Breakfast Potatoes

I am such a sucker for breakfast, and who doesn’t like breakfast potatoes!? I look for basically any reason to eat potatoes, I mean, why are they so good?

Making big breakfasts on the weekend is one of my favorite things to do. It is a reason for me to experiment with recipes, but also a great excuse to indulge a bit on the weekend. Going out to breakfast is also one of my favorite things to do, and breakfast potatoes tend to be something I only have at restaurants. I wanted to try it out at home, and found out there is a secret to getting the perfect breakfast potato...cook the potatoes ahead of time!! If you boil the potatoes, it allows them to brown really well in the pan with all the veggies. If you don’t do this, then I find that it takes too long for the potatoes to cook that you need to make them separately by roasting them, which is a good second alternative, but when you boil the potatoes and add them to the other flavors, then they tend to absorb the flavors better than if you roasted them.

Don’t waste your time trying to cook the potatoes in the pan from when they are raw. It is a waste of time, and I find they tend to overcook on the outside and undercook on the inside. Taking time to get them to boil may be an extra step, but it is totally worth it.

This recipe can also be adjusted in any way you like. I left out any meat, simply because I just didn’t have it around, but bacon or sausage would be a great addition. You could also add any other veggies you like. My husband makes fun of me because I have red bell peppers around all of the time!

Tips for perfect Breakfast Potatoes:

*Boil the potatoes before adding them to the pan. This will allow them to brown perfectly.

*Don’t skip the spices! This is what makes the potatoes taste restaurant quality, and it’s totally worth it.

*If you only want a little bit of heat, then cut out the seeds and rims of the jalapeno. If you like the heat, add them in.

*Press the potatoes into the pan to help create the browning (almost like hash browns), then flip over!

Breakfast Potatoes

Author:

Maria Provenzano

Ingredients

1 pound potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large or 2 small red bell pepper, cut into small pieces
½ onion, diced
1 jalapeno, cut the rims and seeds out if you don’t want it to be as spicy, if you like it really spicy keep the seeds and rims, cut into very small pieces
¼-1/2 teaspoon cumin, depending on how much you like
½ teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper
cilantro or parsley, chopped

Instructions

Place the cut potatoes into a large pot, and cover with cold water so the potatoes are covered by a couple inches of water
Add in a large sprinkling of salt
Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle boil until the potatoes are tender ; drain
Place a large skillet over medium heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil (sunflower seed oil, or something similar, can be used too)
Cook the onions, peppers, and jalapeno until softened
Add in the potatoes and cook on high until the potatoes start to brown; it helps to use a spatula to press them into the pan, even if they get smashed a bit, and leave it alone to brown, then flip over
Once the potatoes are browning, add in the cumin and chili powder, you may need to add an extra bit of oil, and allow the potatoes to cook and brown a bit more
Serve hot and top with freshly cut herbs (either cilantro or parsley)