a simple {batch cooking} tip :: hash browns

Regardless of weekend or weekday morning, I really try hard to start my family’s day with a nourishing breakfast. Most workday mornings I send my husband off with a power packed almond or coconut flour bread, muffin, or scone. I batch bake and freeze these once or twice a month, and pull out what I want to thaw the night before. I usually pack it up for him with a thermos of whole milk and he’s set for the morning 🙂

This morning, however, he was home a little later than usual, and I was able to send him off full of energy from pastured bacon and eggs with hash browns. About once a month I take a 3 pound bag of the organic red or yellow potatoes, chop them up into an uneven dice, and store them in 1-2 cup portions to freeze. I pull them out the night before to thaw, and can very quickly fry them up with the rest of breakfast. It chopping goes very quick – I promise! I timed myself chopping this bag up last night, and it took me 12 minutes. I got 5 sandwich size baggies full, which will last us for a few weeks of breakfasts. Occasionally I’ll pull them out for a soup that I’m making and it will go quicker, but for the most part I reserve these for quick morning meals.

I paid $3.09 for this bag of organic potatoes – potatoes are cheap 🙂 And they are a very nourishing, energy providing side dish to a plate of eggs. Non organic potatoes will be even cheaper but this is one I splurge on for organic since it is one of the “dirty dozen”, and will soak up any pesticides in the ground since they grown in the dirt. I checked out some of the store bought hashbrowns, and in addition to being incredibly overpriced, most were full of toxic additives to “maintain freshness and color” and MSG – most likely to enhance flavor.

Here’s how we do up the potatoes on farm fresh breakfast morning!

You will need:

2 TB friendly fat to fry in (real butter, coconut oil, lard, or tallow (lard/tallow recipe coming soon!))

2 cups roughly diced potatoes

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground pepper

1. Melt the friendly fat in a very hot pan or skillet.
2. Toss in the rest of the ingredients and stir occasionally until potatoes are browned and crisp.

Kitchen Tips:

1. Ok girls, seriously the measurements on the seasonings is a bit of a guess on my part – I am one of those “palm” measure-ers 🙂 Adjust to your taste but one of my tricks to quick cooking for meals like this is ditching the measuring spoons 😉
2. I usually use my electric fry pan so I have room enough for the bacon and/or eggs in the same pan.
3. Chop up some peppers or other veggies the night before and dump in with the potatoes for a great veggie breakfast hash!
4. Read this on the importance of picking out great pastured eggs.
5. Read this and this on the importance of healthy friendly fats and why you shouldn’t be afraid of them.
6. No access to organic potatoes? Just be sure to scrub them up good with this fruit and veggie wash!

YOUR TURN!

What do morning breakfasts look like in your home? What are some of your batch or make ahead tricks?

I’ll be back on Wednesday sharing TWO nourishing fruit dips you can use for packing in school lunches, after school snacks, or party fruit platters!

This post was shared at Real Food Freaks Freaky Friday!