Hash Browns and Home Fries: Two Fine Options for Humble Potatoes

Until recently, I have always made hash browns by shredding my potatoes when they are raw and then cooking them in a skillet.

A while ago I came across the secret to great, homemade hash browns.

Cook the potatoes first.

Actually, that is the secret to good hash browns and good home fries!

In my mind, when I pictured cooked potatoes, I pictured baking them for an hour first. Nope. All you have to do is scrub the potatoes well, put them (whole) in a pot of salted water, and boil them for 10 minutes.

After the potatoes cool a bit, you can shred them for hash browns or peel them and cut them into chunks for home fries.

Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in a skillet and cook your potatoes on medium high heat until they are golden crisp. Keep extra butter on hand, in case you need more during the cooking process. You may need to cook your hash browns in batches, depending on how many you are cooking.

For hash browns, put the shredded potatoes in the skillet, flatten them, and then cook them on one side until they are golden crisp. Then flip them and cook the other side.

For home fries, be sure you are stirring them occasionally.

Enjoy!