Sunday, July 30, 2006

Ham & Potato Hash with Eggs

If you are baking potatoes, throw two or three extra in the oven. Then, put them in the fridge (they'll keep for a few days). On Sunday morning, when you want to make nice hash browns, you'll have your potatoes all ready to go.

This is a hearty brunch, good for a crowd. Serves 4-8, depending on how hungry your crew is. It would make a nice dinner too.

Ham & Potato Hash with Eggs

  • Three medium baking potatoes, cooked, cooled, and diced.
  • One fresh green pepper, diced.
  • 1/2 Cup yellow onion, diced.
  • 1 ham steak, diced (the Farmer John ones are perfect for this, not expensive, the right thickness, etc. Watch for when they go on sale. Sometimes I get them for 29 cents, if they are needing to be sold. I pop them in the freezer and use within a month.)
  • Butter/olive oil
  • Eight eggs
  • Shredded cheddar cheese (about 1/4 cup)
  • Light sour cream
  • Salsa

Heat a large skillet on medium high. I use an iron skillet when I'm cooking at this high heat. Remember, you never want to heat a non-stick skillet higher than medium (here's why). Melt approximately 1T butter and 1T olive oil in the pan. When hot, add the potatoes, and walk away for about five minutes. (Don't really walk away, but don't you dare think about stirring, turning, etc. All the yummy browness you're trying for will just stick to the pan.)

After about five minutes, check a potato. If it doesn't stick you can GENTLY turn the potatoes. Only turn them once. Cook another few minutes. Prep a large non-stick pan with a bit of olive oil and heat to medium-low. Add the potatoes, bring up to medium.

Add green peppers, onions and ham to the iron skillet and cook till fragrant. Watch not to burn. Add to the potato mixture. You can put the iron skillet aside--you won't need it anymore.

On medium heat, mix the hash and taste for seasoning. Remember to taste all the ingrediants together. The ham adds salt, so you should only need to add pepper and maybe some garlic powder.

Make eight indentations in the mix and crack eggs into each. Cover and cook on medium low for about six minutes.

Top with shredded cheese, then cover until cheese is melted.

Serve with a little light sour cream and your favorite salsa.

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