Potato Crust Quiche w/Red Peppers & Bacon

Potato Crust Quiche with Red Peppers and Bacon

Potatoes are a great alternative to traditional flour- and butter-laden crusts. We’ve lightened up the traditional quiche recipe considerably here, again adding antioxidant-rich vegetables like red bell pepper and asparagus — and cut some of the fat by using egg whites and turkey bacon. You can also substitute tempeh (“fakin' bacon”) here as we have many times. Look for nitrite-free, natural bacon whenever possible.
Ingredients:
1 large russet potato, thinly sliced
4 medium eggs
2 medium egg whites
1/2 cup low fat 1% milk
1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese, grated
1 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 slices turkey bacon
12 asparagus spears, lightly steamed
1 dash black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse potatoes well and slice thin (no bigger than 1/4-inch slices). Steam potato slices for about 5 minutes using a steam basket in a large skillet or stockpot. Allow to cool.
In a cast iron skillet or frying pan, sauté red pepper and onion in olive oil until onions are lightly browned. Stir frequently. Using a microwave-safe dish, microwave bacon between 2 layers of paper towels for about 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, chop into thin slices and add to pepper and onion mixture. Sauté this mixture an additional minute or two.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, and egg whites. Whisk in cheese. Season with black pepper.
Layer steamed potatoes in a glass baking dish (pie-shaped) coated with cooking spray. Place red pepper, onion, and bacon mixture on top of this. Pour milk and egg mixture on top of all of this. Top with asparagus spears.
Bake for 35 minutes. Allow to set and cool for at least 10 minutes prior to serving