Cooking Frozen Hashbrowns

Hashbrowns are a real treat for us, as it means the kids can have a leisurely breakfast instead of rushing around frantically for school.  It also means that I have the time to start up the frying pan and create something warm, hearty and comforting.

Yesterday, I wrote about freezing hashbrowns for future use.  Today, we try out our frozen hashbrowns to see if they are any good.

I heated up my pan with organic extra virgin olive oil (about 1-2 Tbsp) on medium-high, poured a layer of frozen potatoes, and dotted the top with a bit of butter for flavour. 

The frozen potatoes are only partially cooked, so I added some water (maybe 1/4-1/2 cup?) to the bottom of the pan and cover.  If you look closely, the potatoes are sitting in the water. 

I was able to find a stock pot lid that covered my frying pan!  Bring the water to a boil and simmer covered on medium heat for about 3-5 min to thaw and cook the potatoes completely.  (Can you see me taking this pic with my iPhone?). 

The potatoes should be cooked and the water evaporated after 3-5 min.  Then you can leave the lid off and brown and season your potatoes to your liking.   I always season my hashbrowns with kosher salt, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp onion powder. So far,
I haven't gotten any complaints from the kids. 

I think they look pretty tasty now!  Now I know that if potatoes are on sale, I can make
frozen hashbrowns for $0.29/lb!  The supermarket sells pre-made diced frozen hashbrowns for at least $2-3 for a 1kg bag.  I made a 1 kg bag for $0.65...well under a dollar.  Nowadays, it's hard to buy that volume of food for under $1, but it can be done if you have a good sized freezer and stock up when then things on sale at the supermarket.   

Enjoy!