Crispy Hash Browns

Waffle House watch out. I’ve figured out how to make your yummy crispy hash browns at home. It took some trial and error, but with some research and some failed attempts, I’ve got it.

I encourage blog followers to share their troubled dishes with me because I love to experiment. Karen sent me a message on Facebook because she was having trouble making a crispy hash brown. She tried frozen hash browns. She tried soaking the potatoes in ice water, and she tried using different pans, but she couldn’t get it quite right, quite like Waffle House.

After some research, it appears that Waffle House uses dehydrated hash brown potatoes. So, my first stop was to the grocery to see if they even sold dehydrated hash brown potatoes to regular folks. I was afraid they might have been a wholesale, restaurant supply store type of item. But nope! Hungry Jack has a new item that can be found near the instant mashed potatoes called Premium Hashbrown Potatoes. I followed the box directions and tried making it in my cast iron skillet, but that was a disaster. I tried cooking bacon and then adding the hash browns to the pan of grease, but the cooked-on bacon pieces left in the pan ruined the recipe somehow. The potatoes stuck to the pan and couldn’t be flipped. I didn’t dare take a picture of that debacle. After a little more testing, the below recipe worked out great. Bon appétit!

Crispy Hash Browns

Hungry Jack Hashbrown Potatoes
Hot Water
2 T. bacon grease
Kosher salt

Open the carton of potatoes. Pour hot tap water up to the fill line. Close the box for 12 minutes (no more). After 12 minutes. Pour the carton into a strainer and press out all of the water you can.

Heat 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in a clean 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the rehydrated hash browns to the pan and press into a thin even layer. Let cook for 4-5 minutes, without touching.

Flip; cook for another 3-4 minutes, until brown. Sprinkle with kosher salt and serve. Repeat with the remaining hash browns.