3 Ways to Make Healthy Hash Brown (Potato Pancakes)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Hash browns are potato pancakes typical of English cuisine usually eaten for breakfast. They go well with bacon, sausage, eggs or any other savory dish. Since they are generally fried in abundant oil or butter and contain a lot of carbohydrates, they are not always the healthiest option. Luckily though, there are recipes for making hash brown a bit healthier, so you can indulge yourself without guilt. Simply replace the vegetable oil usually used for frying (such as canola) with a small amount of coconut oil to reduce fat and calories. If you're looking for an even healthier recipe, you can bake them instead or substitute cauliflower potatoes for fewer carbohydrates.

Ingrediants

Simple and Healthy Hash Brown

2 tablespoons or 30 g of coconut oil
40 g yellow onion finely diced
60 g of finely diced red peppers
3 medium russet potatoes
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Baked Hash Brown

1 kg of peeled and grated potatoes
60 g of spring onions cut into thin slices
45 g of chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons or 15 g of cornstarch
1 g of salt
½ g of black pepper
½ g of onion powder

Cauliflower Hash Brown

1 cauliflower
2 eggs
3 g of kosher salt
½ g of black pepper
½ g of garlic powder
3 g of chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoons or 10 g of coconut oil

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Make Simple and Healthy Hash Browns

Step 1. Peel and grate the potatoes

For the hash browns, you will need 3 medium sized russet potatoes. Remove the peel with a vegetable peeler and grate to obtain strips.

If desired, russet potatoes can be substituted for sweet ones.
If you prefer, you can leave the skin on the potatoes.
You can also use a food processor grater.
For particularly crunchy hash browns, leave the potatoes to soak in cold water after grating them so they can release starch. However, drain them well and pat them dry with a paper towel before cooking them.

Step 2. Heat a large skillet

Place the pan on the stove and set the heat to medium-high. Let it heat up for 5 to 7 minutes or until it becomes hot.

Make hash browns in a cast iron skillet for best results

Step 3. Add the oil, then skip the onions and peppers briefly

Once the pan has been heated, grease it with 2 tablespoons or 30 g of coconut oil. Add 40 g of yellow onion and 60 g of red pepper, both finely diced. Let it cook for about 1 minute so that the heat can be distributed evenly.

Coconut oil can be substituted for ghee.
You can also mix red and yellow peppers.

Step 4. Incorporate the grated potatoes and cook them for a few minutes

After sautéing the onions and peppers for 1 minute, place the grated potatoes in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden on the edges.

Make sure to spread the potatoes in an even layer in the pan so they cook properly

Step 5. Flip the potatoes and cook on the other side until golden brown

After you've cooked the hash browns for a few minutes, start flipping them with a large spatula. Gradually proceed in sections until all are turned and cook until golden brown. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

It may be necessary to turn the potatoes more than once to cook well on both sides

Step 6. Plate and serve the potatoes

When cooked, carefully lift the potatoes from the pan using a spatula. Serve them on the plate and serve them with your favorite foods.

This recipe makes 4 or 5 servings of hash brown.
Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat them in a pan or microwave.

Method 2 of 3: Prepare Baked Hash Browns

Step 1. Preheat the oven and prepare a baking sheet

Set the temperature to 250 ° C and make sure it heats up properly so that the hash browns are crunchy. Then, line a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray.

The aluminum foil can be replaced with parchment paper

Step 2. Soak the potatoes in cold water

To make hash browns, you will need 1 kg of peeled potatoes cut into strips. Choose a type of potato suitable for baking. Put them in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Leave them to soak for about 5 minutes.

Regular potatoes can be substituted for sweet ones

Step 3. Drain and rinse the potatoes

After letting them soak for a few minutes, drain the water. Rinse them with cold water in the sink to remove all starch residue.

Step 4. Dry the potatoes well

To get crunchy hash browns, it is important that they are completely dry before cooking. Put the grated potatoes in a salad spinner. Centrifugal until completely dry.

Don't have a salad spinner? Dry them thoroughly by blotting them with a paper towel

Step 5. Stir in the potatoes, spring onions and peppers

Dry the potatoes, mix them in a large bowl with 60 g of sliced spring onions and 45 g of chopped green peppers. Mix the ingredients well.

Spring onions can be replaced with yellow onions.
Green peppers can be substituted for red or yellow ones. You can also combine them as you like.

Step 6. Add the cornstarch, salt, pepper and onion powder

Mix the potatoes with the peppers and spring onions, incorporate 2 tablespoons or 15 g of corn starch, 1 g of salt, ½ g of black pepper and ½ g of onion powder. Stir well to make sure you coat the potatoes completely with the seasonings.

You can add any other seasonings that you think are appropriate, such as garlic powder, paprika, and / or cayenne pepper

Step 7. Place a cookie pan on the baking sheet and fill it with potatoes

To shape the pancakes, place an 8 cm diameter cookie pan on the baking sheet you have prepared. Fill it with 115g of potatoes to make a medallion.

To make a kibble, stack the potatoes evenly, but don't press them too hard.
The medallions can be formed with your hands if you do not have a cookie mold. Just try not to over-compress the potatoes.

Step 8. Remove the mold and repeat the procedure

Once you have filled the mold with potatoes, lift it carefully, making sure to leave the medallion intact. Continue the process until you finish the potatoes.

Step 9. Spray the potatoes with non-stick cooking spray and bake them for 20 minutes

Once all the medallions have been formed, grease them on the surface with a cooking spray. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Step 10. Flip the medallions and cook until golden brown

After cooking them for 20 minutes, turn them carefully using a wide spatula. Let them cook for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Keep an eye on them, especially towards the end of cooking, to make sure they don't burn on the edges

Step 11. Serve the hash browns hot

When cooked, take the pan out of the oven. Serve them with the help of a spatula and bring them to the table hot accompanying them with the dishes you prefer.

This recipe makes about 8 pancakes.
To store leftovers, place the pancakes in an airtight container and refrigerate. They should stay fresh for 2 to 3 days.

Method 3 of 3: Make Hash Browns with Cauliflower

Step 1. Grate the cauliflower

For this recipe, you'll need a head of cauliflower. Grate it until you get a consistency similar to that of rice.

Make sure you wash and dry the cauliflower before grating it

Step 2. Mix the grated cauliflower and the other ingredients except the oil

After grating the cauliflower, put it in a large bowl. Add 2 eggs, 3 g of kosher salt, ½ g of black pepper, ½ g of garlic powder and 3 g of chopped yellow onion. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.

Instead of eggs you can use a suitable substitute.
As for the toppings, you can safely add others or replace them as you like. Cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and dried sage are great options.

Step 3. Heat the oil in a pan

Put a large skillet on the stove and pour in 2 teaspoons (10 g) of coconut oil. Let it heat over medium-high heat until it melts. This should take 3 to 5 minutes.

Step 4. Press half of the cauliflower into the pan

Once the oil is heated, place half of the cauliflower in the pan. Press it with a wide spatula to flatten it.

As you flatten the cauliflower, try to keep it as compact as possible

Step 5. Cook the cauliflower medallion until golden on the edges

Once the cauliflower is flattened, cook it for about 1 minute and wait for it to brown on the edges before turning it.

Step 6. Flip the medallion and cook for a few more minutes

Once it is golden on the edges, turn it carefully using a spatula. Let it cook for another 3 to 4 minutes on the other side or until golden on the ends. Cook the other half of the cauliflower the same way.