Loaded Skillet Hash Browns
By Mark HuxsollPublished on October 29, 2024
Time
45 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Hash Browns
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled1 teaspoon table salt ⅛ teaspoon pepper 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, dividedToppings
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 onion, chopped 4 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin8 ounces ham steak, rind removed, chopped¼ cup jarred sliced jalapeños 4 slices deli American cheese (3 ounces)Before You Begin
If you prefer, you can shred the potatoes using the large holes of a box grater.
Instructions
- Using food processor fitted with shredding disk, shred potatoes. Transfer potatoes to large bowl and cover with cold water. Using your hands, gently swish potatoes to release excess starch; drain in colander. Repeat 2 or 3 times until drained water is almost clear. (Shredded and rinsed potatoes can be covered with water and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Drain potatoes well in colander, then transfer to center of clean dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly to wring out excess moisture. Return potatoes to now-empty bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to combine; set aside.
- Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook until tender and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in ham and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to second bowl, add jalapeños, and toss to combine; set aside.
- Heat ¼ cup oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully scatter potatoes in even layer (do not press to flatten), reduce heat to medium, and cook without moving until first side is well browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Using edge of spatula, carefully separate potatoes into 4 quarters, then flip each quarter with spatula. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil around perimeter of potatoes and gently shake pan to distribute oil. Continue to cook until second side of each quarter is well browned and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Spoon onion mixture evenly over each quarter and top with cheese. Cover and cook until toppings are heated through and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve.
for the hash browns
for the toppings
Time
45 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Hash Browns
Toppings
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Hash Browns
Toppings
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Hash Browns
Toppings
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
These hash browns are inspired by the famous ones at Waffle House. To create a failproof version that reminded us of the iconic chain's version, we chose russet potatoes for their high starch content, which makes them fluffy rather than creamy like Yukon Gold potatoes. We found that rinsing off any extra starch and then squeezing as much moisture as possible out of the potatoes allowed us to get even browning and crispiness while the cooked potatoes maintained their individuality rather than gluing themselves together into a cohesive potato pancake. After prepping the potato strands, we cooked the toppings so that once we cooked the potatoes to a perfect golden brown, all we needed to do was spoon the toppings over the potatoes and top them with cheese. We covered the pan to melt the cheese and rewarm the toppings. To make flipping the potatoes easier, we used a spatula to divide them into four quarters so that we could flip one at a time.
Before You Begin
If you prefer, you can shred the potatoes using the large holes of a box grater.
Instructions
- Using food processor fitted with shredding disk, shred potatoes. Transfer potatoes to large bowl and cover with cold water. Using your hands, gently swish potatoes to release excess starch; drain in colander. Repeat 2 or 3 times until drained water is almost clear. (Shredded and rinsed potatoes can be covered with water and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- Drain potatoes well in colander, then transfer to center of clean dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly to wring out excess moisture. Return potatoes to now-empty bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to combine; set aside.
- Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook until tender and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in ham and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to second bowl, add jalapeños, and toss to combine; set aside.
- Heat ¼ cup oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Carefully scatter potatoes in even layer (do not press to flatten), reduce heat to medium, and cook without moving until first side is well browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Using edge of spatula, carefully separate potatoes into 4 quarters, then flip each quarter with spatula. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil around perimeter of potatoes and gently shake pan to distribute oil. Continue to cook until second side of each quarter is well browned and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Spoon onion mixture evenly over each quarter and top with cheese. Cover and cook until toppings are heated through and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve.
for the hash browns
for the toppings
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