Hash Brown Quiche-Paula Deen Style

We love Paula Deen in our house. We bought some of her handcooked Virginia peanuts at Christmas time and Brad ripped into them in the parking lot and declared his love for her. I think he made a marriage proposal to her.... should I be offended? She also makes some pretty darn good pans. Christmas 2007 my husband and kids bought me the copper bottom pan set and in 2008 they bought me the 5 quart covered pan. I couldn't have gotten better gifts. I wanted the knife set too, but Brad remembers when I almost cut my hand off slicing an onion when we first got married, so he wouldn't buy me those! Now, to the recipe (I kinda got side tracked). I have made this quiche before and it's heavenly. It's also extremely affordable at only 74 cents per serving. If you have never tried quiche before, this is a great recipe that's sure to please!

HASH BROWN QUICHE-PAULA DEEN STYLE

3 cups, shredded frozen hash browns, thawed and drained

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

3 large eggs, beaten

1 cup half-and-half

3/4 cup diced cooked ham

1/2 cup diced green onions

1 cup shredded Cheddar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Gently press the drained hash browns between paper towels to dry them as best as possible. In a 9-inch pie plate, toss the hash browns with the melted butter into the plate. Press them into the bottom and up the sides to form a crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is ready pour the egg mixture over it and return to the oven. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown on top and puffed. 6 servings