Whatever you call them home fries, hash browns, or skillet potatoes, there’s not much better, in my opinion, than this delicious hearty side dish.  I tend to make these home fries every week, sometimes twice a week. Using the microwave to par-cook the potatoes makes this recipe so quick and easy. With just a few ingredients these home fries will quickly become a crowd favorite in your house.

Pick Your Potatoes

Russets are my personal choice for this dish, but you could choose any potato that you love and have on hand. Starchy potatoes offer a crisp exterior with fluffy insides. If you prefer this texture, choose russets, Yukon gold, or Idaho. Waxy potatoes will also have a crispy exterior but will be more creamy inside. Red, creamers, new, and Adirondack will give you this creamier mouth feel.

Prep Those Taters

Once you’ve chosen your perfect potato, you’re ready to roll. Wash and peel the taters. I usually peel first and then give a thorough rinse, but you could wash them first if you prefer. Alternatively, you could leave the peels on. Potato peels have a great flavor and nutrient benefits. If leaving the peels on be sure to scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a vegetable brush.

After cleaning and peeling the potatoes it’s time to chop. There are many ways to cut up a potato and I’ve experimented with many different ways when developing this recipe. Because I want the potatoes to cook quickly, they need to be somewhat thin. Larger cubes will take longer to soften and when using larger pieces, I often had many undercooked bites, which is unpleasant. Alternately, I’ve tried shredding them. The trouble I had with shreds is they tend to brown too quickly and can have a rubbery internal texture.  The size that consistently cooked through and browned well is ¼” thick. The width is a little less important, I’ve been very lazy some days and just sliced the whole potatoes into ¼” thick disks. Typically, however, I cut the potato in half lengthwise, pole to pole. Then with the flat side down, I will cut in half lengthwise again, essentially ending up with lengthwise quarters, like large wedge fries. Finally, I’ll slice the lengths short wise into ¼” thick pieces.

Parcooking to Save Time

This step is completely optional. Cooking potatoes in a skillet can be a lengthy process and partially cooking them in the microwave can significantly cut down on the time. Once the potatoes are cut, put them in a microwave safe bowl and toss them with about 2 tsp of olive oil. You want them lightly coated to keep them from sticking together, be carful not to add too much oil. They will stick together a little but will break up once they are in the skillet. After coating the potatoes with oil press them toward the outside of the bowl making a small well in the center, this will ensure even cooking. Bonus, this tip is also helpful for reheating leftovers. Cover your bowl with either a reusable ventilated microwave splatter cover (preferred) or plastic wrap. If using plastic wrap, pierce it in a few places with a knife for ventilation. Microwave in high for 4 minutes. Take care when removing the bowl from the microwave, it will be very hot! I like to use oven mitts.

Aromatics for the Win

This dish would not be the same without some help from our good friend the onion. The combination of potatoes and onions is really a perfect match. Use your favorite onion, any variety will do nicely. I prefer the flavor of yellow onion, it’s a bit mild and sweet. For this recipe you need about a ¼ cup diced onion. Take care to not cut the onions too small as they will have a tendency to burn, ¼” dice is probably the smallest you’ll want to do. Prepare the onion while the potatoes are microwaving.

Golden Brown and Delicious

It’s time to cook! For perfectly golden potatoes, the skillet you choose matters a great deal. You can use non-stick if you prefer. I do use non-stick for some cooking and prefer to purchase non-toxic options. However, I never seem to get a good crust when using non-stick. Cast iron has proven to be the best choice for this task. An 8” skillet is sufficient for this recipe, a 10” would work too. Heat your skillet over medium heat with 1 TBL butter and drizzle of olive oil (optionally you could use a generous TBL of bacon fat, lard, shortening, or only olive oil). The olive oil will help keep the butter from burning. During the heating process the butter will bubble and foam. Once the foaming has calmed down it’s time to add the potatoes. Pore the potatoes into the skillet being careful not to splash yourself with hot butter. I recommend pouring away from your body keeping the bowl close to the pan to reduce splattering. You can also spoon the potatoes from the bowl to the pan for more control.

Sprinkle in the salt and spread the taters out around the pan, pushing and turning them until they are flat. Then leave them alone for a few minutes. In order to get a brown crust, they need some time in contact with the heat without being disturbed. Watch for browning around the edges of the potatoes and listen for a change in the sizzle. The sound of the sizzle will change from a loud, wet bubble to a quieter more snappy sizzle. Now’s the time to turn them over. Do your best to turn, spread and flatten them out again.

Here’s where we start to really build flavor. Sprinkle the onions on top of the potatoes. This will steam the onions and help them to soften. Once you see some browning on the edges of the potatoes again, stir everything and mash the edge of your spatula into the potatoes breaking them up a little. Doing this exposes the fluffy inside and will create more browning and texture. Cook stirring occasionally for 2-3 more minutes until the onions have fully softened and are lightly browned.

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The Season for Potatoes

Now that we have beautifully cooked potatoes, we need to guild the lily by adding some seasoning. Remove the pan from the heat, the residual heat should be enough to bloom the spices for the best flavor. I recommend tasting a potato to determine if they need to be salted. Potatoes can take a fair amount of salt so what we added earlier may not have been enough, add more to your preference. Shake on a generous amount of pepper, ¼ tsp paprika, and 1/8 tsp turmeric (or ½ tsp Penzy’s Forward). Herbs will brighten up this hearty dish and you can experiment with different herbs to find your favorite combo. In a pinch I’ll add dried herb mixes like Penzy’s Parisien or Italian herbs. If I have fresh herbs on hand, I like to add chopped parsley, chives, chervil, and/or rosemary, 2-3 tsp total. Mix everything thoroughly.

Ready to Serve

You are now ready to serve up this crispy, hearty, delicious dish. Serve alongside eggs and bacon for a hearty breakfast. Plate it up with a grilled steak for a satisfying dinner. Wrap in a tortilla with chicken, cheese and salsa for an amazing burrito.

I truly hope you enjoy!

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