I Love Shredded Hash Browns

There are several different ways to cook Shredded Hash Browns and it all just depends on how you like to eat them.  Restaurants serve them up differently everywhere you go.  Some people like them flat and formed into a pancake like patty and others like them loose and fluffy.  Personally I’ll eat them either way but I prefer the ladder.  In this recipe, I prepare them Loose and fluffy but I’m going to tell you how to cook the patty style too.  Believe it or not, the secret all boils down to water.

Shredded Hash Browns Potatoes

In this Hash Brown recipe, I use good old fashioned Russet Potatoes because I like them crispy when I cook them.  Yukon Gold Potatoes are good for patties that stick together.  Although a Russet Potato will stick together fairly well, too, if you don’t rinse them with cold water as much as I’m recommending in the video.  Waxy Potatoes tend to be the world favorite for making Shredded Hash Browns or Potato Salads because they hold their shape better.  Starchy Potatoes, like the Russet get Crispier but the Yukon Golds, in my opinion, actually taste better.  So if you’ve got options and you don’t mind the price difference, choose your spuds wisely.

If you want to trick it up a bit, I highly recommend adding a sliced onion and a few chopped Bell Peppers, for more flavor, when you’re cooking.  I like to added grated Cheddar cheese, over the top too, at the end of the cooking.  There’s a Restaurant here in town that will top your Hash Browns with what they call, “The Killers!”  It’s Sausage Gravy with Bacon, Onions and Peppers cooked right into it and it is amazing.  If you’re interested, check out my Potato Waffles made with Hash Browns and Cheese.  They’re so good, my neighbor asks me to cook them for her birthday.

Fresh or Frozen Shredded Hash Browns

It’s important that you understand that this recipe is for Fresh Shredded Hash Browns and not Frozen.  In fact, this recipe is best cooked immediately after following all of my rinse, parboil and straining steps.  If you were to try to freeze these Potato Shreds uncooked, you’ll end up with a big mess on your hands.  The color changes and they don’t taste good when they’re cooked.  Frozen Hash Brown recipes have a whole different process and I’d love to share that with you in a future post.  In the meantime, please, never freeze uncooked potatoes.

Shredded Hash Browns Ingredients:

6 to 8 Russet Potatoes, grated
4 tbsp Butter
1/2 pot Boiled Water, 3 to 4 quarts
Salt and Pepper to taste

Follow the instructions in the Shredded Hash Browns video recipe and I’ll show you just how easy these are to make.