These Cheese and Leek Hash Browns are inspired by a Waffle House classic: Scattered, Smothered, and Covered hash browns. I will be the first to admit that I am unashamedly a major fan of Waffle House. There's a sense of familiarity and comfort here that other restaurants just can't hold a candle to. While there are no Michelin stars on the walls, the All-Star Special is a true American classic that absolutely should not be missed.
For the uninitiated - "Scattered, Smothered, and Covered" is part of the lingo used to add toppings to your hash browns at Waffle House. There are a myriad of ordering options such as "Chunked" (adding ham cubes), or "Peppered" (pickled jalapeños), among others. Check out this comprehensive guide to ordering Waffle House hash browns by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Scattered, Smothered, and Covered" just means the shredded potatoes are scattered on the griddle, smothered with onions, and then covered with American cheese. They're pretty much the best thing ever.
Ingredients
While this recipe was inspired by the Waffle House classic, everything is amped to the next level. This version uses sauteed leeks instead of raw onions and a combination of white cheddar and gouda cheeses. The leeks have a similar flavor to onions but are slightly softer and more delicate. They pair extremely well with potatoes, and are a very classic combination. Everything is cooked in duck fat, too. Simply put, duck fat + potatoes = match made in heaven. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it! (Here is the Duck fat that I use and recommend for this recipe.) Using duck fat is entirely optional - regular cooking oil or unsalted butter are a perfectly fine substitutes.
The complete list of ingredients is below:
- Unsalted Butter
- 1 Leek, Halved and Sliced
- 5 to 6 Russet Potatoes (About 2 lbs.)
- Duck Fat
- Gouda
- White Cheddar
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Cooking Methods
Potatoes
Homemade hash browns are notoriously tricky because of the high starch content in fresh potatoes. The starch has a tendency to oxidize and turn a totally unappealing grey/brown color. They can also become really gummy if you don't cook them fast enough. One key to getting perfectly crispy hash browns is to avoid excess moisture as much as possible. Some of the traditional processing methods below include soaking and rinsing the potatoes, which adds moisture.
There are a few traditional techniques you can use to try and combat the excess starch and moisture problems. One is to shred the potatoes directly into cold water, and then thoroughly rinse and dry them. This takes considerable time and effort, (and also adds moisture - which we are trying to avoid). This yields OK results, but the effort it takes to process the potatoes is less than ideal.
The other method is to partially cook the potatoes after they are shredded (without rinsing) to help dry the potatoes before cooking. While this doesn't add moisture, you need to cook the potatoes quickly to avoid them off-coloring. This is a problem since you need to cook the potatoes in batches. By the time you get to the second batch, they have started to turn grey - no thanks.
My preferred method is to completely bake the potatoes the night before. This accomplishes two things - it drives out the excess moisture in the potatoes, and it converts the starches that cause the off-coloring into sugars that no longer oxidize. Letting them to cool in the fridge overnight allows you to easily shred them the next morning, toss them with the sauteed leeks, fry them, then cover them with cheese and allow to melt. You end up with perfectly crispy potatoes with minimal effort. The potatoes cook much quicker than using the other methods listed above as well! Win-win in my book.
Leeks
Gently sautéing the leeks is key to retaining some of their grassy/onion flavor. If you cook them too long, or too hot, you actually cook off a lot of their flavor. You want them just softened, with almost no color. They are pretty delicate, so go easy on them. Just toss the cooked leeks in with the shredded potatoes, then fry!
Serving Suggestions
Want to know what to serve these with? Pretty much any breakfast or brunch dish would be perfect! I recommend pairing them with either my recipe for Breakfast Strata with Sausage or Crispy Buttermilk Pancakes!
Did you make this recipe for Cheese and Leek Hash Browns?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
Cheese and Leek Hash Browns
Equipment
- Box Grater
- Large Stainless Steel or Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 Leek Thoroughly Cleaned, Halved and Sliced
- 1 Pinch Kosher Salt
- 1 Pinch White Pepper
- ¼ Cup Duck Fat Substitute Any Neutral Oil, or Unsalted Butter
- 5 to 6 Russet Potatoes About 2 lbs. Baked And Grated
- ½ Cup Gouda Grated
- ½ Cup White Cheddar Grated
- 1 Wedge of Lemon
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- The day before making the hash browns, preheat oven to 400°F. Bake potatoes for 50 to 60-minutes until soft. Remove and allow to cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, heat a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add butter and melt. Add sliced leek, a pinch of kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally for 5-minutes until just softened.
- While leeks are cooking, grate potatoes into a large mixing bowl with the large holes of a box grater.
- Season the leeks with a pinch of white pepper and transfer to the mixing bowl with the potatoes. Toss to combine evenly.
- Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel, and reduce heat to medium.
- Add half of the duck fat, oil, or butter and half of the potato leek mixture. Cook undisturbed for 5 to 8-minutes. Flip and cook an additional 5 to 8-minutes until browned and crispy. Flip one more time and top with half of your grated cheese. Cover the pan and allow the cheese to melt for 2 to 3-minutes.
- Transfer hash browns to a plate. Season to taste with a small squeeze of fresh lemon, kosher salt and pepper.
- Repeat with your remaining ingredients.
Denise says
Delicious! The best hash browns I have ever tasted. One of my coworkers came into my office to ask what I was having for lunch. She said it smelt divine! ❤️. Keep those recipes coming!
Spencer Klickman says
Thank you Denise! I appreciate the kind words!
Definitely have a LOT more recipes on the way.
Shelly says
I can't wait to try this!