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When I’m looking at little bits of leftover meat and a small selection of vegetables (either raw or previously cooked) Hash immediately comes to mind as the perfect meal. Especially if I just happen to also have leftover gravy made out of nutrient dense bone broth.
I loved reading this description of Hash through history. As a child growing up, my mama made it the same way I do (out of leftovers) and it was always a favorite meal. I’ll share the formula with you that I loosely base Hash off. You can adapt it to whatever ingredients you have on hand or are least expensive for you.
Ingredients
Meat
Leftover chicken, turkey, beef, whatever. Or if you are really hungry for hash, you can use fresh cooked ground beef. Quantity 1/2 to 2 cups cooked.
Potatoes: either leftover baked or uncooked (I figure on two potatoes for my husband and one for each additional person). You can also use sweet potatoes. Acorn, butternut or spaghetti squash also work quite well.
Vegetables
Chopped onion (1/2 to 1)
Any other vegetables such as sliced cabbage, carrots, green beans, corn, etc. (any amount to stretch the meal)
Spices
Salt
pepper
Garlic powder or fresh minced garlic
Others: celery seed, basil, oregano, thyme, whatever you like
Liquid
Leftover gravy is the best or substitute broth or you could use milk or even water. Skip this if your mixture already has plenty of moisture such as when using squash.
The Method (if using raw potatoes)
Scrub and slice potatoes. Cook in your favorite skillet with fat (duck, chicken, coconut oil, tallow) until they begin to soften.
Once potatoes are soft add your onion and let that cook for a few minutes. Then add in any fresh vegetables such as thinly sliced carrot or shredded cabbage. Add your spices at this time so it can all meld together. Let cook until potatoes and all veggies are soft.
Then add your meat and any previously cooked vegetables. Give it a good stir and finish with your choice of liquid. Go easy on the liquid adding a little bit at a time. You want somewhat of a mash so chop the potatoes a bit as you stir and cook. Finish with more salt and pepper as needed.
The Method (if using leftover baked potatoes)
Chop your onion and any uncooked veggies so they are ready to go. Slice leftover baked potatoes fry and put in skillet with a good amount of fat add in your onions, uncooked veggies and spices. Cook until potatoes are heated through and veggies are soft. Add your meat and proceed with above instructions. Already baked potatoes make this a super quick dish.
Serve
This dish won’t be overly attractive (take a look at my picture and you’ll see what I mean) but it is a very tasty ‘comfort’ food. Sometimes we serve it topped with a fried egg or sour cream. In the picture it is topped with homemade soft cheese. I also put out the ketchup since that is how Kiki likes to top hers.
Do you have a dish like this that you make? Do you call it hash or by another name?
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We make something similar to your hash recipe. I got the idea from a depression era recipe. We fry potatoes and onions, brown a small amount of ground beef or venison, mix all that together and add a few tablespoons of a tomato sauce. It’s delicious and filling. I’ve added peas or green beans to this as well.
I came up with another dish that utilizes left over potatoes and a small amount of meat: Chop up left over baked potatoes and saute. Brown your ground meat and add “sausage” spices and a little maple syrup. Make a basic bechamel sauce (or white sauce). Fry up some eggs and toast some bread. Now layer it all like this- toast, potatoes, meat, fried egg, and top with the bechamel sauce. My whole family loves it. I love it because I can stretch a small amount of meat and potatoes between the five of us and everyone is stuffed.
That sounds wonderful Monica! Reminds me of that breakfast dish that goes on an English muffin with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce (I can’t remember what it is called…).