Mushroom Cheddar Quiche on a Potato Crust
Instructions:
- Instead of standard pastry, grated potatoes make a crunchy crust for this creamy quiche. Use only Russets: they have the right amount of starch for a stable crust. Makes 6 servings
- 2 large Russet potatoes, peeled
- 1 small onion
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1â„2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing the baking dish
- 12 ounces white button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1â„4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 11â„2 cups milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1â„2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces Cheddar, grated
- Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate and set it aside.
- Grate the potatoes through the medium holes of a box grater into a large bowl. Once they’re grated, pick them up by the handfuls and squeeze out any excess moisture over the sink.
- Grate the onion into the potatoes, again using the small holes of the box grater. Stir in 1 egg and the salt. Press this mixture into the prepared pie plate.
- Bake until lightly browned, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. (The crust can be made in advance; once cooled to room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap and store it at room temperature for up to 1 day.)
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they give off their liquid and it reduces to a glaze, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle the nutmeg over the mushrooms and set aside.
- Whisk the remaining 4 eggs, milk, mustard, and pepper in a medium bowl until fairly smooth.
- Sprinkle half the grated cheese over the potato crust. Pour the contents of the skillet over the cheese, then top with the remaining cheese. Pour the prepared egg mixture over the cheese, evenly coating it.
- Bake until browned and puffed, about 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.