My family loves hash browns, but I have also had troubles cooking them on the stove – there would be some that were nice and crispy, others still soft and a big clump of a real hash of semi potato browns in the end!
I wanted to find a new way to cook them, that didn’t require tons of oil, that didn’t require tons of work. Fresh hashbrowns are great because potatoes are cheap and filling (at least where we are from!) and so they make for a great breakfast/dinner side.
So I discovered a great way to make hashbrowns! They don’t turn into a big gloppy mess, they cook evenly as more surface area is covered with less work, and I didn’t have to stand at the stove and flip and stir.
Cook your hashbrowns in a waffle iron! I bet the same would even work in a George Foreman grill as this is how we perfectly cook bacon and salmon, but since we have a waffle iron, this has been the same idea and works beautifully!
Here’s how to make perfectly browned fresh hash browns:
You can buy shredded potatoes already, or use fresh potatoes (cheapest and healthiest) and easily make your own. If you have a food processor, it will be seconds! So get out your shredding tools and plug in your waffle iron so it is nice and hot when you are ready!
Wash your potatoes and then shred them with your preferred method.
Once you have your potatoes shredded, you will want to rinse them and then soak them in water for a few minutes and rinse again to help reduce the starch and browning.
Then drain and “squeeze” the potatoes to get any extra liquid out.
Place your potato shreds in a bowl and add your seasonings! We love salt, pepper, turmeric and paprika!
Once your potatoes are ready, it is time to brown them!
Place scoops of the potato mixture in your waffle iron under each waffle shape. I found that it was easiest using a soup ladle and then spreading the potatoes out over the waffle shape. This way, they were all a consistent size and the cooking time would be the same for all. Note: you might want to spray with cooking spray before depending on your waffle iron.
Close the lid and I cooked these about 1-2 minutes longer than waffles – our waffle maker says 5 minutes for waffles and so I cooked the potatoes for 6-7 minutes, turning the waffle maker over at the half way point. You can cook them for more/less time depending on how crispy or soft your like your hash browns!
This is the half way point!
Then they were ready to serve! Our kids also love these specific types of hashbrowns because they are fun shapes, consistently cooked, crispy, tasty and satisfying!
Serve warm! These do reheat well too, so you could make many and freeze! Enjoy your perfectly cooked fresh hashbrowns.
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Marigene
What a great idea! This is my first visit to your blog, but it certainly won’t be the last!
Linda Thomson
Absolutely BRILLIANT idea!
Kathy Thompson
Please don’t tell people to use cooking spray on their waffle/grill maker. I ruined a george foreman grill doing that. After spraying it over a 6 month time period every time I used it, it was impossible to get them clean. The cooking spray is impossible to clean off and ruins the non-stick surface. I also ruined a set of professional cooking pans using “Pam cooking spray”. After throwing out the ruined items, except one, I did find a solution to clean off the old “Pam cooking spray”. Soak several paper towels in ammonia, place the soaked paper towels onto the surface of the grill plates/pans and place in a sealed plastic bag for 24 hours. Remove and clean. May need to repeat if not totally clean, but it worked. Saved one professional cooking pan. This works for barbeque grills as well. I no longer have “Pam cooking spray” in my home.
Cassie
HI Kathy, we don’t and most shouldn’t have to due to it being non-stick, which is why the post says “depending on your waffle iron.” I don’t think we said anything about spraying a George Foreman grill, but it is a good reminder that it is not necessary. Thanks
Marti
I sold upper end cookware for quite a while and spraying anything on no-stick cookware voids the warranty. A little olive oil or butter and olive oil will produce the crispy browned food you want. I never understood why all these recipes say to spray non-stick anyway. Isn’t that the point of non-stick? Also most people don’t know that putting Downey or equivalent in the wash with bath towels will cause them to lose their absorbency. I have used white vinegar in the rinse cycle for years.
Toni Wetter
The directions that came with my Foreman cooker said to lightly spray with non-stick spray (Pam Spray) and I have been doing this for more than 10 years and no problems.
tracy
mine said that to
Margaret A. Moriarty
Me too! I haven’t ever had problems cleaning my George Foreman after using a bit of Pam Spray.
barbara
I stopped using my waffle iron because clean up seems impossible…..I agree that using cooking spray is a sticky gummy mess and had to throw out an expensive waffle iron because of that. but how do you clean these expensive appliances after use, mine cost over 200.00 and it’s not emersible.
Debra
I don’t use non stick spray on George Foreman grill ever. Best way to clean after using it is: First unplug unit. Then while still hot…… use “good & wet” paper towel(s) (almost drippy) and clean grill with it. ROLLS RIGHT OFF!!
Note: The key is doing it while still hot. Watch your finger tips — that’s why I use a couple of paper towels. *if need to clean later, follow same instr above, after reheating.