Red Flannel Hash with Poached Eggs  yellow_icon

Serves 4 • Cooking Time 5 to 6 hours on Low or 3 to 4 hours on High • Slow Cooker Size 5½ to 7 Quarts

Slug Icon WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Hash is traditionally a heavy breakfast dish, complete with overflowing portions, salty chunks of meat, and a high fat content. For a healthier but still hearty hash, we took out the meat altogether and increased the amount of vegetables. Red beets cooked perfectly along with potatoes and provided a ruby hue, which is where this dish gets its name. To give our vegetables that real hash texture, we mashed a portion of them and stirred in just a quarter cup of cream after cooking. Dimpling the finished hash with the back of a spoon provided the perfect nests to hold eggs as they slowly cooked to perfection. To avoid staining your hands, hold beets in layers of paper towels while peeling them with a vegetable peeler. Click here for information on making a foil collar. You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe. See the sidebar that follows the recipe.

2

pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

12

ounces beets, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

½

onion, chopped fine

2

garlic cloves, minced

2

teaspoons minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried

1

teaspoon canola oil

1

teaspoon paprika

½

cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper

¼

cup heavy cream

4

large eggs

2

scallions, sliced thin

1. Line slow cooker with aluminum foil collar and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Add potatoes and beets to slow cooker. Microwave onion, garlic, thyme, oil, and paprika in medium bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Combine broth and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir broth mixture into vegetables, cover, and cook until vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 hours on low or 3 to 4 hours on high.

2. Remove foil collar. Transfer 2 cups cooked vegetables to bowl, mash smooth with potato masher, then return to slow cooker. Fold in cream until well combined and smooth hash into even layer.

3. Make 4 shallow divots (about 2½ inches wide) in hash using back of spoon. Working with 1 egg at a time, crack egg into small bowl, then gently pour into divot and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high until whites are just beginning to set but still have some movement when slow cooker is gently shaken, 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Turn slow cooker off and let hash and eggs sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and serve.

Per serving:
Cal 350
Fat 12g
Sat Fat 5g
Chol 205mg
Carb 205mg
Protein 48g
Fiber 13g
Sodium 6g
*To reduce sodium level to 750mg, use unsalted broth.