Toddler Tips

This is one of my go-to meals when I have nothing planned. Those close to me know of my love for potatoes- #allthehearteyes- so we have this often 🙂

And bonus it’s all in one pan/ skillet so it makes for quick clean up!

And again, forgive me, I’m clearly not a food photographer….

 

 

When I make baked potatoes, I’ll just throw several extra potatoes in the oven and leave them on the counter until they’re cooled. Then I’ll keep them in the fridge until I’m ready to make hash browns.

If you try to grate the potatoes when they’re still hot, they won’t grate well and everything will be mushy.

 

Extra baked potatoes, and grated potatoes

 

Before I grate the potatoes I’ll add olive oil to my electric skillet (it’s larger than my other pans so I can cook it all in 1-2 batches vs 7) and turn it on med/med-high heat.  While I’m waiting for the oil to get hot, I’m grating the potatoes with the skin on.

I keep the foil from the baked potatoes bc *my city recycles aluminum foil if it’s rinsed clean.*

 

To test if the oil is ready, I’ll take a few potato shreds and put them in the oil and if it sizzles then the oil is hot enough. Then I’ll add half the shredded potatoes to the oil so I can make sure to get a good amount of crunch. If you overcrowd then you’ll have mushier hash browns or they’ll take a long time to crunch up.

Don’t touch the potato shreds until you start to see browning on the sides, then you can flip them and let them cook on the other side.

 

Once the second side is crunchy enough, I’ll push all the hash browns to the left side of the skillet, add a splash more oil to the right side and cook the second half of the shredded potatoes with the above process.

While the second batch is cooking on the right side of the skillet, I’ll make sure my already cooked potatoes on the left side aren’t getting burned so I’ll flip them over every so often.

After the second batch is cooked, I’ll push it all over to the left, add splash more oil and fry or scramble up some eggs.

Salt and pepper everything to your liking (sometimes I’ll add a smidge of garlic salt) and top with ketchup *muh favorite* or salsa and serve with fruit.

 

Easy Hash Browns & Fried Egg

Ingredients (serves 3-4 people)
– 2 or 3 Baked potatoes chilled for several hours/ overnight/ days
– Olive oil
– Salt & pepper
– Garlic salt (optional)
– Ketchup or salsa

Instructions
1. Heat electric skillet (it’s larger than my other pans so I can cook it all in 1-2 batches vs 7) on med/med-high heat and add splash of olive oil to very lightly cover entire surface.

2. While oil is heating, grate the potatoes with the skin on

3. Once oil is ready (it’ll sizzle when you add a few shredded potatoes) add half the shredded potatoes to the oil. An overcrowd skillet will leave you with mushy hash browns or they’ll take forever to have a good crunch throughout.

4. Don’t flip the hash browns until you start to see browning on the sides, then you can flip them and let them cook on the other side.

5. Once the second side is crunchy enough, push all the hash browns to the left side of the skillet, add a splash more oil to the right side and cook the second half of the shredded potatoes with the above process. Occasionally flip the cooked potatoes on your left so they don’t burn.

6. After the second batch is cooked, push it all over to the left, add splash more oil and fry or scramble up some eggs.

7. Season everything to your liking and top with ketchup *muh favorite* or salsa and serve with fruit.