The book, ?The Illustrated History of American Military Commissaries,? says that the word ?hash? was originally a slang term used mostly by members of the military or people in blue-collar jobs to describe a dish that includes some sort of chopped up meat and potatoes, often cooked in gravy, and it was mostly created using leftovers.
Through the years, I?ve personally seen hashes made with all kinds of ingredients. The one common denominator, though, (for me, at least) is that they?re almost always delicious.
Recently, I found a recipe for hash that uses sweet potatoes, and instead of gravy, you cook your eggs right in the pan to get the sauce for your breakfast.
The recipe comes from the blog ?The Kitchn? (that?s misspelled on purpose). You can find it at http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-sweet-potato-hash-with-sausage-and-eggs-breakfast-recipes-from-the-kitchn-162997.
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Sweet Potato Hash with Caramelized Onions, Sausage & Eggs
Ingredients
1 medium-sized onion, diced
1 pound Italian sausage
4 tablespoons oil
3 large, unpeeled sweet potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon sage
salt and pepper to taste
4-8 eggs
Directions
Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, garlic, oregano, basil, sage and salt and pepper with three tablespoons of oil and toss to coat.
Spread the potatoes out in a foil-lined pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
While the potatoes roast, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large cast iron or other oven-safe pan over medium heat.
Add the onions and cook until they?re translucent.
Add the sausage and cook until it is almost cooked through, crumbling it as you go.
Drain any excess fat out of the pan.
Add the potatoes to the pan and stir to combine.
Make some small wells in the mixture and crack the eggs into them. Sprinkle them with more salt and pepper.
Bake 10 to 20 minutes or until the whites of your eggs are set up.
Serve each plate with a heap of hash and at least one egg.
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This made a lot of food, and it reheated well later when Joey and I decided to finish it. The nice thing about it is that the potato mixture can go in the fridge, and you can reheat it with an egg when you want to eat another serving.
As the weather keeps getting colder, a nice hot breakfast is a great way to start the day, and it doesn?t hurt when it?s a time-honored, delicious recipe.
When not helping husband Joey with newspaper work, Lindsey teaches speech, debate and forensics at Haven High School. She can be reached at lindseyclarion@gmail.com.
