You can try this quiche for breakfast or for an inexpensive, filling dinner. The quiche is simple to put together, requires ingredients that aren't hard to find or expensive, and is really good. What's in it? Well, as the name indicates, tater tots. Yes, those frozen things you find in the freezer case that foodies turn up their noses at but that everyone secretly, or not so secretly, loves. To keep the fat and calories in check, the quiche also includes turkey sausage and low-fat milk. The quiche does include plenty of cheese, so it is a filling dish. I use mostly cheddar cheese, but feel free to gather up all those bits of leftover shredded cheese you have lingering in the refrigerator and include them--a little Mexican blend, a little Italian blend, ooh, there's a smidge of Swiss left in that packet (you get the idea). You can assemble the dish the night/day before you plan to bake it if you'd like. If you do, I recommend putting the uncovered dish in the microwave for 5 or 6 minutes to begin the cooking process and warm the dish. Move the quiche to the oven, once it's hot, and then bake the quiche for about 45 minutes more. You'll have an easy and incredibly good breakfast or dinner with minimum hassles. Oh, and if you want to dress the bake up, feel free to sprinkle chopped chives or green onions on top before serving it. Sliced tomatoes also work nicely as a garnish. Enjoy!
Tater Tot Quiche -- Serves 6+
2-3 teaspoons of canola oil
16 ounces of turkey breakfast sausage
1-2 chopped bell peppers, preferably red or yellow or both
1 small chopped onion
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of low-fat milk (I use 1 percent)
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper
5-6 cups of tater tots (about 2/3 of a 32 ounce bag--I use Aldi's)
2 cups of shredded cheese (whatever you have--cheddar, Monterey Jack, blends, Swiss,
etc.)
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and peppers and saute them a few minutes. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook it until it's done and browned a bit. While the veggies and sausage cook, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and pepper. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan or dish with non-stick cooking spray and spread the tater tots in the pan in one layer. Spread the cooked veggie/sausage mixture over the tater tots. Spread the shredded cheeses evenly over the veggie/sausage mixture. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Press down with a spoon on the top of the mixture to even everything out a little and ensure that everything gets some of the egg/milk mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight, if you'd like. When you're ready to bake the quiche, heat the oven to 350 degrees. When the oven is hot, cover the quiche with foil (spray the side of the foil that will be face-down with a little non-stick cooking spray first), and bake the quiche for about 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking the quiche until the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Let the quiche sit for 10-15 minutes for easier serving.
