Sauté

Easiest Breakfast Potatoes

March 17, 2021
5
1 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth. Food Stylist: Kate Buckens.
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 20 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

I’ve seen and tried all the methods for making breakfast potatoes: roasting, steaming, par-boiling, even using duck fat. There are tons of tips and tricks for making the ultimate, best, crispiest breakfast potatoes everrrrrr! I admit I enjoy a lot of them, but in full transparency, when it’s a lazy Sunday morning and I’m trying to do the absolute least, what’s most important to me is speed, ease, and flavor.

I want to clean the least amount of dishes and use the fewest ingredients that impart the most flavor. Albeit simple, this recipe is what I use to make restaurant-quality, golden brown on the outside, and deliciously tender on the inside breakfast potatoes. The key is all in your ingredient prep, the tools you use, and the timing of your ingredients. Let me explain:

To peel or not to peel? No peeling is happening around these parts; I’m an advocate for leaving the skin on my potatoes. If I may just briefly reiterate this lazy Sunday scenario where “ain’t nobody got time for that.”

One detail goes a long way. Even though I don’t recommend exuding effort to peel potatoes, I do recommend that you try to dice them evenly so they’ll cook evenly. I recommend about 1/2-inch cubes, more or less.

Vessels matter. When cooking my breakfast potatoes, I prefer to use a dark, heavy pan like cast-iron because it distributes heat evenly, helping the potatoes cook evenly. Its dark exterior also helps the potatoes become a delicious golden brown.

Divide and conquer. Spuds need a lot of help in the seasoning category. To help build flavor with minimal effort, I divide my seasoning blend: Half cooks along with the potatoes, allowing the seasonings to toast and develop depth and nuttiness. The other half comes in toward the end so there is a bright kick of flavor in each bite.

Sure, you could par-boil, add bacon, and fry in duck fat. But when it’s a lazy Sunday morning, and all you feel like doing is using what you have in your pantry, this recipe is all you need. —Meiko And The Dish

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil
  • 4 medium russet potatoes, 1/2-inch diced
  • 1 red or green bell pepper, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup red onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 bunch scallions, sliced (both white and green parts)
Directions
  1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and oil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Reduce the heat to medium and add the bell pepper and red onion.
  2. Mix the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl. Season the potatoes with half of the seasoning mix, then keep cooking for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the remaining seasoning mix and scallions. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • judy
    judy
  • Marilyn Taylor
    Marilyn Taylor
Meiko is corporate America retiree turned full-time foodie and host. Besides her obvious love of cooking she obsessed with designing foodie apparel, celebrity gossip sites and hosting elaborate dining experiences. She shares her recipes, kitchen hacks and entertaining tips on the blog meikoandthedish.com. Check it out!

2 Reviews

judy September 22, 2021
What' s not to love about cheese and potatoes. The only addition I would make is sliced mushrooms lightly sautéed as well to reduce moisture and just get a bit of a roast on them. Hmmmmm may need to do this tonight!
 
Marilyn T. April 26, 2021
We loved this recipe! Even though I didn't have onion powder or a bell pepper, the dish was still delicious. I'm eager to try it with those two items. This is going into the rotation for sure.