When we opened the restaurant, I intended to have a balance of healthy food and some not-so-healthy but really good food you might not want to eat daily. The not-so-healthy menu items were always top sellers. Still, the Sweet Potato Hash was always in the top ten, even though most customers seemed more interested in traditional comfort foods.
Today I put together a batch, measured and weighed everything, and then plugged all the numbers into an online nutrition calculator. While I am sure the numbers aren\\\’t exact, my version came in at just over 400 calories. Still not too bad. But the restaurant version we served came with two eggs and a biscuit on the side and was a bit larger portion than recommended in the original recipe. I figure the restaurant portion came in at around 700 calories. Still not horrible compared to many restaurants, but it does show how easy it is to go over our daily calorie intake, even when making healthier choices.
You could always shave some calories off the recipe using a lighter chicken or turkey sausage or a little less sausage. You could also substitute egg whites instead of whole eggs. Ultimately, I think our product was a good balance—something to enjoy on a weekend with friends without completely throwing out your diet plan.
Sweet Potato Hash
Ingredients
- 1 lb. sweet potatoes peeled and diced ¼ inch.
- 4 oz onion peeled and diced ¼ inch.
- 6 oz red or green peppers seeded and diced ¼ inch.
- 6 oz ground sausage cooked and drained of excess fat (I recommend using our local Arnold’s Farm sausage if possible.)
- ¼ t. red pepper flakes
- 2 T olive oil divided.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- In a medium frying pan, brown the sausage, drain the fat, and set sausage aside.
- Add 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil to the same frying pan and turn the heat to medium-low.
- Add diced potatoes and onions and cover the pan.
- Stir potato-onion mixture every few minutes.
- Add the peppers and cooked sausage to the pan when the onions turn translucent.
- Stir the mixture and cover, stirring every few minutes, so the bottom doesn’t burn.
- The vegetables and potatoes should take 15-20 minutes to get tender.
- If you are preparing meals and saving the hash to serve later, cook until the potatoes are barely tender. Freezing and reheating will soften the potatoes; if cooked to long, they will turn too much.
- When the hash is done, plate or portion the hash.
- Wipe out the pan, add ½ tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, and place it over medium-low heat again.
- Add your eggs and cook until they are the desired doneness.
- Place one egg on each portion.
- Top with hot sauce if you choose.
Notes
I also start reheating the hash in the microwave and finishing it in a frying pan to crisp it up quickly. I take this opportunity to through in a handful of fresh spinach to give it a little boost of nutrition.
This is a flexible recipe. Feel free to add spinach or mushrooms too. We did a vegetarian version substituting black beans for the sausage. Add a few jalapenos or other hot peppers if you really like.