Start your day on the sunny side with a breakfast of fried or scrambled eggs, bacon and this recipe for Simple Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes.
Morning at our house is a mix of quiet and chaos. But one thing is for sure, everyone needs to get fueled for the day ahead.
And, what better way than with a full breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon (or ham) and Simple Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes.
This recipe has been a favorite at our home for longer than I can imagine. It differs from the store bought kind, in that I’m in control of what gets put into the potatoes and can control how crispy it becomes. (I’m a fan of super crispy hash brown potatoes – btw.)
RELATED: Easy Ham and Cheese Frittata
How to Make Simple Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes
To start this recipe, choose which potato you’d like to use. I like freshly picked red potatoes (yum!), as well as the standard russet potatoes. Either work well in this recipe.
Cooking Tip: The older the potato, the more starch it has. Also, the skin is tougher to grate. Thus, when you make hash brown potatoes, keep this in mind when you are making hashed brown potatoes. Important to note: If you use older potatoes, rinse it in batches so that it doesn’t brown from oxidation.
You’ll want to make sure you have a very sharp box grater, or a food processor with a grating blade if you want. I’ve even used my mandoline slicer to get the job done quick and easy.
The trick to not slicing your hand (or fingers) is to use the open-palm method. I find this works out really well. Not only do you get even grating, but you can really move quickly through the task in no time at all.
To feed a family of four use two to three red potatoes or two medium size russets. Then it’s grate, grate, grate away!
You’ve probably experienced the awful browning that occurs with potatoes when they oxidize with air. To curb this, rinse your newly grated potatoes using a fine mesh strainer in cool water.
Then, dry with a paper towel, removing as much water as possible.
Then, you are ready for frying. You can fry up your shredded hash brown potatoes as small patties or layer it out evenly in the fry pan to cook all at once.
Which oil to use? Some home cooks love grape seed oil, others vegetable oil, some olive oil and still others, butter. Which method works best? They all do. Even so, each renders a different taste and doneness.
For example: Butter will easily brown your shredded hash brown potatoes and give it a soft buttery taste. The oils will also brown well at a higher temperature but the potatoes will have a slight taste of the oil, in the case of olive oil and vegetable oil. Grape seed oil, less so. For super crispy potatoes use oil. For softer hash browns, use butter.
To brighten the taste of the hash browns, try sprinkling a bit of spice like cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic or onion powder while frying.
Frying time varies with type of oil and type of potatoes. Red potatoes cook faster than the russets. But the results are the same–absolutely delish! Enjoy!
For more delicious potato recipes, be sure to check out Wisconsin Homemaker’s Recipe Section.
Simple Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded potatoes red potatoes or russets the best
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Using a sharp grater, grate potatoes into a large bowl.
- Rinse the grated potatoes well. Dry well with paper towels.
- Preheat oil in a large skillet. Turn heat down to medium high heat.
- Add shredded potatoes to the pan, spreading out into a single layer, as best as possible.
- Allow to fry for about five minutes on one side, turn potatoes over and allow to brown on the other side, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from heat. Serve. Enjoy!
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