HASHBROWN CRUST QUICHE

The beauty of this recipe, besides its "yummy-ness",is that it is ultimately consumer friendly. You can add (or subtract) your favorite veggies or meat to your liking...don't like mushrooms? Don't add them. REALLY like broccoli? Double the amount used. It all works and turns out great. The hashbrown crust is a nice, easy, and tasty change from the traditional quiche crust.

 3 cups UNcooked shredded hashbrown potatoes
1/3 cup melted butter (I use a little less)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup diced cooked breakfast meat
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (optional)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (pepper jack is good too)
4 eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup broccoli pieces
½ cup diced red bell pepper
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Mix the melted butter with the uncooked shredded hashbrowns and press into a 9" pie plate (I use an 8"x8" pan) sprinkle with salt and pepper. I like to use "Simply Shred" potatoes that you find next to the eggs in the market (not frozen). If you use frozen hashbrowns, thaw completely and dry them between paper towels before using.

Bake in a pre-heated 425F oven for 20 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown. Remove from oven.
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Top with the meat and veggies. I like to use thin cut Black Forest ham, but cooked breakfast sausage works well and of course you can't go wrong with crisp crumbled bacon!! I also saute the veggies just a little before putting them on top of the hashbrown crust; top with shredded cheddar (or cheese of your choice).
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Whisk the eggs, milk and ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper together and pour over everything. Don't be tempted to add extra eggs.
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Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden on top.

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BACON, EGG, TOAST CUPS

This is a very easy recipe because most of it can be made ahead of time.  It is a fun breakfast to serve company or a bunch of rowdy teenagers or a breakfast buffet crowd because it can be finished off last minute!!

There are no real measurements for this recipe; just one circle of toast, a pinch of cheese, one egg and one slice of precooked bacon for each serving (use the regular thickness bacon  because thick bacon won't work for this recipe).

These little beauties are quite filling and two of them make a hearty breakfast.

The "do ahead part" is to spray the cupcake pan generously with vegetable spray, then put a "toast circle" (unbuttered) in the bottom of each cupcake well.

Next, pre-fry the bacon. I do mine in the oven because it comes out perfectly flat and easy to work with.  Click HERE for my post on cooking bacon in the oven.

Bake the bacon at 375 (no need to preheat) for about 20 minutes, or if you are frying it, cook it about 2/3 done (you want it almost done, but still pliable).  Drain the bacon but don't let it cool down much (it tends to get stiff as it cools down). Quickly wrap each cupcake well, like this:

Put a healthy pinch of shredded cheddar ( I also like pepper jack cheese) on top of the toast, like this:

At this point, you can put them in the fridge and bring them out the next morning, or just before you make "breakfast for dinner" which is one of our favorites.

When it's time to eat, preheat your oven to 400 and carefully break an egg into each "nest"

Sprinkle with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper. Put them into the oven for for 15-18 minutes or until the eggs are done to your liking. Let the finished eggs sit in the pan for a minute or two (don't worry, they stay very hot).

Scoop the baked egg cups out of the pan with a spoon (they come out easily). If you like your eggs done fairly well (like we do), you can pick these up and eat them out of hand, but that would be a little messy to do that if you like very soft set eggs.

I am definitely making these for Christmas morning, along with fruit cups

and cinnamon rolls!!

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