Sweet Potato Hashbrown Breakfast Stacks

These actually started out inspired by an eggs benedict recipe we had seen and saved.  Except that we were actually running a little short on ingredients (it was the day before our usual weekly trip to the market) and the thought of using up half a pound of grass-fed butter for hollandaise sauce just seemed like a bit of an excess.  So instead, we skipped the hollandaise altogether and used some shredded sweet potatoes in place of the traditional english muffin to make up a simple “poor man’s benedict” that is more of an open-face hashbrown sandwich.

Gather Up:

• Two medium sweet potatoes, peeled and ends trimmed
• 4 to 6 eggs (depending on how many are eating)
• 2 slices Canadian bacon per “stack” (or use thicker-cut ham if you like)
• 1/2 tsp each sea salt and white pepper
• 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup expeller-pressed coconut oil, melted (we originally used olive oil, but no longer use it for heating)

Start with the peeled sweet potatoes.  Shred them into a bowl, then rinse and spread out on paper towels and pat dry.  Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and add the arrowroot powder, salt, and white pepper.  Mix well until everything is fully combined, then shape into patties of about 1/4 to 1/3 cup each.

Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat on the stove.  Warm a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil on the pan, then add several hashbrown “patties” and cook about 4 minutes per side until golden brown.  Add more oil as needed, and don’t despair if they seem to darken more on the outside while remaining soft inside – mine did too.  I’m still working on perfecting the cooking of hashbrowns to that nice crispiness that they deserve (if you have any must-know tips, please drop them in the comments!).  Transfer completed patties to a paper towel-covered plate and keep warm until serving.

In the meantime, fill a skillet with about 3/8 inch of water and heat on medium heat until it just about starts to boil.  Get another griddle warming to medium heat (or use the hashbrown pan once they are done) and heat up the Canadian bacon or ham slices.  When the water in the skillet is starting to simmer, crack a few eggs into the water one at a time.  Put the lid on and let them simmer/poach for a couple of minutes until the whites are cooked but the yolks are still soft and runny.  Work in batches (add a little more water if needed) until you’ve cooked enough eggs for everyone eating.

Stack up a hashbrown patty, two slices of Canadian bacon, and a poached egg on top.  For the kids, one each is probably enough, but for the adults, you’ll probably want to shoot for two (or three).  And since we chose to forgo the hollandaise sauce, I opted instead for a little organic salsa and some red pepper sauce on mine for a little “ranchero” flair (unfortunately, I ate them before I remembered to get a picture).