4/24/06 | Home Fried Potatoes
[ Currently Eating: Lots of Orange Juice ]
I’m probably going to start writing shorter and less text intensive posts, but hopefully more of them. I got sick this past week so I wasn’t able to post more than the one on Easter. The arm is much better but I’m not sure it’s not because I’ve been distracted by this cold virus.
But anyhow, I’d like to talk about one of my favorite breakfast foods to make: Home Fried Potatoes, which are more often called simply “Home Fries“. I’m just a potato type of guy: whole baked, mashed, french fried, scalloped, stuffed, croquette, etc. it doesn’t matter. The only thing I DON’T like is the sweet variety… ughs.
Potatoes are also darn cheap eats. I don’t know if you’d want to eat ONLY potatoes though…
You see these home fries in most breakfast joints as a side item that comes with the main omlette or whatever. They come in all sorts of shapes and flavors. When making them at home I like cutting them as small squares, because it tends to cook up more evenly.
Home Fries
1 large potato — $0.40
2 tbsp butter (from $1.00 4 oz stick) — $0.13
1/4 oz Parmesan cheese (from $3.50 8oz can) — $0.11
Parsley (1/4 cup chopped from $0.69 bunch) — $0.06
salt, pepper — negligibleTotal: $0.70
I usually use Russets, but any potato should work. Some people like to parboil or pre-microwave their potatoes. You may want to do this if you like them completely cooked. I don’t mind them extra firm though. I also like them unpeeled, though you could easily do that too.
Wash the potatoes and cube them into equal small pieces, around 1 cm. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, until nearly foaming. Add the potato pieces… try to keep them in one layer and not all jumbled together.
Let that cook for awhile, 4 minutes? You basically want to try and get the one side golden brown, and then flip that over. This is easier said than done, even with a big spatula! Just do your best. Repeat again.
Now, I like to throw in the parm cheese after flipping the 2nd time. It makes the cheese melt and get a little browned. Throw in the parsley here too. Now keep moving the potatoes around every so often to try get the remaining sides browned.
The cooking time is really approximate… all depend on how well you like ‘em done and how burnt you are willing to let the outside of the potatoes get. If the potatoes are still underdone, pop them in the microwave for a bit. And salt/pepper to taste.
When you do these right, the outside has a slight crunch to them and the inside is firm but cooked. Tastes great with a little tabasco…
Price: $0.70
Cheap Eats Score: 8/10
April 24th, 2006 at 10:55 am
Mmm…Potatoes. I like to use chopped up red potatoes (more nutrients, more expensive), toss them in extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, and paprika. Then stick them in the toaster oven for 30 minutes. Mmm…Starchy goodness.
April 24th, 2006 at 2:11 pm
There are very things you can do to a potato that aren’t good.
My mother used to make potato pancakes with leftover mashed ones. Or potato soup (one of my faves).
I pretty much lived on potatoes, cottage cheese and brown rice when I was in grad school. (And I lost 20 pounds!)
April 24th, 2006 at 6:29 pm
Ah, yes. Classic weekend brunch for me. I like to make my home fries with shredded cheese and onions… or go crazy with meat and eggs too for breakfast hash.
Good stuff.
April 24th, 2006 at 6:32 pm
marvo - yeah, the toaster oven is one of the most underrated kitchen devices around!
cybele - my mom makes “koroke” or potato croquettes by breading them (flour, egg, bread crumbs) and then frying them. We eat em with ketchup or tonkatsu sauce. i like potato leek soup a lot!
warden - i’m a pretty big fan of “hashes” as well. and I actually completely forgot to mention hashbrowns…
April 25th, 2006 at 12:09 pm
Raw fried are good, but tend to be greasier. I boil whole potatoes the night before I want them (if I’m making them for breakfast). Not all the way cooked, the potatoe should still “Have a bone” and put them in the fridge to cool. Then I dice into 1/2 inche cubes and brown in extra light olive oil. Somtimes I brown cook some diced onions until limp and then add the potatoes so the onions get nice a sweet, and the potatoes get brown and crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle.
I’m Irish on my mom’s side, and Okie on my dad’s, so I make killer fried potatoes (I also make a mean Champ and Bubble-n-squeak!)
April 25th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
Home fries are also a good way to use left over baked potatos from grilling out. They’ll keep a few days at least…or good the next day if everyone isn’t still too stuffed.
And I prefer Cholula as a hot sauce to Tabasco (red). Tabasco green is quite good though.
April 30th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Using the same ‘boil before’ method as sylko, my prefered homefries recipe (ok, not exactly homefries, but sort of) includes a packet of onion dip mix. The powdered stuff.
Ingredients:
Several potatoes
One sweet onion
Olive oil
Onion dip packet
Outcome:
Yumminess
May 1st, 2006 at 2:46 pm
sylko - that is a good point… I do notice they are a bit greasier when using raw potatoes. Er, what is “Champ and Bubble ‘n Squeak?”
Bonnie - say, I like the Cholula sauce as well. I mostly see it in restaurants though, I don’t have any at home…
Abi - the onion dip mix addition sounds interesting. I keep a package of Lawry’s dry taco seasoning around and occasionally sprinkle that on stuff like potatoes.
May 2nd, 2006 at 10:23 pm
i agree the toster oven is awesome, and potatoes are good anyway those i prefer the less grease the better, however why is no one adding the goodness that is garlic? garlic and potatoes are grub.
May 5th, 2006 at 8:56 am
chaos - funny you mention garlic and potatoes… the other day I went to the Farmer’s Market and they have Garlic French Fries. French fries mixed with minced raw garlic. delish, but whooh. They will be smelling your breath in Toledo…
August 26th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
TY. Breakfast time! Hey, don’t forget the onions.
Thanks,
Fed Fred
December 5th, 2006 at 2:23 pm
Why cant I get a honest receipe for “diner style Home fries.
December 30th, 2006 at 2:42 pm
I still did not get a positive answer as what is the receipt for home fries is served in most diners. They don’t serve with cheese, peppers, onions etc. I dont want exotic recipies , just plain down to earth home fries.Is there not any short order cook out there willing to give up the recipe for home fries?
February 26th, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Great blog! By necessity, I’m working on perfecting my oven-fries recipe. My wife is nursing our 3 month old, who we suspect has food allergies. Long story short, my wife has reduced her eating to a baseline diet consisting of nothing more than free range turkey, pears, millet and potatoes. So, I’ve been making LOTS of oven fries, and freezing them for her to take out and fix whenever she needs to. So far, I’ve been baking them to the half-done point before freezing, but it sounds as if par-boiling will work too. Gonna try it, it would be way more efficient! Thanks to everyone for good posts.
October 15th, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Ugh! Food allergies! My son (now 21 - middle child) wasn’t allergic to anything, but he was sensitive to certain foods - if I ate broccoli or cabbage he got it in the breast milk and was miserable, so of course that was out of my diet as soon as I made the connection. Even though I was very careful about what I ate, he went through a period of a few months where he would ball up in pain and cry every evening from about 7pm till almost midnight - it was the strangest thing, because the rest of the day he was so cheery and happy - absolutely no hint of what was to come. Doctor said it was colic and could only suggest comfort measures (position, massage, etc.). A neighbor suggested a light tea made from oregano which helped quite a bit. I hope this helps. Congrats on the new baby!
November 24th, 2007 at 3:30 am
Bubble and Squeak is a traditional English dish that is usually served on Boxing Day (December 26). Obviously, you can have it any time of the year, but the idea is that you smoosh up and skillet-fry together the veggies left over from the Christmas Day main meal, ie. peas, roast potatoes, carrots, cabbage and brussel sprouts. I know this because I have eaten it every December 26 for the last 30 years! It takes its name from the noise it makes while cooking. It doesn’t smell especially wonderful while cooking, but the end result is absolutely delicious!
November 24th, 2007 at 3:38 am
8 medium potatoes, peeled
small bunch of scallions (spring onions)
1/4 pt/125ml/1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
knob of butter per person
(serves four)
The Above is a recipe for Champ. Irish I believe.
December 9th, 2007 at 12:56 am
I don’t know if this already posted but, potatoes are WAY cheaper than your recipe says. Here in ontario we can pay 1 dollar for ten pounds of med to large potatoes.
April 6th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Leftover baked potatoes make great home fries. Stick them in fridge overnight. Dice–skin and all.
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:51 am
You are brilliant, my friend I admire your devotion to your craft.
Thanks for the home fried potatoes recipe.
Foolish me…I put frozen hashbrowns on the shopping list for breakfast. My wife insisted that we not get it because of all the hydrogenated junk. (We should talk some time about all that tuna — moderated doses only, so my teen daughter says).
Anyways one day a small, trendy, pathetic bag of organic hashbrowns appears in the freezer…probably cost $3 bucks!
So, as we speak, I am doing a timing test between these frozen organic matchstixs and your fresh home fries. I know you’re gonna win, because theirs are frozen and yours are fresh. So whatever time is gained with the precooking is gonna be lost because they’re frozen.
Test complete. Same time for both, but you win 5-1 on taste.
My one suggestion is a veggie slicer (I think the fancy name is mandoline) to quickly get thin potatoes slices ready for dicing, especially in the AM.
Great site, awesome effort! Down with frozen hashbrowns!
P.S.
Have you ever tried the avocado burritos at Campos in Santa Monica? That is one food I would pay FedEx for!
May 14th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I fixed the home fried potatoes last night, of course I had to up the anty cause I was cooking for 7 but they are awesome!!
With an adjustment or two (very minor) they are the bomb with grilled chicken.
Thanks for the ideas…
K
June 24th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
You should consider electricity and gas expenditures, too.