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Since my boys were born, Mother's Day has taken on a new meaning for me. Homemade cards, extra hugs, and a chance to put my feet up are all I need to commemorate the day. However, my husband sees to it that I am spoiled throughout the day, usually starting with a cup of tea upon awakening and a hearty breakfast. My only regret is that I do not live close enough to my mum to give her a hug on Mother's Day. However, a chat on the telephone always manages to cure those blues. While we do not always have the chance to spend these types of holidays together, she knows how much she means to me. From the time I was a little girl, her kind and generous spirit have always inspired me. She cares enough about people to find out as much as she can about them - where their kids go to college, how many grandchildren they have, where they grew up. And I'm not just talking about her friends. She is on a first-name basis with everyone from the local cheesemonger to the waitress at her favorite breakfast spot. That is just who she is - and who I aspire to be like when I grow up. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut 1 pound of unpeeled red-skinned potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices. In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1/4 cup (packed) Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Over the past year, I have made several breakfast dishes that would be suitable for a Mother's Day brunch - from to to . Wanting to branch more into quiches, but not willing to face my pie crust-phobia head on, I decided to use potato slices as the crust for the quiche. I was concerned that the potatoes might become limp and simply fall apart, so they were baked before adding the filling. The result was a savory quiche, filled with pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach, nestled in a crust of browned, cheesy potatoes. This pie-crust phobia may not be such a bad thing after all.
Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and arrange the potatoes in concentric circles on the bottom and sides of the dish. Be sure to cover 1/3 to 1/2 of each potato slice as the slices will shrink during cooking and you want to avoid having gaps between the potatoes.
Bake until the potatoes are light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
Chop 3 ounces pancetta into 1/2-inch dice.
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is browned and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and lay on a paper towel.
Pour out all but 1 teaspoon of the pancetta drippings. To the pan, add 1 cup (packed) fresh spinach that has been torn into bite-sized pieces. Cook until the spinach is barely wilted, about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, whisk together 3 large eggs, 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the cooked spinach.
Pour the egg mixture into the potato crust. Cut 6 sun-dried tomatoes into 1/2-inch strips and sprinkle evenly over the egg mixture, along with the pancetta pieces.
Bake the quiche until the eggs are set and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. To test, insert a small sharp knife into the center of the eggs. If it comes out clean, the eggs are set.
Let the quiche cool for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
Other quiche recipes:
Cookin' Canuck's
Simply Recipes' Smoked Salmon, Dill & Goat Cheese Quiche
The Amateur Gourmet's Say, Say, Savory Onion, Cheese & Bacon Tart
The Perfect Pantry's One-Bite Vegetable Quiche in Phyllo Shells
Cheap Healthy Good's Crustless Spinach Mushroom Quiche
Potato-Crusted Quiche with Pancetta, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach
1 lb. red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup (packed) Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 oz. pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup (packed) fresh spinach, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
6 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch strips
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, melted butter, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray and arrange the potatoes in concentric circles on the bottom and sides of the dish. Be sure to cover 1/3 to 1/2 of each potato slice as the slices will shrink during cooking and you want to avoid having gaps between the potatoes. Bake until the potatoes are light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is browned and crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and lay on a paper towel. Pour out all but 1 teaspoon of the pancetta drippings. To the pan, add the spinach pieces. Cook until the spinach is barely wilted, about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir in the cooked spinach. Pour the egg mixture into the potato crust. Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes and cooked pancetta evenly over the egg mixture. Bake the quiche until the eggs are set and golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. To test, insert a small sharp knife into the center of the eggs. If it comes out clean, the eggs are set.
Let the quiche cool for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.
Serves 6.
