Hearty Three Potato Hash: Your Ultimate Healthy Breakfast & Leftover Ham Recipe
Prepare to be amazed by the vibrant colors and incredible flavors packed into this Three Potato Hash! This recipe truly embraces a spectrum of beautiful vegetables, perfectly complemented by tender, savory leftover Easter ham and topped with a perfectly cooked sunny-side-up egg. It’s not just a meal; it’s a fabulous and wholesome way to energize your day, offering a delicious balance of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.
Who else looks forward to making a grand ham for Easter, knowing the joy of delicious leftovers awaits? I certainly do! My go-to recipe for a beautifully glazed Easter ham can be found here. While the main event is always a treat, I often find myself even more excited about the culinary possibilities that leftover ham brings. There’s something truly special about transforming it into entirely new and equally delectable dishes. Think along the lines of a comforting Gnocchi Mac ‘N Cheese with Ham and Peas, or a hearty Ham, Asparagus, and White Cheddar Breakfast Strata. This year, I’m thrilled to add this healthy Three Potato Hash to that esteemed list – a truly remarkable and satisfying recipe that showcases the versatility of leftover ham.
More Than Just a Meal: Fueling the Body for Endurance
This healthy hash holds a special significance beyond simply being a delicious breakfast. It served as my crucial carb-load meal last week, providing essential energy before tackling the HITS Ocala Half Ironman triathlon. This challenging event, which took place just this past Saturday, involved a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile half marathon run. The race unfolded amidst the picturesque beauty of central Florida’s horse country, which, surprisingly for Florida, meant navigating a course with its fair share of hills. Indeed, Florida has hills, and many of them seem to converge right there in Ocala. To add to the challenge, the weather was brutally cold – a truly frigid experience.
Imagine being out in 51 degrees Fahrenheit, soaking wet from the swim, and then speeding downhill on a bike at 21 miles per hour. It was absolutely freezing. I had attempted to prepare for the cold, investing in a new, super-cute, neon bike jacket. However, my preparation overlooked one crucial detail: my hands and feet. Despite my efforts, I wore ventilated bike shoes, and as a result, I couldn’t feel my toes for the entire duration of the ride. Soon after, my hands began to lose functionality. At the mile 14 aid station, a wonderfully kind volunteer (whose help I deeply appreciate!) had to physically unzip my pocket and retrieve my waffle for me. My hands were so numb they couldn’t grasp it, and I dropped it. I resorted to beating my hands against my legs, desperately trying to restore feeling and function. This relentless struggle continued for the first 25 miles of the ride, until, thankfully, the sun finally crested over the trees, bringing a much-needed warmth.
In stark contrast to the bike ride, the swim segment was absolutely fantastic. The lake water was a perfect 64 degrees Fahrenheit – clear, beautiful, and a welcome change from saltwater. Another highlight of the race was having my daughter volunteer and support the event. Despite recovering from a torn meniscus, she was there cheering me on, a gesture I deeply cherish. Her presence truly made a difference.
Following the swim and the challenging bike ride, I had a surprisingly strong run. While miles 5 to 7 proved to be particularly difficult, with what I call the “Quit Monster” urging me to stop and walk, I persevered. I knew that if I gave in, even for a moment, restarting would be nearly impossible, and there’s no walking to the finish line in a triathlon. So, I pushed through, and suddenly, around mile 9, I found a renewed burst of energy – a second, third, or even fourth wind – which allowed me to breeze through to the end. My perseverance paid off, and I even managed to place third in my age group, finishing with an impressive time of 6 hours and 33 minutes.
This was my tenth triathlon and my second Half Ironman, an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything. And central to my preparation and recovery was this very Three Potato Hash. It provided the essential healthfulness and sustained energy that helped me cross that finish line.
The Nutritional Powerhouse: Why This Three Potato Hash is So Healthy
Typically, before an ultra-endurance race, I rely on pasta or rice to replenish my glycogen stores. However, for this particular triathlon, I opted for the wholesome goodness of healthy potatoes, and not just one, but three distinct varieties. This hash features russet potatoes for a classic hearty base, red-skinned potatoes for their firm texture, and sweet potatoes, which bring a delightful sweetness and a wealth of vitamins A and C, along with fiber. But the nutrition doesn’t stop there. We also incorporate red bell pepper, yellow tomato, green onion, garlic, parsley, and carrot – an absolute powerhouse of vitamins and antioxidants. The addition of salty, savory ham provides a significant protein boost, crucial for muscle recovery and satiety. And, of course, a touch of olive oil ensures a healthy dose of monounsaturated fats. To finish it off, a perfectly cooked over-easy egg adds another layer of protein and healthy fats, with its silky yolk creating a rich “sauce” that ties all the flavors together. This combination is not only incredibly satisfying but also deeply nourishing.
This versatile recipe conveniently checks multiple boxes for me. Firstly, it provides a fantastic way to utilize leftover ham, a staple I often have on hand and will certainly be enjoying after Easter. Secondly, it is a beautifully balanced and truly healthy meal. The classic combination of eggs and ham with breakfast potatoes is a favorite for good reason – it’s undeniably delicious. Crucially, this dish proves that these comforting classics don’t need to be laden with excessive oil or butter to be satisfying. We can enjoy our eggs, ham, and potatoes guilt-free, feeling perfectly happy, healthy, and energized.
Three Potato Hash
Print
Pin
Rate
Ingredients
- 1 large Russet potato skin on, small diced for perfect texture
- 1 lb red potatoes skin on, small diced for color and firmness
- 1 large sweet potato skin on, small diced for natural sweetness and nutrients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for healthy fat and flavor)
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced for color and crunch
- 1 large carrot shredded (adds sweetness and nutrients)
- 2 cloves garlic minced (for aromatic depth)
- ½ cup finely diced ham (ideal for using leftover Easter ham!)
- 2 yellow tomatoes seeded and chopped (for a burst of freshness)
- ¼ cup Italian flat-leaf parsley chopped (for herbaceous notes)
- 4 green onions white and green parts, thinly sliced (for mild onion flavor and garnish)
- kosher salt (to taste)
- fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
- 6 large eggs (one per serving, cooked over easy)
- cooking spray (for cooking eggs)
Instructions
-
Begin by heating the extra virgin olive oil in your largest nonstick pan, ensuring it has a lid, over high heat. Add the diced potatoes and toss them thoroughly to coat them evenly with the oil. Cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes. After this initial cooking period, lift the lid and stir the potatoes to prevent them from sticking to the pan’s surface. Continue this covered cooking and stirring process every 2 minutes until the potatoes just begin to soften, typically taking around 10 minutes. Throughout this step, monitor the heat and reduce it if necessary to prevent any burning.
-
Next, incorporate the minced garlic, diced red bell pepper, shredded carrot, finely diced ham, and a generous couple of pinches of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper into the pan. Resume the cover-cook-toss routine every 2 minutes for another 6-8 minutes, or until all the potatoes are cooked through and tender, and the vegetables are softened.
-
Once the hash is cooked to perfection, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the chopped yellow tomatoes, fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, and most of the thinly sliced green onion. If you wish, reserve a small amount of green onion for a final garnish when serving.
-
While the hash is resting, prepare the eggs. Heat a separate nonstick pan over medium heat, lightly coated with cooking spray. Cook the eggs to your preference, ideally over easy, ensuring the yolks remain runny. Season the cooked eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.
-
To serve, spoon the savory potato hash onto plates. Gently place an over-easy egg on top of each serving. Finish by garnishing with a sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper, the reserved green onion, and a touch more fresh parsley for added visual appeal and flavor. This recipe yields approximately 6 delicious servings.
Nutrition
