Father's Day Breakfast

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! My husband's Father's Day started with his favorite breakfast - Eggs Benedict. While delicious, I can't blog about it because it really is nothing more than assembly since I uses a packaged Hollandaise sauce mix.

But the potatoes are all mine. I decided to make hash browns, or home fries if you prefer, from scratch. I started by lightly browning some leftover pancetta that I cut into small pieces in cast iron skillet with a dribble of olive oil and then added in some chopped shallot. I cooked the pancetta and shallots skillet until lightly browned and then added diced red potatoes. A few tablespoons of canola oil were added to help the potatoes brown along with a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper. I cooked everything on medium heat covered with foil for about 15 minutes until the potatoes were soft, stirring every so often. The end result were crisp-on-the-outside and soft-on-the-inside potatoes. The shallot provided just enough onion flavor and the pancetta added a nice crunch. A hearty start to what I hope is a great day for my husband!

Home Fries

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 slices pancetta, diced

1 shallot, diced

3 large red potatoes, diced in 1/4 inch pieces

3 tablespoons canola oil

salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in cast iron skillet and add pancetta. Brown for a minute or two and add shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add potatoes, oil, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until potatoes are browned and cooked through. Cover skillet with foil so that steam helps cook the potatoes. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.