Sweet Italian Sausage Quiche with Hash Brown Potato Crust

By cbayack

Best of Brunch: A Taste of North Carolina's Big Mill B&B (Recipe: Gluten-Free )

Originally developed by Big Mill B&B owner Chloe Tuttle to please gluten-intolerant bed & breakfast guests, this gluten-free Sweet Italian Sausage Quiche with Hash Brown Potato Crust isn't just delectable---it's flexible!
Featuring two choices for the cheeses and several other interchangeable ingredients, this recipe can be personalized to suit your individual tastes and needs. Need some substitution inspiration? Try subbing Baby Bella mushrooms for the red bell pepper, sweet onion for the scallion, hot sausage (vegetarian, or turkey breakfast sausage) for the sweet Italian sausage, or milk for the half-and-half.

And if your diet need not be gluten-free, feel free to substitute all-purpose flour in place of the instant potato flakes featured here. (Believe it or not, this recipe is still scrumptious if omit the potato flakes or the flour entirely, so have fun in the kitchen and remember: experimentation is key!)

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup shredded hash brown potatoes, found in the grocery refrigerator section
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided and melted
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1 large or 2 small scallions and tops, chopped into rounds
• 4 large eggs, certainly free-range if available
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 tablespoon instant potato flakes (or 1 tablespoon flour if not following a gluten-free menu)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg (fresh is always best)
• generous 1/2 cup grated Jarlsberg or good quality Swiss cheese (do not substitute cheddar)
• paprika

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 390 degrees F. Grease a straight-sided 8 inch round baking dish*(see note below). Mix the shredded hash brown potatoes with 1 tablespoon melted butter, ½ teaspoon salt and the Parmesan cheese. Press into the bottom of the round baking dish. Bake for 35-45 minutes (or longer) until the potatoes start to brown. Remove from oven.

Cook the sausage in a medium-sized skillet until almost done. Remove the sausage and drain on paper towels. Cook the bell pepper in the sausage drippings with the canola oil added. (I have found that the Italian sausage I use is not greasy). Remove peppers from the pan and drain. Lightly cook the scallions. Remove scallions from pan and drain.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Whisk the eggs and the half and half together. Add the potato flakes, 3 tablespoons melted butter, ½ teaspoon salt and the nutmeg. Whisk again. Sprinkle the Jarlsberg (or Swiss) over the cooked hash brown crust. (You cannot substitute cheddar---it is too greasy). Sprinkle the sausage, red pepper and scallions over the cheese. Pour gently, filling the dish with the custard mixture. Place in the oven with the rack in the middle. Pour more of the custard mixture into the dish until the dish is as full as possible. Sprinkle paprika over the top. Cook for 35-45 minutes, or until the edges have started to brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. Can be served hot or room temperature.

* Note: If you use a 9-inch dish, add another egg and an extra splash or two of half-and-half to the custard mixture.

Serving suggestions: Other than being a great breakfast & brunch dish, you can also serve this quiche with a salad for a light supper. Serve with fruit for pretty brunch.

Yield: 5-6 pieces of quiche.