hash brown potatoes

So first thing’s first.  When I talk about breakfast food, it’s rare that I’m actually talking about breakfast.  I don’t generally make breakfast unless it’s a special occasion (and in that case it needs to involve guests), or I can make things the night before and pull them out of the refrigerator or freezer to pop into the oven.  But Gerrit and I are big advocates of breakfast for dinner, or in other words, brinner.

And this is one of my favorite dishes to make.  All the flavors brown together into potatoes that resemble french fries, but feel healthier, and are as far away as you can get from those little pale brown, fried potato resembling fritters in the school lunch line.  These are crispy, but soft and full on the inside.  Buttery and rich.  They are absolutely addictive, as in, I’m pretty sure the other night I just filled up on these potatoes and barely ate my eggs and grits.  I’m not a big fan of onions (as in, I don’t eat them), but I love the way that the onions flavor these potatoes (and yet I can still pick around them).

The cooking of the onions and garlic are the main thing I changed about the recipe.  They wanted me to cook the potatoes for ten minutes, the onion for five, and then the garlic for fifteen.  Fifteen whole minutes for little pieces of minced garlic!  The first time I made these, I followed Southern Living’s instructions blindly, and the garlic burnt to a crisp.  The potatoes were still good, but we had the icky smell of burnt garlic and onions hanging around the apartment.  So I’ve adjusted the cooking times, and I hope you enjoy.  No matter what meal it is for, breakfast, bunch, lunch, brinner, dinner, just please please make these.

Hash Brown Potatoes
adapted from The All New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 38 minutes
Wait Time: 8 hours

Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)
Salt
Pepper

1. Wash potatoes and place them in a medium sized pot.  Fill the pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes.  Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 8 minutes.  Drain potatoes and chill them overnight (or at least 8 hours).
2. Cut the potatoes into 3/4 inch cubes (or into eighths).  Set aside.
3. Melt oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add onion, a pinch of salt and pepper, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally.  After the onions have cooked for about 5 minutes, reduce heat to medium.  After onions have been cooking for 10 minutes, add garlic and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.  If at any time you feel that the skillet is getting too dry, add a bit more oil and/or butter.
5. When potatoes are done, season with salt and pepper and stir in parsley.