Guilt Admission... I Can't Make Breakfast Potatoes... the square kind...

[Generic]

Okay, I have to admit it. On my list of things that I want to be able to do is making those square breakfast potatoes from scratch. And I don't seem to be able to make them, or rather the kind that I really want to make.
What I want to do is make the ones with really nice roasted or fried potatoes, that are crunchy on the outside. That have onions in them. Maybe a little pepper, but that's not really important. I just want to be able to make the best potatoes for this. Even this picture the potatoes don't seem right. They don't seem roasted or fried enough. I want to be able to layer two sunny side up eggs on top[ and I want people to eat them all.
Instead, I make potato pancakes, hashed browns, even the ones from the packet. But I want to be able to easily make a frying pan full of breakfast potatoes. Anyone have a fool proof recipe? The last recipe I had seemed great and yet I failed by over roasting.... I had to boil the potatoes ahead of time, toss them with salt first, to make rough edges. They crisped lovely... and then over crisped.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I nuke my potatoes (about 80% done) first thing in the morning, then peel them, slice them, let them cool a little and cube them. It takes very little time for them to crisp and the inside cooks just right. This only takes a few minutes of frying. I use a nonstick pan and more oil than you think is really necessary. While cooking, I sprinkle with some garlic salt and just a little smoked paprika. They take on a really nice color. It's adding in the onions & peppers which will make the potatoes soggy because of their moisture. Try cooking those separately and adding them in at the last minute.

 

[Morticia]

We buy the fingerling potatoes in different colors. Purple, red, white. Let me find the recipe...
These bake in the oven. We do a quick fry in the morning to warm them and give them a quick crisp, but if you can serve them from the oven, they are yum!

• 1 lb potatoes
• 1/8 c parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c olive oil
• Pinch salt, black pepper
• Minced clove garlic
• 1 tbsp chopped, fresh chives

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces. In bowl, mix potatoes, olive oil, cheese, salt & pepper. Spread out in shallow baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives and garlic. Bake another 5 minutes.
You can add onions or peppers or whatever you want. But, it's good just like this.
That makes enough for 3 for dinner. It would go further in the morning. And, yes, we top it off with fried eggs.

 

[Lee2014]

Wow! The greatest cook here... (mouth dropped open and hits keyboard) ! Glad to hear you are human like the rest of us!

Cut potatoes to the size you want.
Put in pan (heated up 9x13 pan with melted butter) and slide into oven at 350. Stir from time to time and add more butter chunks if the potatoes are big. Add whatever else. Enjoy!

 

[Aussie Innkeeper]

I have to admit that this is one of my little 'cheats' in the kitchen. I have NEVER made breakfast potatoes from scratch. They are just too good, too cheap, too easy to purchase them frozen. Sure, I doctor them up quite a bit, but my sanity is worth more than a couple dollars' of spuds. Kudos to those of you who do make your own, I'm sure they're awesome!

 

[Generic]

I have to admit that this is one of my little 'cheats' in the kitchen. I have NEVER made breakfast potatoes from scratch. They are just too good, too cheap, too easy to purchase them frozen. Sure, I doctor them up quite a bit, but my sanity is worth more than a couple dollars' of spuds. Kudos to those of you who do make your own, I'm sure they're awesome!.

The frozen packet is about $2 a kilo and that's just potatoes. I normally pay about $1 a kilo for potatoes (unprepared). Maybe I'm just better off buying them premade and doctoring them?

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I have to admit that this is one of my little 'cheats' in the kitchen. I have NEVER made breakfast potatoes from scratch. They are just too good, too cheap, too easy to purchase them frozen. Sure, I doctor them up quite a bit, but my sanity is worth more than a couple dollars' of spuds. Kudos to those of you who do make your own, I'm sure they're awesome!.

The frozen packet is about $2 a kilo and that's just potatoes. I normally pay about $1 a kilo for potatoes (unprepared). Maybe I'm just better off buying them premade and doctoring them?
.

The frozen packet is about $2 a kilo and that's just potatoes. I normally pay about $1 a kilo for potatoes (unprepared). Maybe I'm just better off buying them premade and doctoring them?

Whether it's frozen or fresh, I wouldn't serve the ones with all those bell peppers. At least 50% of my guests wouldn't touch them. Including myself!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Time to have home style potatoes for dinner in the Generic/Specific house. Try both ways. Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorites.

 

[Morticia]

I have to admit that this is one of my little 'cheats' in the kitchen. I have NEVER made breakfast potatoes from scratch. They are just too good, too cheap, too easy to purchase them frozen. Sure, I doctor them up quite a bit, but my sanity is worth more than a couple dollars' of spuds. Kudos to those of you who do make your own, I'm sure they're awesome!.

The frozen packet is about $2 a kilo and that's just potatoes. I normally pay about $1 a kilo for potatoes (unprepared). Maybe I'm just better off buying them premade and doctoring them?
.

The frozen packet is about $2 a kilo and that's just potatoes. I normally pay about $1 a kilo for potatoes (unprepared). Maybe I'm just better off buying them premade and doctoring them?

Whether it's frozen or fresh, I wouldn't serve the ones with all those bell peppers. At least 50% of my guests wouldn't touch them. Including myself!
.

Definitely no bell peppers! In anything!

 

[Generic]

I have to admit that this is one of my little 'cheats' in the kitchen. I have NEVER made breakfast potatoes from scratch. They are just too good, too cheap, too easy to purchase them frozen. Sure, I doctor them up quite a bit, but my sanity is worth more than a couple dollars' of spuds. Kudos to those of you who do make your own, I'm sure they're awesome!.

The frozen packet is about $2 a kilo and that's just potatoes. I normally pay about $1 a kilo for potatoes (unprepared). Maybe I'm just better off buying them premade and doctoring them?
.

The frozen packet is about $2 a kilo and that's just potatoes. I normally pay about $1 a kilo for potatoes (unprepared). Maybe I'm just better off buying them premade and doctoring them?

Whether it's frozen or fresh, I wouldn't serve the ones with all those bell peppers. At least 50% of my guests wouldn't touch them. Including myself!
.

I was actually thinking more of beautifully caramelized onions and on the odd day, some zucchini or garlic scape to liven things up.

 

[Anon Inn]

I do these frequently. I do have an advantage: a commercial griddle, set to 400 for potatoes.
Use Russets, the best you can find.
Peel, cube, hold in cold water.
Use a steamer. Like a double boiler but the inner pan has holes to steam the contents held over the base pan. Fill a couple inches - enough your water will not all evaporate out. Put your cubed potatoes in the steamer, cover and let steam 20 min. They'll be done. You can hold at this point over the hot water for as long as you need for breakfast service.
Use olive oil or a good neutral oil. Be generous when pouring on the griddle. spread out the required amount of potatoes so each has contact with the griddle. Sprinkle salt over the cooking potatoes. Think the amount you like on your fries.
Now let em brown and crisp up, then turn, use your spatula to return more of the oil to the potatoes while turning. Its the hot oil that delivers the crisp. They're done when crisp and browned on the outside. They'll be lovely and creamy on the inside.
You can nuke them and get the same result, but be very careful you don't overcook some and have them end up gummy. I nuke if I'm on a time crunch, but otherwise the steamer method is easier for me and delivers consistent results
(edited to add before we had the griddle I used a wok for frying the breakfast potatoes. Also works great.)

 

[Morticia]

I have to admit that this is one of my little 'cheats' in the kitchen. I have NEVER made breakfast potatoes from scratch. They are just too good, too cheap, too easy to purchase them frozen. Sure, I doctor them up quite a bit, but my sanity is worth more than a couple dollars' of spuds. Kudos to those of you who do make your own, I'm sure they're awesome!.

The frozen packet is about $2 a kilo and that's just potatoes. I normally pay about $1 a kilo for potatoes (unprepared). Maybe I'm just better off buying them premade and doctoring them?
.

The frozen packet is about $2 a kilo and that's just potatoes. I normally pay about $1 a kilo for potatoes (unprepared). Maybe I'm just better off buying them premade and doctoring them?

Whether it's frozen or fresh, I wouldn't serve the ones with all those bell peppers. At least 50% of my guests wouldn't touch them. Including myself!
.

I was actually thinking more of beautifully caramelized onions and on the odd day, some zucchini or garlic scape to liven things up.
.

I was actually thinking more of beautifully caramelized onions and on the odd day, some zucchini or garlic scape to liven things up.

Lovely!

 

[user 26]

Understanding that you 'want' to excel at making the perfect breakfast potatoes, do your guests like what you're serving now? Please give yourself permission to use what works ... even if it's not from scratch. I am sure one day you'll get the perfect potato recipe down. No recipe from me ... just wanted to say that.

 

[Generic]

Understanding that you 'want' to excel at making the perfect breakfast potatoes, do your guests like what you're serving now? Please give yourself permission to use what works ... even if it's not from scratch. I am sure one day you'll get the perfect potato recipe down. No recipe from me ... just wanted to say that..

Honestly, I make potato pancakes in two different versions and those work well, but yeah, I always wanted to find the perfect recipe for this. Especially in the summer when I have turnips, kohlrabi, scape, green onions, beets etc from the farmer that I can add in. Gotta use up what he gives me.