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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Feb 8, 2021 · Modified: Jul 1, 2022 by Lindsey Jenkins · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    How to Make a Healthy Breakfast Hash (No Recipe Needed)

    Ever wondered how to make a healthy breakfast hash using what's already in your fridge? Learn my best tips for throwing an easy hash together without a recipe.

    pan of healthy breakfast hash with eggs

    If you're not familiar with hashes, the word is derived from the French word hacher. The direct translation is 'to chop' and was started as a way to use up leftovers.

    Because of this, there are a few benefits to breakfast hashes:

    • reduce unnecessary food waste
    • eat more vegetables
    • quick & filling one-pot meal (fewer dishes to clean up)

    Once you know the simple formula, you'll stop throwing away wilted produce and leftovers, and instead create a quick meal with minimal effort.

    It's a win-win.

    5 Easy Steps for Making a Healthy Breakfast Hash

    Although traditional hashes are a combination of meat, potatoes, and onions, there are endless variations that can be made.

    Let's get started.

    a pan of healthy breakfast hash with forks

    1. Choose a Pan

    The best pan for making a breakfast hash is cast iron, but a non-stick pan will also work. The size you use will depend on how many people you're serving, so choose it accordingly.

    Lodge is my current favorite brand for cast iron pans.

    2. Scour Your Fridge & Pantry

    What's sitting in your fridge that needs to be used up? This could be half of an onion, leftover roasted butternut squash, roasted potatoes from the night before, beets from your leftover roasted beet salad, frozen peas or corn, caramelized onions, leftover meat, cooked lentils, etc.

    Maybe you have sweet potatoes in your pantry that are starting to lose their appeal, but you don't know what to do with them.

    3. Building The Base of Your Healthy Breakfast Hash

    healthy serving of breakfast hash

    The base consists of four parts. Now that you've scoured your fridge and pantry, you know what ingredients you have to work with. This will make the rest of the process much easier.

    Allium

    Vegetables in the allium family include garlic, onions, shallots, leeks, and scallions (also called green onions). These ingredients are a great, easy way to build flavor in your dish.

    Starchy vegetable

    This can be regular potatoes, sweet potatoes (any variety), butternut squash, beets, turnips, parsnips, carrots, corn, peas, etc.

    Colorful non-starchy veg

    Add color in the form of non-starchy vegetables. These include bell peppers, broccoli, kale, mushrooms, cabbage, asparagus, brussels sprouts, spinach, zucchini, spaghetti squash, etc.

    Protein

    Adding protein to your hash rounds out the dish and helps keep you satisfied. This can be leftover meat, but it can also be cooked beans, lentils, etc. Bacon or sausage are also great options. Or keep it simple by only adding eggs at the end.

    It's up to you.

    4. Cook It Up

    To a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1-2 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil.

    If your ingredients are raw, cut them into similar sized (small-ish) pieces so they cook more evenly. Cook them in the pan first until they're softened and browned. Cutting them smaller means they'll take less time to cook and the sooner you'll get to eat.

    Now, add any cooked ingredients to bring them back to life (re-crisp and warm them through).

    And if you're adding any leafy greens as part of your non-starchy vegetables, make sure to add them last since they lose their color quickly.

    Very important: Don't forget to season your food. Salt and pepper go a long way, but you can also add any other spices. Smoked or regular paprika, cumin, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes are all some of my favorites. If you need guidance when it comes to salt, check out my quick guide to cooking with salt.

    Plate of healthy breakfast hash with egg on top

    IF USING EGGS

    • Create a few nests in your hash, and crack the eggs directly into each one.
    • Cook, covered over medium-low heat or in a 400ºF oven (only if using cast iron) for about 10 minutes until the whites are cooked and the yolks are runny (or cook longer if you prefer a firmer yolk).
    • You can also cook the eggs in a separate pan and add them to your skillet before serving. This is a great option if you want another type of eggs.

    5. Optional Toppings

    Leftover sauce is a great topping for hash such as chipotle lime mayo, pesto, dairy-free ranch dressing, cashew ricotta, or creamy lemon miso sauce.

    If you don't have any leftover sauce, you can also garnish with fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, or cheese.

    The options are endless!

    More Cooking Basics You'll Love

    • How to Create a Capsule Pantry (Save Time, Money, & Cook With Ease)
    • How to Make Miso Butter
    • How to Make Fish en Papillote Without a Recipe

    More Breakfast Recipes

    • Two pieces of avocado toast on sourdough bread with marinated tomatoes and fresh parsley.
      Avocado Toast With Marinated Tomatoes
    • A bowl of homemade gluten-free cinnamon toast crunch with milk.
      Gluten Free Cinnamon Toast Crunch
    • Dairy free blueberry muffins cooling on a wire rack.
      Dairy Free Blueberry Muffins
    • two bowls of brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal with a side of milk and a bowl of berries.
      Brown Sugar Cinnamon Oatmeal

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Suzie says

      February 12, 2021 at 3:54 pm

      Sounds like a great breakfast for the weekend, especially in this COLD weather. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        February 15, 2021 at 9:15 pm

        Yes, perfect for those cold mornings when you want something cozy and filling!

        Reply
    2. Evie Ugrin says

      February 20, 2021 at 3:04 am

      The week passed before I got around to reply!
      Breakfast Hash every morning all week with no repeats. Your suggestions inspired creativity, combining flavors and healthy energy to start each day.
      Thanks Lindsey.
      Evie

      Reply
      • Lindsey says

        February 23, 2021 at 2:40 pm

        Awww I love hearing that! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Lindsey. My goal is to teach you how to become a better cook, rely less on recipes, and be more adaptable in the kitchen depending on what's in season, in your pantry, or to fit your dietary needs. All recipes are dairy-free but come with a "make it your way" substitution section to get you started.

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