Jason's Breakfast Hash
I first made this spicy, cheesy, and delicious potato hash when getting rid of some leftover ingredients in my fridge about 10 years ago. I have probably made it 50 times in the past 10 years, changing and perfecting it along the way. Enjoy!
I first made this spicy, cheesy, and delicious potato hash when getting rid of some leftover ingredients in my fridge about 10 years ago. I have probably made it 50 times in the past 10 years, changing and perfecting it along the way. Enjoy!
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 6 medium potatoes
- 1 large bell pepper
- 1/2 large yellow onion
- 1/2 medium jalapenos (omit for milder spice, don’t remove seeds for spicy)
- 2 cup shredded sharp aged white cheddar cheese (can substitute monterey jack or plain cheddar)
- Carbohydrate 40.581357232906 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 18.2889870023311 g
- Fiber 5.25698589086125 g
- Protein 4.7983496474359 g
- Saturated Fat 1.89566043104507 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (275g)
- Sodium 14.0317606837607 mg
- Sugar 35.3243713420447 g
- Trans Fat 0.960746967553929 g
- Calories 338 calories
Step-by-step
- Chop potatoes, bell pepper, and yellow onion into 1/2 inch cubes.
- Remove seeds and mince jalapeño.
- Combine potatoes, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño with pepper, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper and mix well.
- Heat oil in large skillet, then add potato mixture.
- Cook mixture about 10 minutes on high heat until potatoes start to soften, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
- Reduce heat to medium and cook an additional 5 to 10 minutes until potatoes are lightly browned and fork tender.
- Reduce heat to lowest setting and sprinkle cheese evenly over mixture.
- Cook 3 to 5 minutes, without stirring, until cheese has melted.
- Serve hot.
- Serving suggestion: serve 1 cup portion in large bowl with fried egg on top.
Standard home fries often start par-boiled in water, but this method throws raw spuds straight into hot fat and demands high heat for the first ten minutes to jump-start starch conversion. Uniformity dictates success here. Chop the potatoes, bell peppers, and yellow onions into exact half-inch cubes so thermal conductivity matches across the board. If the pieces vary wildly, the smaller bits carbonize while the larger chunks remain raw in the center. Maintaining contact between the cast-iron surface and the potato exterior creates the desired golden-brown crust without steaming the vegetables into mush.
Managing Moisture and Starch
Raw potatoes release liquid when heated, which immediately threatens crispness. High heat causes that initial moisture to flash-off quickly before the vegetables soften internally. Once the ten-minute mark passes, dropping the burner to medium allows the interior starches to cook through completely until fork-tender. Stirring must remain intermittent rather than constant; flipping the mixture every two minutes permits proper crust development without destroying the structural integrity of the cubes. Jalapeño seeds remain optional depending on tolerance for capsaicin, though retaining them distributes heat evenly throughout the oil-coated pan.Cheese Integration and Substitutions
Sharp aged white cheddar introduces distinct moisture and fat content during the final melting stage. Lower the burner to its absolute lowest setting before sprinkling the dairy across the surface, ensuring the cheese melts via gentle ambient heat rather than scorching against the metal. Covering the skillet with a tight-fitting lid traps rising steam to accelerate this process without requiring aggressive bottom heat. Cooks managing dairy restrictions can substitute sharp cheddar with firm plant-based alternatives that melt at comparable temperatures, though fat ratios will alter the final texture. Monitored closely, the cheese forms a cohesive web binding the individual potato and pepper pieces together into distinct portions.
