Name: Open-Faced Hash Browns with Ham, Tomato, and Swiss Cheese
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound russet potatoes , peeled, washed, dried, grated coarse, and squeezed dry (1 1/2 cups loosely packed grated potatoes); 1/4 teaspoon table salt; Ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon butter; 1 ounce deli-style baked ham (about 1 slice), quartered; 1 small tomato , sliced thin; 1 ounce grated Swiss cheese (1/4 cup)

Why This Recipe Works

In developing our hash browns recipe, we began by testing potato varieties. Best were high-starch russet (baking) potatoes. They adhered well, browned beautifully, and had the most pronounced potato flavor. Grating the potatoes helped them hold together while cooking and gave us the distinctive appearance we were looking for in our hash browns recipe. We also liked the way the raw shreds of potato formed an attractive, deeply browned crust.

Before You Begin

As with the Hash Brown "Omelet," (see related recipes) these individual potato cakes can be topped with a host of ingredients. For an interesting variation, you can top the fully cooked hash browns with smoked salmon and sour cream after you remove them from the skillet.

Instructions

Toss fully dried grated potatoes with salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Meanwhile, heat half the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to brown, then scatter potatoes evenly over entire pan bottom. Using a wide spatula, firmly press potatoes to flatten; reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until dark golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.

Turn potatoes with spatula, adding remaining butter as they are turned. Continue to cook over medium heat until remaining side is dark golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes longer.

Once potatoes are fully browned, top each with a portion of ham, tomato, and cheese. Cover and continue to cook over medium heat until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately.