Breakfast Hash Bowl

Recently, I went to a local diner with some friends for brunch. I ordered a “breakfast poutine” which was essentially breakfast potatoes with bacon and eggs on top. I wanted to see if I could make something similar with my own twist to it, as well as seeing if it could be an affordable recipe that I would add to my regular rotation of meals. After experimenting with a few different versions, I think I’ve come to perfect it. Although this recipe is portioned for 1, when buying the ingredients you will have enough to make 3-4 portions of the dish, so it’s great for meal prep or just for cooking for a group!

Essential Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• 3-4 Strips of Low Sodium Bacon (Can be made with regular bacon, turkey bacon, or sausage based on preference)
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 2.5 Cups of Potatoes (Shredded Hash Browns or Cubed Potatoes)
• Vegetable Oil or Non-Stick Cooking Spray

*OPTIONAL* Toppings:

• Hot Sauce
• Everything Bagel Seasoning
• Avocado

Prices & Where I Got the Ingredients:

• Eggs → Walmart: 6 count for $3.42
• Low Sodium Bacon → Aldi for $3.99
• Mexican Style Shredded Cheese → Aldi $2.49
• Shredded Potatoes → Aldi for $3.59

Total cost for all ingredients (or 3-4 servings): $13.49

Total Cost For 1 Serving: $3.37

Instructions:

1. First, gather all the ingredients, as well as 2 pans and some paper towels. 

Cooking the Bacon

I prefer my bacon to be extra crispy, but you can cook it to whatever your desired texture is. This recipe would also work with sausage or another breakfast protein, such as ham. 

2. Set your stovetop to medium-high heat and place 3-4 strips of bacon in the pan (depending on how much bacon you’d like in your bowl, 3-4 is what I’ve found works for me!)
   1. Note: No need to put oil or non-stick cooking spray in the pan, as the bacon grease will unstick the strips. 
3. Once bacon is cooked to your desired crispiness, place it on a paper towel to the side. This will help absorb any grease left on the strips.

Cooking the Potatoes

I have made this recipe with both cubed potatoes and shredded, and both are equally delicious, so the choice is yours when it comes to choosing a potato type. However, I included the shredded potatoes in my ingredient list because I generally found those potatoes to be cheaper than the cubed potatoes. 

4. Drain the grease from the pan, but don’t wash or completely rinse out the pan, the leftover coating in the pan will elevate the flavor of the potatoes.
5. Cooking on medium-high heat, using the same pan, add enough oil to lightly coat the pan, and add your potatoes.
   1. You can also use non-stick cooking spray for this step, but make sure the pan is coated well if using spray. 
6. Depending on what type of potatoes you use, this step can differ.
   1. If using shredded hashbrowns, add 2.5 cups of potatoes to the pan and cook for 11-12 minutes, flipping them halfway through. 
   2. If using cubed potatoes, add 2.5 cups of potatoes and cook for 13 minutes, stirring and turning the cubes every few minutes. 
7. While cooking, season the potatoes (I season mine with salt, pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder).
8. Once the potatoes are done, place them onto a paper towel and allow it to absorb the extra oil and grease. 

Cooking the Eggs

For this recipe, I prefer my eggs to be cooked over-easy, but scrambled works well too! The following steps will be for making your eggs over-easy. 

9. Next, get out your other pan and coat it with non-stick cooking spray. 
10. Crack 2 eggs directly into the pan.
    1. Note: Make sure no pieces of eggshell end up in your pan. To avoid this, you can carefully crack the eggs into a bowl and transfer them to the pan that way (This allows you to pick out eggshell pieces if they somehow end up in the bowl). 
11. For over-easy eggs, cook the eggs on medium heat and flip when the bottom is an opaque white color, being extra careful to not break the yolk when flipping.
    1. Note: if the yolk does break, the dish will still be just as delicious!
12. Allow the egg to cook for about a minute, or until the other side is white and can easily slide around the pan (this is how you’ll know it’s done).

Assembling the Final Product!

This is where we begin to finally put together the final dish! I’m going to go through the steps I do to make mine the way I like, but you can add any toppings you’d like or assemble in whatever order you please. 

13. Add your cooked potatoes to a bowl. 
14. Drizzle hot sauce over them and sprinkle your shredded cheese on top. 
15. Crumble up the bacon and add on top of the potatoes and cheese. 
16. Place your cooked eggs on top and sprinkle with Everything Bagel Seasoning.
17. Enjoy!