Brightening Breakfasts

Hash Brown Waffles and Easter Reflections

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Hash Brown Waffle
Hash Brown Waffles

There are some wonderful traditions I associate with Easter. One of them is having an Easter candy hunt with our children before going to carol for seniors early on Easter morning with our church family. There’s something to be said for singing “Lo, In the Grave He Lay” to a group of appreciative elders while the dishes tinkle in the background and the smell of burnt toast assails your nostrils. We wrap it up by singing triumphantly “He Lives!”, chat with a few of the residents, then hop into our vehicles to head on over to our church.

Once there, the people bustle in, carrying mysteriously covered dishes and cartons to tables that are expectantly waiting for the offerings. The irresistible aroma of coffee lures us inward. There is an air of excitement and children dart under our elbows, trying to catch a sneak peek at what is under the lid or towels. Once everybody has returned and the tables are full, thanks to the God of the bounty is given and finally, FINALLY we get to go through and select our choices. The choices are many and tempting, and great restraint is needed. Afterwards everybody helps to clear away the tables and clean up, then whoever wishes to trickles to the front of the auditorium to join an ever-growing throng of folks of all ages singing their hearts out again. Some of the same carols that were sung earlier are repeated. Some are newer songs or ones that were missed before. Once everyone has collected, we settle in and listen to the age-old wonderful story of Christ’s resurrection. When we leave church we join our family (or sometimes families!) for the rest of the day.

In case, you haven’t caught on yet, I love Easter. This year there will be no caroling at seniors’ residences because they are on lockdown. There will be no brunch at church, no spontaneous singing at the front of the auditorium. Thankfully, we will still be able to receive a message from our pastor, thanks to people more tech-savvy than myself. There will be no family gathering later. This year it will be a quiet Easter. If we meet as a family, it will be through some social media platform. But I am still making Egg Cheese, my personal annual offering to the potluck. I plan to make a few small ones and share some of them. We might still do brunch here at home and I’m planning an Easter hunt for my adult daughter. It will still be a good day.

Hash browns and eggs have long been a favourite combination of mine. I remember my mom making homemade hash browns with eggs over easy for an easy and economical supper in my childhood. We would smash the egg with a fork and mix it in with the hash browns. We ate it with a slice of toast on the side smeared with homemade strawberry jam and a glass of milk. Yum! Simple pleasures.

Thinking of this started me looking for variations of hash browns and I happed upon this recipe that turned the humble hash brown into a thing of beauty. It reminded me of the potato pancakes that we used to buy at the market that were served with our choice of applesauce or sour cream. They were so good. Although I used a waffle iron, you could very easily make these as pancakes, or use a panini press, or press them into well-greased muffin or custard cups and bake them.

Place the hash browns on a towel, cover with another towel and press hard to squeeze out the extra juice.
Mix the ingredients all together.
Spread one cup of potato mixture evenly on the greased waffle iron.
I used shredded fresh red potatoes, but potatoes cooked in their jackets, cooled and then shredded would work as well, and probably be less messy. I rarely peel potatoes, but you can if you wish. I like the extra nutrition, fibre and colour that the peel adds. At least that’s what I tell myself. The truth is, I don’t enjoy peeling potatoes.

 

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Add an egg or two and whatever sides you wish.

 

Hash Brown Waffles
Hash Brown Waffles. Look at that gooey yolk. Perfection.

 

This post is sponsored by Martin’s Family Fruit Farm. The retail store is closed at the present to keep our staff and customers safe. 

Hash Brown Waffles and Easter Reflections

Ingredients

  • 6 medium 3 – 4″ potatoes (I used red), fresh or cooked in jackets or 28 ounce bag of frozen shredded hash browns
  • 3 whole large eggs
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded old cheddar cheese (I used extra old. I love that stuff)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup chopped onions (red, white, cooking, green)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • chopped chives for garnish, optional

Directions

Wash the potatoes and peel them if you wish. I didn’t. Either cook them or leave them fresh. Grate them using a medium shredder attachment or side, like you would for cheese. If using fresh potatoes, spread them out on an old towel. Cover them with another towel and press hard all over with your hands, then roll them up and squeeze the roll. You want to get as much of the moisture out as you can. This is critical to creating crispy hash browns. 

Heat your waffle iron, panini press, or griddle to medium-high and your oven to 400° F, if you’re doing the muffins. If you aren’t baking these, you might still want to turn the oven on to a lower temperature keep the waffles hot as they’re done.

Beat the eggs, milk and seasonings together. Stir the potatoes and cheese into the seasonings until everything is mixed together. When your cooking surface of choice is hot, grease it with a little butter or cooking spray. If using muffin or custard cups, you will need to apply the grease more liberally. Spread one cup of hash brown mixture onto griddle or iron. Or, if using custard or muffin cups, fill them about 2/3 full, making a dent in the middle to hold the egg later. 

Waffles and panini press: Cook for 8 – 10 minutes. Hold the lid down for the first minute to press it in place, then allow it to continue cooking until the waffle is golden with darker brown bits from the cheese. You may need to strain the last of the batch through a sieve if your mixture is getting watery.

Pancakes: Cook for 4 minutes per side on flat griddle or frying pan, flipping at the halfway point. 

Muffins: Bake at 400° in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes until the edges look brown and crispy. 

When done serve them with eggs done your way, meat of choice, fruits and/or tomatoes. Delight in hope-filled Easter while eating. Or delight in whatever day it is that you make this.

 

 

 

This entry was posted in Brightening Breakfasts, Gluten Free, Uncategorized.