together until light and fluffy.
Add remaining ingredients, including caramelized onions and stir together until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour filling mixture into the par-baked crust and place into the oven.
Lower oven temperature to 375˚F and bake the quiche for 25 to 30 minutes or until the eggs have just set.
Remove quiche from oven and run a paring knife around the perimeter of the springform pan. This will help to loosen the crust from the pan without tearing.
Loosen springform pan from sides of quiche and place quiche back into the oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. The extra time will help the crust get crisp on the sides.

Hash Brown Crust

Thawed hash browns in a mixing bowl with hands squeezing out the moisture. — Once you thaw the hash browns, squeeze as much liquid from the thawed hash browns as possible and place into a large mixing bowl.

Hash brown ingredients in a mixing bowl. — Add all of the ingredients for the hash brown crust into a mixing bowl.

Hash brown crust mixture in a springform pan. — Add the mixture to a greased springform pan.

Hash brown crust mixture being pressed into a spring form pan. — Start to form the crust by pressing the hash brown mixture into the bottom and sides in an even layer.

Hash brown crust mixture being pressed into a spring form pan on the edges. — Press the mixture up into the sides. Make sure it’s firmly packed.

Hash brown crust in a springform pan, close up on the crust. — It’s important to make sure there are no holes in the crust, or the filling will leak out.

A quiche with a hash brown crust close up on the even layer. — If you find one, repair it with more filling mixture.

Quiche Filling

Ingredients in our Onion and Bacon Quiche with a Hash Brown crust.

Quiche mixture in a mixing bowl. — Place all filling ingredients into a bowl.

Quiche filling mixture in a mixing bowl combined. — Mix together.

A spring form pan filled with a hash brown crust on a baking sheet. — Place the springform pan with crust on a baking sheet.

Quiche with a hash brown crust and filling on a baking sheet ready to be baked. — Add filling into the pan and bake!

FAQs

Can this quiche be made and frozen ahead of time?

Absolutely! To freeze quiche, bake as instructed then cool completely. Place in freezer uncovered until fully frozen. Tightly wrap with foil or plastic wrap. When ready to serve preheat oven to 425˚F.Place quiche onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until warmed through and crust is crisp. Remove from oven, slice and serve.

What about freezing individual wedges?

Yes! Just cool the quiche completely, cut into wedges and follow the same process from above, except once the wedges are frozen wrap each piece individually in foil or plastic wrap before storing in the freezer.

How long will the quiche keep in the freezer?

We recommend freezing for up to 3 months for optimal freshness.

A hash brown quiche that is wrapped in plastic wrap. — Wrap your quiche tightly with plastic wrap to refrigerate or to freeze.

Tips and Tricks for Success

The most important thing about this recipe is to make sure you’ve filled in every single little gap throughout the hash brown crust. This is to make sure there’s no leakage that occurs when the filling is poured into the par-baked crust.
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, which will help to give you an even crust.

Variations

The cheddar can be swapped out for almost any cheese of your choice, like crumbled goat cheese, shredded fontina, crumbled feta, or shredded Swiss.
This recipe can be made vegetarian friendly by swapping the bacon out for sauteed spinach (just make sure to squeeze as much liquid from the spinach before adding it to the filling mixture).
You can also add diced and par-cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes to double down on the spuds and bulk this quiche up even more.

We also have this version with asparagus instead of bacon for a little variety. We used this spring form pan. Although it costs a little more than the average spring form pan, it’s a great quality and allows the quiche to release from it easily every time!