Bob's Breakfast Best: Home Fries (the Recipe)

There are some weekends, some very, very special weekends, when my husband wakes up extra early and cooks up some delicious Home Fries. This was one of those weekends.

He learned this tradition from his dad, who is famous for his delicious weekend morning breakfasts that bring children from afar - nieces and nephews, in-laws and the like. We all wake up nice and early and scurry over to his kitchen in the hopes that we just happen to visit at the right hour.

When I told my husband that I wanted to take photos for a blog post of this wonderful, tasty treat he said, "That's a secret family recipe! It could be worth millions!"

My response, "Which is exactly why it should be shared with the world!"

He did not give me a line-by-line recipe (I think it has been too long since such a thing existed for the home fries), so I had to make do with sneaking in and out of the kitchen and asking clarifying questions. Here it goes:

Step 1: What You'll Need

The amounts below were enough for the two of us with leftovers (could probably serve four without a battle if you are going to use as a side dish with your favorite eggs).

• 2 potatoes cleaned, peeled and cut into thin discs
• 1/2 green bell pepper cut into strips
• 1/2 red bell pepper cut into strips
• 1 onion cut into strips
• 2 packets of Sazon
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• water
• 1 pot large enough to boil the potato discs in
• 1 pan large enough for all of the ingredients 
• a plate or two for spicing up the potatoes and your vegetables in waiting (my husband has lots of plates floating around during this process and I am not permitted to try to streamline the process)
  

Step 2: Preparing the Potatoes

The potatoes are a key element to this dish, so there is much to be done with our spuds. Once they have been sliced into discs, you should boil them for two minutes. The potato discs are then laid out on a plate to be spiced up. Sprinkle one packet of Sazon and salt and pepper all over the potatoes (one packet on each side). It is in this step where you can control the kick of your home fries (more pepper = more kick). This is what the seasoned potatoes look like:

spicy spuds

Step 3: Putting It All In The Pan

 First you want to saute the peppers and onions in a bit of olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Once they have softened and the onions have begun to get translucent, remove them from the pan.

cooked peppers and onions

If necessary add more oil to the pan to ensure it is still coated, because now the potatoes are coming to the party! Lay the potatoes in the pan, cover and cook for 2-4 minutes, or until they brown. Then flip them over and add the onions and peppers on top.

Flipping the potatoes. Notice the brown ones in the bottom left corner.

While the second side is browning, the vegetables get to cook too!

Cover and cook and cook for another 2-4 minutes.

Step 4: Serve and Enjoy!

We usually have our home fries with scrambled eggs, but you can have them with just about any other yummy breakfast protein. They are a nice spicy vegetable party in my tummy early in the morning and I love them! (Of course, the best part for me is the fact that they were made for me, but perhaps you can send this post along to a loved one as a helpful hint!!).

Now I have to apologize for the missing grand finale picture... it's just that when my plate showed up all responsibilities to my readers was swept away by the magnificent aroma and the fork placed in my hand. I saw. I ate. They were gone. Then I thought, "Oops!" So maybe next time I will be strong of spirit and be able to share this with you!

What's your favorite weekend breakfast meal?

Do you know any Weekend Breakfast Dads in your family?

How do you like your home fries?