Brunch can be tough for those who are wheat-free because so many favorite breakfast foods — pancakes, waffles, French toast and avocado toast — are made with flour or bread.
Enter the potato crust quiche, a gluten-free take on the popular French tart filled with creamy custard and studded with any number of cheeses, meats and vegetables.
Made with smashed baby Yukon Gold potatoes instead of a traditional pastry crust, the vegetarian crust is both easy to pull together and makes the dish a little heartier than an everyday pie crust.
Because it’s crispier, a potato crust also adds more textural interest to the dish.
This recipe is extremely adaptable to personal tastes or whatever ingredients need to be cleaned out of your refrigerator’s crisper or happen to be on sale. If, for instance, you don’t like feta, use Swiss or cheddar cheese to bind the filling instead. You can also ditch the bacon for a custard packed with ham, chorizo or any other sausage.
For a meat-free quiche, stir in any favorite chopped vegetable — think fresh mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini or fresh or sun-dried tomatoes.
Looking to be even more creative? You also can play around with the herbs and spices, adding more or less, changing them up or leaving them out altogether, save for the salt. My husband, for instance, was not a fan of the fresh dill I added to the filling. Or as he put it, “What was that?”
Leftovers can be reheated, covered in foil, until warm in a 350-degree oven. You also can reheat quiche pieces in a skillet or air fryer.
Potato Crust Quiche with Spinach, Feta and Bacon
2½ pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons, plus 2½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
12-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
6-ounce package crumbled garlic and herb feta (about 1 cup)
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
8 large eggs, lightly whipped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 generous tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
1 generous tablespoon chopped fresh mint, plus more for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Position rack in lower third of oven.
Combine potatoes, 2 tablespoons salt and enough cold water to cover by 1 inch in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, undisturbed.
Reduce heat to medium; cook, undisturbed, until potatoes are fork-tender, about 25- 30 minutes. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
Generously brush a 10-inch cast-iron skillet evenly with 2 tablespoons oil. Place drained potatoes in an even layer in skillet. Using a flat-bottom measuring cup, smash potatoes firmly into the bottom, then press over bottom and about 1½-inch up sides of skillet.
Use a spoon or small offset spatula to evenly spread potatoes, smoothing and patching any holes or thin spots as needed.
Brush potato crust evenly with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle evenly with 1 teaspoon salt. Bake potato crust until edges are golden brown and slightly crisp and center is lightly golden, 35-40 minutes.
While crust bakes, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a separate medium skillet over medium. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently until very soft and tender, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach and crumbled until evenly combined. Set aside.
Remove skillet from oven. Sprinkle half of the feta (about ½ cup) in an even layer over bottom of potato crust. Top evenly with spinach mixture followed by remaining half of feta.
Whisk together eggs, cream, dill, mint and remaining 1½ teaspoons salt in a large bowl until well combined, about 30 seconds. Pour egg mixture over filling in skillet, spreading into an even layer, if needed.
Carefully transfer to oven using kitchen mitts. Bake until filling is set and a paring knife inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes, loosely covering edges with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning if needed.
Let cool slightly on a wire rack before serving, about 20 minutes. Serve garnished with more dill and mint, if desired.
Serves 6-8.
—adapted from foodandwine.com