Potato and Egg Breakfast Hash

A hash is less a recipe than a method for clearing the refrigerator. The potato and the egg are the structure, and everything else in the pan is whatever needs using. Half a cup of roasted vegetables from Sunday, the last two tablespoons of shredded cheese, a few ounces of cooked meat: none of that is enough to be a meal on its own, and all of it disappears into a hash without anyone noticing it was a remainder.

The part worth getting right is the potato. Most home hashes come out soft because the pan is crowded and the potatoes steam instead of browning. Cooking them covered first to get them tender, then uncovered and undisturbed to build a crust, solves it.

The eggs go in last, into wells pushed through the potatoes rather than into a separate pan. The hash holds the heat, the whites set against the hot skillet, and there is one pan to wash instead of two. Covering the pan for the final two minutes sets the tops without any flipping.

Potato and Egg Breakfast Hash

Crisp-edged potatoes and onion with eggs cooked right in the pan, built around whatever leftovers are already in the fridge — a one-skillet breakfast that costs about what a potato costs.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 1 serving

Ingredients

  

• 1 medium russet or Yukon gold potato diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 onion diced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup leftover cooked vegetables chopped, optional
• 1/4 cup cooked meat chopped, optional
• 2 tablespoons shredded cheese optional

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced potato in a single layer and season with the salt and pepper.
• Cover the pan and cook for 8 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the potatoes are tender through the middle.
• Uncover, raise the heat slightly, and let the potatoes sit undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes until the undersides are golden and crisp. Stir once and give them another 2 minutes.
• Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes more, until softened and lightly browned at the edges.
• Stir in any leftover vegetables or cooked meat and cook just long enough to heat them through, about 2 minutes.
• Push the hash aside to make one well per egg. Crack the eggs into the wells and season with a pinch of salt.
• Cover the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are as firm as you like them.
• Scatter the cheese or herbs over the top and serve straight from the skillet.

Notes

This is the best breakfast there is for small amounts of leftovers. A half cup of anything cooked is enough to change the dish, and none of it has to match.

Buy potatoes in a 5 or 10 pound bag rather than loose. The per-pound price is usually half, and stored in a cool, dark place away from onions they keep for weeks.

Russets crisp harder, Yukon golds hold together better. Either is correct.

Cold leftover baked or roasted potatoes are ideal here and cut the cook time roughly in half. Skip straight to the browning step.

To feed more than one, use a larger skillet and keep the potatoes in a single layer. Doubling the quantity in the same pan produces steamed potatoes, not crisp ones.

No cheese and no meat is a complete breakfast. The egg carries the protein on its own.

Keyword breakfast hash, budget-friendly, one pan meal, potato