Beef Hash Recipe

Madame Deals is pleased to bring you a new weekly column, Cooking with Connie. Stretching meals, cooking from a stockpile and meal planning are topics that Connie will write on. Connie is an awesome cook and she is so good at cooking a large portion of meat and then making many different meals from it. We are so excited to have Connie join us!

Cooking up Beef Hash in a Dash

After slow cooking and serving last week’s pot roast, I had a delicious gravy left over.  The hearty gravy had yummy pieces of tender beef all through it, so I decided to serve it over split baked potatoes.  I topped the beef-smothered potatoes with a Monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend and fresh chopped chives.  On the side, I served crisp tender green beans and a tall glass of iced tea.  This was a wonderful way to serve “leftovers” without serving the exact same meal twice.  And, my husband didn’t even realize it was from the same pot roast he’d eaten two nights before.

In addition to my leftover creation, I had reserved almost 2 cups of the pot roast before making the gravy.  This cooked beef can be used in a number of recipes creating different tastes.  In the fall, one of my favorites is beef hash.  This is a simple recipe with classic, home-cooked flavor.  The beauty of this recipe is its versatility.  It can be served with eggs and toast for breakfast.  Or, serve it with a small green salad for lunch.  Pair beef hash with your favorite steamed vegetable and garlic toast for dinner.  Plan ahead and you can throw this meal together in no time because the two main ingredients are already cooked.  If you bake or boil potatoes earlier in the week for other meals, simply cook a couple extra potatoes, and keep them in the fridge until you make your beef hash.  Planning out a few of your meals each week will save you time and money!

Beef Hash

2 T olive oil
1 c. onion, chopped
½ green pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
2 c. beef brisket, cooked & cubed
2 c. potatoes, cooked & cubed
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped
½ t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
2/3 c. milk
1 T. Ketchup
1 T. Worcestershire sauce

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook onions and green pepper in oil until onions are translucent.  Add beef, potatoes, parsley, salt, and black pepper and stir.  Cook mixture over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are browned, stirring only occasionally.  Stir in milk, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce, scraping bits off bottom of pan.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

*Note…the 2 cup measurement is approximate.  Since you are making this dish using pre-cooked ingredients, it’s OKAY to only have 1 ½ cups of meat and 2 1/4 cups of potatoes if that is what you have to work with.  Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have the EXACT measurement.  Unless you are baking, it isn’t always necessary to have exact measurements.  Omit the green peppers, add more ketchup, substitute fresh chives for the parsley, play with the ingredients based on your family’s tastes.  Have fun in the kitchen and experiment with new flavors!