I love breakfast. I could eat it any time of the day. Some people disagree with this and think it belongs strictly eaten in the morning. If that were the case I would miss out on so many good breakfast meal opportunities. I’m not always on the ball first thing in the morning or at least not when it comes to cooking. I need some time to gear up and get my head on straight. And you know, if breakfast were only meant to be eaten in the morning then places like IHop and Denny’s would have to change their menu completely. It would seriously limit the possibilities. I’ve not once gone to either location, or some place similar, and gotten anything but breakfast. And that is regardless of the time of day.

There are loads of main dish options but the sides are often what make or break the meal for me. If the bacon is ruined, the sausages aren’t fully cooked, the toast is cold and unbuttered or if even the potatoes aren’t absolutely perfect then it just might be a breakfast disaster. There are simple things that can turn a perfectly good item bad in my eyes. For example, when The Cheesecake Factory puts onions on practically everything. Onions do not belong on my eggs. Or my potatoes. Ever. You want to ruin my meal, add sauteed or carmelized onions ontop of a previously perfect dish.

I’ve already found a way to make bacon delicious in a super easy and practically foolproof way. A quick how to on baked bacon. Sausages I generally leave for Josh to cook. I like my sausages with a crispy exterior. They’re seriously good this way. Toast, it’s so hard to mess up I don’t know how people do. Of course you need to get acquainted with your own toaster or other means to determine how long and what temperature or number is perfect for you. At our house a 4 is just right. Lightly toasted without being too done. Slather on butter. Cut in half diagonally. That part is important, nearly as important as the slathering of butter. Have you noticed that when you get toast at a restaurant it’s always sliced that way? Is it because the toast then fits in your mouth easier and is potentially less messy?

I had always wanted to make breakfast potatoes. There are some premade and partially cooked bagged varieties out there that are yummy and suitable. I haven’t purchased those in quite a while as I’m trying to make things myself these days. Not that bagged is always a bad thing. I’m just looking to experiment and find out how to make the perfect whatever it may be at home with my own ingredients.

I started off my potato journey with an overnight slow cooker recipe. I don’t normally cook items overnight in the crock but for this occasion I wanted morning breakfast potatoes. I wasn’t sure at all how these were going to turn out. The process is fairly simple but does have some hands on time prior to tossing in the slow cooker. I don’t think that’s such a big deal especially when it means the next morning you have something ready to eat. No slaving away while you’re already hungry. I got the ingredients ready and in the crock prior to bed. Turned it on and then checked on it in the early morning hours. It was smelling delicious. The final result was very flavorful soft potatoes. These were not my perfect breakfast potatoes. They were good and probably Josh’s favorite, as would be for so many other people. I decided to continue my breakfast potato journey immediately. Afterall, I was on a mission and had potatoes that needed to be used.

I sliced up a few more potatoes and divided them up. One variety was tossed with spices and baked in the oven. The other variety I kept super simple with just a bit of salt and pepper. These were cooked cooked on the stove but could easily be cooked in any item that heats up… electric skillet, etc. I personally didn’t care for how the more plain variety turned out but I bet with a bit more added spices they’d be pretty tasty. It was just a quick fix trying to determine method more than anything I realised. The oven baked variety is my absolute favorite. They turned out to have a nice slight crunch and quite frankly left my mouth on fire after a few bites. You can easily adjust the level of spice to your liking. If you like some serious kick then stick with the recipe I’ll be sharing. If you prefer a less daring route, then cut back significantly or even just leave out the cayenne pepper. I’d imagine that would cut back on the heat level immensely. I’ve since made the oven baked variety several times to eat with dinner.

Any of these potatoes would go equally well with all kinds of dishes at any time of the day. Do not feel you need to limit yourself to when you eat these, but they are absolutely perfect with eggs or any other kind of breakfast dish.

Slow Cooker Potatoes
Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes
5 slices cooked bacon
1/4 C onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 C cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tbsp butter

Start out by cutting your potatoes into large bite size chunks.  You don’t want them too small or they’ll get seriously mushy. Toss in a bowl and set aside. Cook bacon on a rack within a larger item such as a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with sides. Bake for 17-20 minutes at 400. Chop up or break bacon into small pieces. Toss in a separate bowl and set aside. The size of the onion pieces is up to you. I minced mine as I didn’t want any large pieces of onions floating around but some may like long stringy pieces. You decide. Chop as desired and toss in a bowl. Measure out cheese into a bowl. Cut butter into 3 even slices, then slice each diagonally.

You will make two layers within the slow cooker bowl. Start off by lining the bottom of the bowl with half of your potatoes. Top off with half of the onions and half of the butter. Sprinkle with a portion of the salt and pepper. Top off with half the bacon and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Feel free to sprinkle more seasoning on the final layer as well as additional cheese. Cook on high for 4-5 or low 8-10 hours. (*see note) Serve warm.

*Depending on the size of your slow cooker and the temperature it cooks at, low temperature may be preferred for cooking at longer durations. All slow cookers cook at different temperatures and you must know how yours performs. When in doubt, cook on low or opt for a shorter cook time on high.

Stovetop Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
additional seasoning as desired

Cut potatoes into small bite size pieces. Drizzle a small amount of oil over your potatoes in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, as well as any other seasonings. Toss to coat. Transfer to a heated skillet. Cook on medium-high heat until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.

Oven Baked  Potatoes
Ingredients:
2 medium potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Preheat oven to 450. Cut up potatoes into small bite size pieces. Transfer potatoes to medium or large bowl. Pour olive oil over potatoes, toss coat. Sprinkle with spices, stir and toss to coat evenly. Arrange potatoes on a bare metal cookie sheet. Cook for 20-25 minutes until crispy. Serve warm. This variety is still very delicious once they get cold. So if you have leftovers and can’t bring yourself to save them for another day, or toss them out… wait a while and have a few more bites.