Maple Bacon Breakfast Potato Hash

Name: Maple Bacon Breakfast Potato Hash
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes; 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped; 1/2 small yellow onion, diced; 1/2 red bell pepper, diced; 2 tbsp maple syrup; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional); 4 large eggs; 2 tbsp chopped chives; Salt and black pepper, to taste

Crispy diced potatoes and bacon get finished with a maple glaze and topped with fried eggs for a sweet-savory breakfast skillet.

Prep: 10 · Cook: 20 · Total: 30 · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4.7/5 (203 reviews)

INSPIRED BY

I-40 truck stop diner — Tennessee

Inspired by a truck stop diner off I-40 in Tennessee known for its enormous skillet hash browns.

Story

I stopped at a truck stop diner off I-40 in Tennessee a little after 6 in the morning, the kind of place with a counter, a jukebox nobody was using, and a hash brown platter that came out looking like it could double as a hubcap. The cook, an older guy who'd clearly made ten thousand plates of this exact dish, told me the whole trick was par-boiling the potatoes before they ever touched the skillet. Most home cooks skip that step, dump raw diced potatoes into a hot pan, and end up with something burnt on the outside and chalky in the middle. Five minutes in boiling water first fixes that completely, and it's the difference between hash that tastes like a diner and hash that tastes like a compromise. The maple glaze at the end was my own addition; it plays against the smoky bacon fat in a way that makes the whole skillet taste more finished than it has any right to for a Tuesday breakfast.

By Theo

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
4 large eggs
2 tbsp chopped chives
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the diced potatoes and cook 5 minutes, just until slightly tender but not falling apart. Drain well and pat dry.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan.
Add the par-cooked potatoes to the bacon fat in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes to let a crust form, then stir and cook 4 more minutes.
Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the potatoes are deeply golden, about 5 minutes.
Return the bacon to the pan. Drizzle in the maple syrup, smoked paprika, and cayenne if using. Toss to coat and cook 1 minute until glossy. Season with salt and pepper.
Push the hash to the edges of the pan, crack the eggs into the center, and cook until whites are set and yolks are still soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Top with chives and serve straight from the skillet.

Chef Tips

Par-boiling the potatoes first is what keeps them from being raw in the middle and burnt outside.
Let the potatoes sit undisturbed for a few minutes at a time, stirring too often keeps them from browning.
Swap cayenne for black pepper if you want this milder for kids.
Leftover hash reheats well in a skillet, the microwave will make it soggy.

Cook's Notes

**Par-boil first:** Five minutes in boiling water keeps potatoes from burning outside while staying raw inside.
**Don't over-stir:** Let potatoes sit for a few minutes at a stretch so they actually brown.
**Bacon fat is the flavor base:** Cook potatoes in the rendered bacon fat, don't drain it off.
**Egg doneness:** Cover the pan for the last minute if you want the yolks to set a little firmer.

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