This delicious asparagus quiche is a twist on the traditional, with shredded hash brown potatoes replacing the typical pastry crust. Filled with asparagus and aged cheddar.

asparagus quiche in cast iron skillet

This asparagus quiche is a wonderfully flavourful and hearty quiche. Yes, the hash brown crust was a little more work, but honestly, not that much. I’d definitely make this one again and would love to experiment with different cheese and herbs, as well. So if you’re looking for a lovely way to use Spring asparagus, I can definitely recommend this quiche!

Ingredients and Substitutions

Potatoes – baking Russet potatoes are needed for the crust. While I haven’t tried it, I believe thawed, frozen hash brown potatoes would also work, if you’d rather skip the potato grating/wringing thing. They should probably be quite thawed so you can press them against the pan and make a solid base. I would also think the cooking time on the stove-top might be a bit less.

Asparagus – start with fresh asparagus, trimmed of the woody ends. I like to trim the asparagus short enough to lay flat in the pan.

Cheese – old white cheddar cheese is specified, but this quiche is a great base to experiment with different cheese – goat, Swiss, fontina would all be good choices, or a combination.

Shallots – No shallots? Simply use a bit of yellow or red onion, instead.

Recipe Tips

Be sure to use all your muscles to wring out the moisture from the potatoes. The drier they are to start with, the better the end result. Also, don’t skimp on the time needed to brown/set the crust on the stove-top before placing in the oven, as it’s the key to a lovely crisp potato crust.

Do let the quiche sit a bit to set-up before serving. It’s actually best slightly cooled, rather than straight from the oven (in my opinion :)

asparagus quiche in cast iron skillet

asparagus quiche in cast iron skillet

Get the Recipe: Hash Brown Crust Asparagus Quiche

An hearty asparagus quiche, baking in a homemade hash brown crust. Lovely warm or at room temperature.
4.86 stars from 7 ratings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the hashbrown crust:

  • 4 medium baking potatoes, about 2 lbs., peeled
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 Tablespoons butter

For the filling:

  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups half-and-half cream , 10%
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • Pinch of grated nutmeg
  • 2 - 2 1/2 cups old white cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/2 bunch asparagus, (about 1/2 pound), ends trimmed
  • Optional: chives, for topping

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. (regular bake setting/not fan assisted)
  • Using the largest holes on a box grater, shred potatoes. Place in a large bowl and toss with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Transfer potatoes to a clean dish towel, gather together the ends of towel and thoroughly wring out excess liquid over the sink. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and set aside.
  • Heat oil and 2 Tbsp. butter in a 10" (top diameter) cast-iron skillet over medium-high until butter is melted. Add potatoes and immediately start forming into a crust by pushing potatoes flat against bottom and sides of pan with a 1/2-cup dry measuring cup. Continue cooking, pressing potatoes up sides of pan if they start shrinking, until potatoes are bound together and the bottom of the crust is starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
  • Meanwhile, melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, salt, pepper, mustard powder and nutmeg. Set aside.
  • Sprinkle cheese and sautéed shallots evenly over bottom of the potato crust, then pour in egg mixture. Arrange asparagus
  • (and chives, if using) decoratively on top.
  • Bake until quiche is set and crust is well browned, 30-35 minutes. Let cool at least 10-15 minutes, or to room temperature before cutting into wedges and serving from the pan.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Main Course
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 218kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 136mg, Sodium: 453mg, Potassium: 565mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 470IU, Vitamin C: 6.4mg, Calcium: 68mg, Iron: 1.5mg
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