Bacon Pie

Bet that got your attention.

This is one of those things that comes to you in the middle of the night.  Does bacon pie exist, and if it does, what's in it?  I did a Google search, which produced some interesting ideas, including this gorgeous bacon lattice, but they weren't what I had in mind.  Then, this month's Bon Appetit arrived and one of the recipes solved the problem for me.  Hash brown crust.  Yes!  That's what this idea needs.

Technically, this is a quiche.  I tried to come up with some way not to make it a heart attack waiting to happen, but broccoli doesn't work for breakfast.  The best I could do was to leave the skin on the potatoes.  If your goal is to make this a stuffed potato in pie form, go for the broccoli.

3/4 lb russet potatoes, shredded or grated
1 Tb oil
1/2 lb bacon, excess fat trimmed, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 C finely chopped onion
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1 C milk
salt and pepper

1.  Heat oil in a skillet.  Add shredded potatoes, onion, and a little salt and pepper.  Cook hash browns until browned and crisp.  Press into a pie plate to form the crust.

2.  Fry bacon in the skillet until done.  Place bacon in crust, then sprinkle with cheese.

3.  Preheat oven to 375º.  In a bowl, beat together milk and eggs.  Season with pepper, then pour on top of cheese.  Let custard settle a bit before placing pie in oven.

4.  Bake pie 45 minutes, until egg is set.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Serves 6

Difficulty rating  π