The perfect breakfast side, these Breakfast Potatoes are fluffy and tender on the inside, super savory, and topped with just enough meaty cheese to satisfy your heart.

There are two types of people in the world, and they fall into two different camps when it comes to American breakfast. Either you fall into the savory side of things, like eggs, lox bagels, hash browns, or maybe things or savory crepes filled with asparagus and mushrooms. Or you cross the flavor border into the tooth achingly sweet things like pancakes, waffles, donuts, French toast, and the other dishes that are commonly drowned in maple syrup or dusted in sugar. Some may argue and say they like a little bit of everything, however, in my estimation from working the breakfast shift in restaurants for years, people that say they love both equally actually tend to have a preference for one or the other. Though, you can arguably say that there are those that just go for their early meal as full liquids in the form of caffeine or alcohol.

I firmly fall into the side of savory when it comes to breakfast foods. If you pass me a plate of pancakes I’ll probably only eat 1/2 of it (if that), but replace it with a perfectly executed omelette with some breakfast potatoes on the side? I will happily devour it 100%, to the point that I feel a little sick afterwards.

My first job I had to prep and serve fried potatoes for the breakfast shift, which we made with red potatoes. These were delicious but simply seasoned, and the potatoes I’ve made over the years have evolved from those to these delicious Breakfast Potatoes. They’re perfectly seasoned, savory, slightly smoky from the different types of paprika, and the combination of spices used ensures that every potato is perfectly seasoned. The onions get meltingly tender, the red peppers sweeten and soften, and the scallions add a lovely fresh element.

Pair these Breakfast Potatoes with your favorite eggs, or switch it up by stuffing a Breakfast Burrito with them.

I love making these Breakfast Potatoes for all things brunchy, as they pair perfectly with eggs and a nicely buttered English muffin if you’re trying to keep things simple. However, I have also used them to make EPIC breakfast burritos. The seasoning for the potatoes is what really elevates it from just the sad, limp potatoes that can be used in some places.

It’s super important to make sure the potatoes are cut roughly the same size when you dice them. This will ensure that they all cook evenly, otherwise you end up with unevenly cooked potatoes where some are overly crisp and others are more on the raw side. I love using the ever-trusty Russet Potato for these breakfast potatoes as they get delightfully tender and really absorb all the spices and flavors well. I have used red potatoes for them as well, however I don’t think they absorb the flavors the same way.

These Breakfast Potatoes are epically good as is, with the cheese adding just a little bit of decadence to the potato. You could jazz them up and make them into a breakfast skillet with some chopped bacon or sausage, and top with an egg, but honestly, I’m a simple potato girl and love them with hot sauce or ketchup. A simple little potato can be transformative in how you approach the day if you let it.

Breakfast Potatoes

Author: Iris Anna Gohn

Servings: 4

These Breakfast Potatoes are pretty straightforward, no fuss, and a pretty awesome addition to brunch. Bonus points if you bake your bacon in the oven to have everything finish up right around the same time.

I’ve made these potatoes into an egg skillet as well, just by dropping in some cracked eggs during the last few minutes of cooking, covered. It’s an easy way to make it “fancy” while saving a dish.

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Large Russet Baking Potatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 Cup diced Onion (1/2 small onion)
1 Cup diced Red Bell Pepper (1 small Red pepper)
1 Tbsp minced fresh Garlic (3-5 cloves)
1 Tbsp Monterey Steak Seasoning
1 1/2 Tsp Sweet Paprika
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1/8 Tsp Fresh Cracked Pepper
1/4 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 Tsp Smoked Paprika
2 Tbsp sliced Scallions, white and green parts separated (2 large scallions)
1/2 Cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions

In a large, deep pan or skillet that has high sides over medium heat, drizzle the olive oil. Once it is warmed through and shimmering and smelling grassy and fragrant, add in the onions.
Sauté the onions for a few minutes till they start to soften, then add in the red bell peppers and stir to combine. Continue to sauté for about 5-7 minutes, till the onions are starting to brown.
Add in the diced potatoes, the Monterey chicken seasoning, sweet and smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, the white parts of the scallions, and fresh garlic. Stir to make sure everything is coated in the spices and the garlic gets nice and fragrant, roughly 30 seconds to a minute.
Cover and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, till the potatoes are fork tender, stirring occasionally to ensure the potatoes don’t stick or overcook on one side.
Once the potatoes are nicely tender, taste, and add salt if you feel it needs it. Sprinkle the cheese and the green parts of the scallions on top, cover, and let the cheese melt. Serve immediately.