Tuscan Potato and Onion Pie

Ready, Set, Cook! Special Edition Contest Entry: I love this recipe because it brings back wonderful memories of my grandmother's Italian kitchen. She always made this with the left over pie crust dough after she made holiday pies. Her recipe was much simpler, just potatoes and onions, but over the years I've added my own own twists.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 2 pies

Ingredients

• 1 (20 ounce) package  Simply Potatoes® Shredded Hash Browns
• 2  refrigerated  ready-made pie crusts, unrolled
• 1  cup  fresh  Baby Spinach, finely sliced
• 4  thick strips bacon, fried crisp, crumbled and fat reserved
• 1  egg
• 1  cup  finely sliced yellow onion
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4  large fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
• 2  tablespoons  julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Unroll pie crust onto an ungreased cookie sheet with half of each crust hanging over the sides.
3. In a large bowl, add potatoes, crumbled bacon, spinach, sundried tomatoes, onions and pepper.
4. In a small bowl, wisk the egg.
5. Pour the egg into the other ingrediants and fold together until they are combined well.
6. Place half of the mixture onto the half each of the pie crusts that are on the cookie sheet leaving a half inch free around the edges.
7. Sprinkle half of the basil leaves on top of each of the potatoe mixture.
8. Take four tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and drizzle to tablespoons onto each of the mixtures.
9. Fold the pie crusts that are hanging off of the sheet over the mixture till the ends meet.
10. Roll the ends closed to enclose the mixture.
11. Using a fork, press along the ends to seal the pies.
12. Poke steam holes on the top of the pies using the fork.
13. Place cookie sheet with two pies into center oven and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.
14. Remove and let set for 5 minutes. Slice each pie into 4 wedges and serve.