I love breakfast. It has become a necessary part of my day. So much so that I make sure I have enough time in the morning to at least scramble some eggs with veggies. But what I really love are slow weekend breakfasts. The ones where you have time to try something new or to make pancakes or bake something in the oven such as muffins or eggs in marinara.

This recipe didn’t start out as breakfast but quickly turned into a great way to have a hearty breakfast even in the midst of the busy work week. It actually started out of a last minute need for a taco filling to accompany some marinated flank steak. It was pure cooking on the fly with what was on hand. As it was coming together it actually reminded me quite a bit of Potatoes O’Brien. And thankfully it turned out great as a taco filling. But what to do with the rest when you have no more tortillas or beef? Add eggs.

Adding eggs has been my solution for leftover veggies lately. Whether roasted with a poached egg on top, or reheated, sautéed in a some lard and scrambled, it is an easy way to power pack your breakfast. Better yet, the veggies are quite interchangeable. Not eating white potatoes? Add more sweet potatoes. Have more of one ingredient than the other? Thats fine. Don’t have any bell pepper? Great. Can I add mushrooms or green onions? Absolutely! Bacon or sausage? Yes, please. Point being… take the method and play with it.

Then of course, include eggs in some form. Poached, fried, or scrambled into. I haven’t tried it yet but I think it would work well tossed into a frittata.

Make this day of for one of those slow weekend mornings or better yet, make a large batch ahead of time and reheat what you need during the week for breakfast. And if you feel inclined, use it as a taco filling, with or without meat.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

Recipe by: Elisabeth Norris

• 1 medium (~2 cups) sweet potato, diced
• 4 whole (~2 cups) red potatoes, diced
• 1 small whole (~1 cup) onion, diced
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 cup corn kernels (~ about 1 ear)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp fat of choice (olive oil, coconut oil, lard, etc.)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Eggs

Preheat oven 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment.

Combine diced sweet potatoes, red potatoes, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, corn and cloves in a bowl. Toss together to evenly mix. Add fat and spices and mix well. Pour out onto prepared baking sheet and spread evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes, tossing half way through. The veggies should be soft and have some dark edges.

If serving immediately, while the hash cools, prepare eggs as desired; poached, fried, scrambled, etc., then top with or scramble into the hash.

Serves: 4