Name: Sheet-Pan Hash Browns
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes , unpeeled; 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 teaspoon table salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Why This Recipe Works

To make one batch of hash browns that could serve four to six people, we turned to the oven and a rimmed baking sheet. We found that shredded starchy potatoes made tough, chewy hash browns, so to keep them crispy and creamy, we used only moderately starchy Yukon Gold potatoes and quickly soaked the raw shreds in water to remove excess surface starch. We also wrung out the potatoes in a dish towel to eliminate excess moisture that would inhibit browning. Then, to avoid a stuck-on mess, we greased the baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Packing the shreds down on the sheet flattened them together into a potato cake, not hash browns, so we lightly distributed them in an even layer on the sheet to keep the integrity of the shreds. A 450-degree oven was hot enough to crisp the top and bottom of the hash browns, but not so hot that the top and bottom browned before the middle cooked through. Instead of a complicated flipping procedure, we simply flipped sections of the hash browns with a metal spatula and returned the sheet to the oven for a crispy result.

Before You Begin

We prefer to use the shredding disk of a food processor to shred the potatoes, but you can also use the large holes of a box grater. These hash browns are great topped with sliced American cheese, chopped ham, and sautéed onions and peppers.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Fit food processor with shredding disk. Halve or quarter potatoes as needed to fit through processor hopper, then shred potatoes. Transfer potatoes to large bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes.

One handful at a time, lift potatoes out of water and transfer to colander; discard water. Rinse and dry bowl.

Place one-quarter of shredded potatoes in center of clean dish towel. Gather ends of towel and twist tightly to wring out excess moisture from potatoes. Transfer dried potatoes to now-empty bowl. Repeat 3 more times with remaining potatoes.

Add oil, salt, and pepper to potatoes and toss to combine. Lightly spray 16 by 11-inch rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Distribute potatoes in even layer on sheet, but do not pack down. Bake until top of potatoes is spotty brown, 32 to 35 minutes.

Remove sheet from oven. Flip hash browns with metal spatula. Return sheet to oven and continue to bake until deep golden brown on top, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.