Ham Spinach Quiche with Hashbrown Crust
This simple and satisfying Ham and Spinach Hashbrown Crust Quiche recipe transforms shredded potatoes, spinach, Canadian bacon, white cheddar cheese, and eggs into a crowd-pleasing, protein-packed, and gluten-free crustless quiche. It’s customizable from top to bottom, so you can use your family’s favorites and build the ultimate gluten-free breakfast casserole. This delicious, healthyish quiche packs 30 grams of protein per serving for less than 500 calories.
This hashbrown crust breakfast casserole is a winner in our house. I used my favorite breakfast food, eggs, and seasoned them with Dijon, paprika, onion powder, salt, pepper, and good-quality cheddar cheese. As a result, it’s loaded with nutritious ingredients without an ounce of irresistible flavor and texture sacrificed. Not to mention, it’s so quick and easy to throw together!
The rest of this hearty potato crust quiche consists of refrigerated shredded potatoes (of course), Canadian bacon, and fresh spinach. Needless to say, there’s no shortage of protein and fiber. For my macro counting friends, you can adjust the egg-to-egg white ratio and modify the meat, so a portion of gluten-free hash brown casserole perfectly aligns with your protein goals.
If you’re on team breakfast all day with me, don’t miss other healthy breakfast recipes like my Potato Eggs Benedict, Ultimate Gluten-Free Breakfast Sandwich, Ham Spinach Gruyere Quiche, and Belgian Protein Waffles -but first, let’s dive into this ham and spinach hashbrown crust quiche!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s made with a short list of real-food ingredients that are easy to modify to your preference.
- There are only a few minutes of hands-on work before your oven takes over.
- Perfect make-ahead breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner loaded with lean protein and fiber to keep you feeling full for hours.
- There’s no condensed soup or pie crust, and seriously SO easy!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil – To toss with the hashbrowns and an olive oil spray to cook the spinach. You can also swap with butter here, just melt a couple of tablespoons of butter to toss with the potatoes.
- Fresh baby spinach – Omit if greens in hash browns aren’t your thing.
- Ham – I used Canadian bacon because it’s lean and flavorful, but this potato crust quiche is also an excellent way to repurpose leftover holiday ham.
- Refrigerated hash browns – AKA pre-shredded potatoes. The added ingredients vary between brands, so always check for gluten-free certification. Reese’s Fine Foods and Simply Potatoes are readily available brands in grocery stores.
- Sharp white cheddar cheese – I’m a big fan of Cabot’s sharp white cheddar cheese in this recipe. Extra sharp cheese adds great flavor. Feel free to switch things up with yellow cheddar, monterey jack, or gouda shredded directly from the block. I also occasionally add some feta cheese to the mix.
- Eggs – They bind the ingredients together, creating a cohesive, fluffy casserole.
- Milk– Creates a creamy, smooth filling. I use Fairlife 2% milk for a protein boost, but feel free to swap with whole milk or half and half here for a rich custard filling.
- Spices and seasonings – I used Dijon mustard, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
How To Make A Quiche with Hashbrown Crust
Step 1: Prebake the hashbrowns. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and spray a deep dish pie plate (make sure it’s a deep dish!) with cooking spray. Toss the shredded hashbrown potatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or butter) and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Spray the potatoes generously with olive oil spray, season with a little salt and pepper, and bake for 25 minutes.
Step 2. Sauté spinach and ham. Heat a pan over medium heat and spray with olive oil spray. Add spinach and cook until just wilted. Add the chopped ham and cook for another minute or two.
Step 3: Assemble the casserole. Spread the spinach-ham mixture over the prebaked hashbrowns, then sprinkle the cheese on top.
Step 3: Add eggs and seasonings. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, dijon, paprika, onion powder, salt, and pepper until combined, then pour the mixture over the casserole.
Step 4: Bake casserole. Transfer to a 375°F preheated oven and bake until the casserole is golden and puffy and the eggs are set (about 25-30 minutes). Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- You can use a combination of egg whites and whole eggs to reduce the calories and fat, or add a couple more whole eggs to the mix for an added protein boost.
- Before cutting into the casserole, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to ensure the eggs are fully set.
- For a more indulgent version, swap the milk with half and half or heavy cream.
- You can also bake this in an 8×8 baking dish. It turns out more like a hash brown casserole this way, everything melds together. When using this method, press the hashbrowns into the bottom of the pan and prebake as directed.
Variations
Making breakfast casseroles, quiches, and frittatas is an opportunity to clean out the vegetable crisper and use the meats you already have. There are no rules!
- To deepen the savory flavors, saute diced onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic in the skillet before wilting the spinach.
- Instead of Canadian bacon, you can use ground breakfast sausage, seasoned ground beef, chopped bacon, and even chopped chicken. Just be sure to brown uncooked meats before combining them with the egg mixture and adding them to the casserole.
- Use your favorite vegan cheese or nutritional yeast to make a dairy-free quiche.
Make Ahead and Storing
Meal prep and storing: After baking, let the casserole cool completely to room temperature, then cut it into four even servings (or 8 slices with 2 slices per serving). Store leftovers in a shallow airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. To reheat, just pop a portion in the microwave until heated through, or use my favorite method and pop it into the air fryer at 350 degrees F. for 5-6 minutes, or until warmed through.
Make ahead: This healthyish hashbrown crust quiche is an excellent make-ahead meal. The night before or the morning of, assemble the ingredients in the baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it in the refrigerator. Then, remove the plastic wrap and bake as instructed immediately before mealtime.
Recipe FAQs
This is a stick-to-your-bones type of quiche, so I like sticking with lighter sides like fresh fruit, sliced avocado, or a side of fresh salsa. To add more lean protein to your plate, add a side of turkey bacon or turkey sausage. It’s also AMAZING with hot sauce!
You can, but I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle. First, you’ll need to shred the potatoes into hash browns, then soak the shreds in a bowl of cool water. Next, you’ll drain the potatoes and repeat the soaking process 2-3 times, ensuring all of the excess starch is removed. Then, you’ll need to dry the potatoes very well -and finally, you’re ready to use the potatoes in your hashbrown crusted quiche.
More Gluten-Free Breakfast Casserole Recipes
- Gluten-free Cheesy Ham Casserole
- Corned Beef Hash Breakfast Casserole
- Sausage and Egg Breakfast Casserole
- Loaded Potato Breakfast Casserole
If you love this hashbrown crust ham and spinach quiche recipe, I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!
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Ham and Spinach Quiche with Hashbrown Crust
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
- 20 oz bag of refrigerated shredded hash browns
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil cooking spray
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 4 oz Cabot sharp white cheddar cheese shredded from block
- 6 oz Canadian bacon chopped (or leftover cooked ham)
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup Fairlife 2% milk *you can also swap with whole milk, or cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and spray a deep dish pie plate (make sure it's a deep dish!) with cooking spray.
- Toss the hashbrowns with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or butter) and press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Spray generously with olive oil spray and bake for 25 minutes.
- Heat a saute pan over medium heat and spritz with olive oil spray. Cook spinach until just wilted, then add the chopped ham and cook for about a minute more.
- Spread ham and spinach over the prebaked hash browns, then sprinkle with the cheese.
- In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the eggs, dijon, paprika, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Pour over casserole and bake for 25-30 minutes more until the center is set and top is lightly golden. Allow the quiche to cool for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
- You can use a combination of egg whites and whole eggs to reduce the calories and fat, or add a couple more whole eggs to the mix for an added protein boost.
- Before cutting into the casserole, let it rest for 5-10 minutes to ensure the eggs are fully set.
- For a more indulgent version, swap the milk with half and half or heavy cream.
- You can also bake this in an 8×8 baking dish. It turns out more like a hash brown casserole this way, everything melds together. When using this method, press the hashbrowns into the bottom of the pan and prebake as directed.
Nutrition
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Thanks so much for answering my husbands prayers with this recipe! He grew up in the Midwest and is obsessed with his comfort classics, of which one happens to be a diner stack from his old college hangout Mary Annes! This recipe is sure to hit that sweet spot for him but thankfully RD approved too!
Have a great Sunday!
Thanks Elizabeth! I hope he loves it!!
Great flavor combinations!
Thank you Melanie!
Looks great Amee! My husband is going to LOVE this one 🙂
Thank you Alex!
Great brunch idea!!
Thanks Deanna!
I’ll be honest, I’m not a hashbrowns fan, BUT covered with melted cheese? You may have just changed my opinion!
This looks SO good! Nothing fills me up quite like eggs for breakfast do. Love how easy this would be to have all through the week!
Thanks Emily! Eggs are my favorite!
This looks awesome! I’m all about savory brunch dishes so this is totally calling my name 🙂
Thank you Sonali!
This is MY kind of breakfast! Love it and pinning 🙂
Mmmm, breakfast casseroles are always my favorite! I love the idea of having hashbrowns in it. The best of both worlds! 🙂
This is a breakfast winner in our house!