Potato Crust Quiche with Cottage Cheese (High Protein)
Potato Crust Quiche combines a browned smashed-potato crust with a creamy cottage cheese egg filling, sharp cheddar, spinach, and savory ham or turkey. It’s hearty enough for breakfast or brunch, easy to make ahead, and packs plenty of protein into every slice.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Potato crust:
- 1 1/4 - 1/2 pounds baby potatoes (about 20 potatoes)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Quiche filling:
- 8 eggs
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces ham or turkey diced
- 2 cups spinach roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place potatoes into a large pot and fill with water about 1” above potatoes. Add 1 tsp of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain water completely and set aside to cool for 2-3 minutes.
- Spray a 9” pie dish with cooking spray or lightly coat with oil. Transfer potatoes to the pie dish, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt. Mix the potatoes with a spoon or clean hands until they’re all thoroughly coated in olive oil and salt.
- Smash the potatoes using the bottom of a cup or the back of a spoon and press them into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pan to create a “crust”.
- Bake for 20 minutes in the oven. After 20 minutes reduce the oven to 350 degrees. Remove from oven and set aside. Note: If you're short on time, you can skip this pre-baking step, the potato crust just won't come out quite as crisp.
- While the potatoes cook, make the egg filling. Add eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to a high speed blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Stir in the meat and spinach. Set aside.
- Pour egg mixture into potato crust and bake for 40-45 minutes until the quiche is completely set in the middle. Cool slightly before slicing and serving.
Notes
- The pre-bake step: You can skip this step if you want to save some time, just note that your potato crust won't be quite as crisp!
- Potatoes: Baby gold or yellow potatoes give the crust a creamy center with browned edges. Go by weight (about 1¼–1½ pounds) if your potatoes vary in size.
- Pie dish size: Some 9-inch pie dishes are shallower than others. Leave a little room below the rim for the filling to puff as it bakes; any extra filling can be baked separately in a small greased dish.
- Make ahead: Bake the quiche the day before, refrigerate, and reheat before serving. Individual slices reheat more quickly than the whole quiche.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Microwave individual slices for the quickest option, or reheat at 350°F in the oven if you want to preserve more of the browned texture around the potato edges.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 253mg | Sodium: 1111mg | Potassium: 609mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1446IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 2mg
