This Midwestern-style breakfast hash is made with Thanksgiving leftovers. It’s an everyday-cooking kind of comfort food that you need after the stress of pulling off that massive feast for your in-laws.
Thanksgiving Leftover Breakfast Hash,
Midwestern Style
Course: Breakfast4
servingsIngredients
1 med Yukon gold potato, diced
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups cubed leftover turkey
2 cups leftover vegetables
1 cup leftover stuffing
1/4 cup flour
1¼ cups chicken stock
1 cup (packed) shredded cheese
2 Tbs butter
4 eggs
Coarsely cracked black pepper
Hollandaise sauce, for garnish (optional)
Buttered toast, for service (optional)
Baked beans, for service (optional)
Directions
- In a small pot, cover the potato with water. Add salt. Bring to a boil over a medium flame (setting 4 out of 9). Reduce to a simmer (setting 2) and cook until just barely tender, 2 minutes. Strain. (If you like your potatoes al dente, skip this step.)
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, toss the turkey, vegetables, stuffing, and flour. Toss in the strained potatoes.
- Generously butter the entire inside surface of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. (Use all the butter.) Preheat over a medium flame (setting 4), 2 minutes. Add the turkey mixture to the skillet and gently spread it into an even layer. Pour in the stock; do not stir. Raise the temperature (setting 6), and bring to a boil. Sprinkle the cheese over the mixture, cover, and lower to a simmer (setting 2) for 10 minutes.
- A bit of a crust should have formed on the bottom of at least part of the mixture. You might feel it with the a utensil more than you’ll see it. Use a wooden spatula to scrape clean the bottom of the pan, flipping any crust to the top, roughly mixing the contents of the pan as you do. Raise the temperature (setting 4) and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan again, and flip any crust to the top as you roughly mix. Continue to simmer, scraping, flipping, and roughly mixing every 5 minutes. In time, you’ll get more and more of a deeper, darker crust. If you find that the crust is getting too dark, start flipping every 2-3 minutes. When the hash is nearly dry (or to your liking), give the pan one more scrape, flip, and mix. Make wells in the hash and crack the eggs into the wells. Cover, turn the heat to its lowest setting, and cook until the eggs are set, 2-4 minutes. (Optionally, use a culinary torch to brown the top of the hash and hurry the eggs along.) Dust with pepper.
- (Top servings with Hollandaise and accompany with toast and/or beans.)
Notes
- The batch I made for this post contained leftover Brussels sprouts, carrots, and parsnips.
- I like a mixture of sharp cheddar and Gruyère.
- If you know you’ll have leftover hash, hold back the eggs for the leftover servings. Top leftover portions with freshly fried, sunny-side-up eggs.
Social Learning
This is a great way to use turkey that may have come out a bit too dry in the first place, or that you’re worried will dry out when reheated.
The hash will completely absorb the stuffing. It will serve to add body and flavor.
The first time you scrape the pan, you’ll think, “This is so difficult, what’s going to happen as I keep going?” Indeed, you do have to put some muscle into it. Well, surprisingly, as you keep going, the scraping gets easier and easier to do. The hash comes out of the pan cleanly and effortlessly after you’ve cooked the eggs into it. It’s astonishing!
You can microwave leftover hash. It is just as good that way as it is freshly made. If you have a small, non-stick skillet, you can whip up a sunny-side-up egg faster than you can make a cup of coffee. Of course, you could also eat the leftover hash without an egg.
Your pan may need a short soak in soapy water in order to clean up easily. Yes, I use soap on my cast-iron. Here is an interesting article about that. Although that same article says you shouldn’t soak cast-iron, I do it for a very short time, in very hot water … five minutes, tops. That usually eliminates the need to scrub the pan. Dry it immediately and completely. Heat it up on the stove for two minutes, let it cool, rub it with a tiny amount of oil all over, and put it away.
The Backstory
I really can’t recall the last time I saw hash on a breakfast menu. I want to say that the only time I’ve had it is when I’ve made it, but that can’t be true. Can it?
It’s the crusty bits that you scrape up and fold into the hash that make it so spectacular.
Thanksgiving Leftovers Breakfast Hash, Midwestern Style
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man!, unless otherwise indicated. Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. References: see “the backstory.” Make It Like a Man! has been ranked by Feedspot as #14 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs!
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This looks like another great way to use up the leftovers, thanks for sharing. I clean my cast iron skillets the same way you do and I’ve never had an issue with them. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thank you, Lori, and Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
Brilliant! Really a great idea.
Thank you, Mimi!
Yum, I love a meal like this.
Thanks, Gary!
I love everything about this — but especially the egg on top. 🙂 ~Valentina
Thank you, Valentina! And Happy Thanksgiving!
That looks great and filling, but I need at least 4 eggs :-)) Had 6 yesterday…
Oh, you wouldn’t have to twist my arm! I’ve taken to boiling a dozen eggs on the weekend, and they’re gone by the the end of the work week.
I haven’t seen any kind of hash on a menu for years. I have wonderful memories of hash made by my grandmother. When she had leftover beets she would also add those, and it would be reddish in color and I always chuckled at that while I was scarfing it down. Happy Thanksgiving week!
Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
I am not much of an egg person, but the rest of my visiting family would love this. I’ll show them this and they can make it themselves.
Sure! And you don’t really need the egg, anyway.
I’ve had a hash made with holiday leftovers before, but oh man – this is something different. So many different textures and flavours going on; that’s an ultimate comfort meal!
Thanks, Ben! I know it’s not Thanksgiving for you, but I still want to wish you a happy weekend!
Corned beef hash or for that matter, any type of hash is a JT favourite. And it’s always on the menus in our local breakfast diners. This is truly a fabulous way to use up leftovers and it turns the dish into something spectacular and unexpected. I may have to beg for some leftovers tonight at our Arizona Thanksgiving feast.
Oh, how convenient that you’re having two Thanksgivings! Nice! Hope you’re able to nab some leftovers.
Looks delicious Jeff, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
I love hash and eggs — and this is probably the only reason I wish I had made a turkey yesterday, Jeff. I dint like the bird by itself, but it does make great leftovers! Hope you both had a great Thanksgiving yesterday!
My niece made the turkey yesterday, for our huge family gathering. And she did a sort of confit for the dark meat, and it was fabulous!
A genius way to turn Thanksgiving leftovers into a comforting masterpiece! Thanks for sharing Jeff!
You’re welcome, Neil!
Hi Jeff 🖐🙂
I must to say that that’s looks very great and tasty 👍🙂 Something very fantastic for breakfast. Good job👍🙂
Best regards to you 🤗😘❤
Patrick
Thank you, Patrick!
My husband loves hash, but unfortunately for him, I didn’t cook Thanksgiving this year. I’m sure I could make a few adjustments though, like picking up a package of ground turkey since we didn’t have leftovers.
Yes! You can make hash with so many different ingredients.