Sausage & Cheese Quiche with a Hash Brown Crust

Directions

1. Squeeze as much liquid from the thawed hash browns as you can and then mix them together with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, salt and pepper until well blended.
2. Spray a springform pan with cooking spray and press the hash brown mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Make sure there are no holes in the crust so the filling will not leak out. Place in freezer for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Smear the grainy mustard over the bottom of the frozen crust and then bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Turn heat down to 375 degrees.
4. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat and add onions, cooking for about 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, until they are caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Whisk together the eggs and cream in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the onions, sausage crumbles, 1 cup of shredded cheddar, half of the chopped chives, salt and pepper to taste until well mixed.
6. Pour filling into the hash brown crust. Place springform pan on a baking sheet to catch any possible leakage. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the eggs have set. Remove from oven. Use a thin sharp knife to run around the sides of the crust where it touches the pan to loosen.
7. Return to oven and bake another 10-15 minutes until puffy and golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes.
8. Carefully loosen quiche from sides of pan.

Notes

To Serve