Bacon Goat Cheese Hash

This is a hash for when you want breakfast to feel a little fancier without doing anything fancy. Crispy potatoes, bacon, peppers and onions off the griddle, eggs on top, and then a crumble of goat cheese that makes the whole plate taste like it came from a brunch place with a wait list.

Crispy potatoes, not steamed ones

The microwave step is the whole trick. Three minutes with a splash of water gets the diced potatoes most of the way cooked, so the griddle only has to do the fun part: browning. Skip it and you'll either burn the outside or serve raw centers.

Put them down on a hot griddle, 375 to 400°F, and leave them alone. A steak weight on top presses them flat against the steel and gets you more crust. It's optional, but once you try it you'll keep doing it.

Tip

Cook the bacon right next to the potatoes. It's done in a few minutes, and the potatoes get to sit in a little of that bacon grease while they brown.

Eggs last, heat down

Once the potatoes are crisp, turn the griddle down to 300°F before the eggs go on. At 400 they'll be rubbery on the bottom before the tops set. Over easy, sunny side up, scrambled, whatever you like. If you want a refresher, How to Make Eggs covers every style.

Build the plate

Potatoes first, eggs on top, then the chopped bacon, goat cheese, sliced tomato and a handful of parsley. The cold, tangy cheese against the hot potatoes is the point, so don't cook it. Want a sweeter take on the same idea? Try the Sweet Potato Hash.