I live for crispy hash browns like you get in a diner—crispy hash brown breakfast bowls with your favorite style of eggs and toppings all on top. This is what I want every single weekend.
Every time I go out to breakfast or brunch I pretty much always order the same thing. I bet Mike could even order it by heart for me. I hope he could after over 10 years of being together.
I order two poached eggs, hash browns, bacon, and rye bread toast. Oooo! Wait. There is the random wild card when I find an elusive unicorn diner that doesn’t charge extra for English muffins; then you know I am ordering that cutie instead of ugly ol’ rye.
Sorry rye bread. You aren’t ugly. You just lack the nooks and crannies my buttah needs!
Always those crispy hash browns though.
For years I tried and tried to recreate those crispy hash browns from every single diner I have ever been to. I shredded my own potatoes. I soaked them overnight in water. I bought frozen shredded potatoes. I used less oil. I used more oil. Nothing really clicked.
This year I made it my goal to figure out how to recreate those diner style crispy hash browns at home. Because these days I am not hauling two kids out for one of my favorite meals, brunch, to have them be picky about the food offered or the way it is cooked and stress me out.
Although, I do think a mimosa could counteract those bad toddler brunch vibes.
Well, in the meantime, I have these crispy hash brown bowls to hold me over. The trick, which some of you may have been privy to, is you need to use all your man power to squeeze all the liquid out of the shredded potatoes; that goes for if you shred your own potatoes or buy frozen. Trust me. I tried both ways. I prefer buying frozen, because pure convenience.
But you do you, and let’s all eat crispy hash brown bowls topped with eggs and bacon any way we want it!
Crispy Hash Brown Breakfast Bowls
Diner style crispy hash browns topped with eggs, bacon, cheese, pico de gallo, hot sauce, and anything else your heart desires!
Ingredients
- 20 oz Frozen Shredded Hash Browns thawed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 6 strips of bacon
- 2-4 eggs
- shredded cheddar cheese
- pico de gallo
- hot sauce
Instructions
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Add the thawed shredded hash browns to a colander. Rinse under cold running water. push down on the hash brown shreds using your hands to press out some of the liquid. Place the colander over a bowl and refrigerate overnight.
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The next day, add hash brown shreds to a large dish towel and wring out all excess liquid. Wring it out a few times. Add drained has browns to a paper towel to continue to dry out.
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Heat a large pan over medium/high heat for 1 minute. Add bacon and cook until crispy, flipping bacon a few times to cook evenly. Once cooked, transfer bacon to paper towel lined plate to drain.
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Remove all but 1 tbsp of bacon grease from the pan. Transfer it to a small heat proof bowl and save for the next batch of hash browns.
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Add 1 tbsp olive oil, swirl to coat. Reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle the hash browns into the pan in one even layer. to cover the bottom of the pan. Use a spatula to press down on the hash browns. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes before flipping. I like mine really crispy.
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Flip the hash browns and cook the other side for another 7 minutes. Press down the hash browns into the remaining oil.
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Transfer the hash browns and half the bacon to one bowl. Cook the eggs in a little bit of the reserved bacon grease. One bowl is ready to go.
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Cook the other half of the hash browns the same way as the first half. Transfer to a bowl along with the remaining bacon. Cook the two remaining eggs whatever style you prefer and then top the second bowl.
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Bowls can be placed in a low oven to stay warm while you cook the second batch of hash browns.
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Top each bowl with cheese, hot sauce, pico de gallo, or all of the above!
