Shred one large or two medium russet or Yukon gold potatoes using a box shredder until you have a cup and half of shredded potatoes. Prepare the potatoes by rinsing off excess starch then removing as much moisture as possible by spreading the potatoes out evenly on top of the paper towel and adding a layer of paper towel on top and pressing down on the potatoes to remove as much water as you can. Note: you can also use a cheesecloth too!

Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add the EVOO and butter; when the oil is hot and the butter is melted, add the shredded potatoes and sauté for three minutes; we do this to 1. soften the potatoes, 2. more moisture will be removed by sautéeing the potatoes, and 2. to brown the shredded the potatoes just a little bit before adding them to the quiche. 

Crack five eggs into a large bowl and add the half & half. Use a wire whisk and whisk the mixture until the eggs and half & half are well-combined. Add the prepared shredded potatoes, chopped baby spinach, shredded smoked Gouda cheese, crumbled thick-cut bacon, diced ham, minced garlic, and three-quarters of the chopped green onions. Use the wire whisk to mix all of the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 400° and line the pie shell with parchment paper. Add the 1 1/2 cups of dry beans or pie weights, bake the pie shell on the middle rack for fifteen minutes, or until the edges are lightly brown. Remove the parchment paper along with the dry beans or pie weights. Using a fork, prick the bottom of the pie shell and return to the oven, and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes. Open the oven and slide-out the middle rack and fill the pie shell with the quiche mixture. To keep the pie shell edges from over-browning cover with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield.

Bake the quiche for forty minutes or until the quiche, has set.  

Remove the quiche from the oven and allow the quiche to cool for about fifteen minutes. 

Serve.