My journey through the Autoimmune Protocol has taught me to up my breakfast game. When eggs and grains are not a part of the diet, you need to get creative with what to eat for breakfast. Discovering and perfecting a hash has revitalized my breakfast routine. Hash is a warm, hearty dish of meat and veggies, usually eaten for breakfast but is delicious at any meal! Today I’d like to show you my generic recipe for whipping up a great hash.
Hash Ingredients
There are 5 key ingredients in my hash: meat, aromatics, a starchy vegetable, a secondary vegetable/fruit, and a wilting vegetable. Just looking at this list shows you how to incorporate more vegetables into your breakfasts! When I make hash, I get two to three different vegetables into my diet at the beginning of the day!
Choose any meat and vegetables that strike your fancy. The possibilities are endless, but here are some of my favorites to whet your appetite!
Meat
- Ground Breakfast Sausage
- Ground Turkey
- Bacon – cooked then chopped
- Taco seasoned ground beef
- Chorizo
- Leftover steak – cubed
- Leftover chicken – cubed
Aromatics
- Onions – diced, any variety
- Garlic – minced
- Spices
Starchy Vegetable
- Sweet potatoes – peeled and cubed
- Butternut Squash – peeled, seeded, and cubed
- Parsnips – peeled and cubed
- Turnips – peeled and cubed
Secondary Vegetable/Fruit
- Zucchini – quartered and sliced
- Broccoli – cut into small florets
- Summer Squash – quartered and sliced
- Brussel Sprouts – stemmed and halved
- Carrots – diced or shredded
- Mushrooms – sliced or chopped
- Apples – chopped
Wilting Vegetable
- Kale – stemmed and chopped
- Spinach – rough chop
- Swiss Chard – stemmed and chopped
Cooking Process
The method for cooking a hash is the same order every time, only cooking time may vary depending on the denseness of the vegetables. Follow these steps, and your hash will be delicious every time!
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or coconut oil) to a large skillet or dutch oven then add meat and brown completely. If using leftover, fully-cooked meat, skip this step. Once meat is fully cooked, pour into a bowl and set aside. Return pan to stove top.
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet, over medium heat, and brown the onions. When the onions are soft and brown, stir in garlic or any other spice and warm for 30 seconds to allow the flavors to bloom. When smelling fragrant, quickly add the starchy vegetable so the spices do not burn.
- Add the primary starchy vegetable to the onion/spice mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir to cover in oil and spices then cover and cook until almost tender. Add olive oil and reduce heat as needed to prevent burning.
- Add the secondary vegetable/fruit to the same pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until both primary and secondary vegetable are soft to your liking.
- When vegetables are just about done, stir in the meat and wilting vegetable along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir to wilt the vegetable and warm the meat.
- Remove from heat and taste. Add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ingredient Combinations
To get your cooking genius rolling, here are a couple ingredient combinations I think would be delicious.
Mexican-style Hash
- Meat – Chorizo
- Aromatics – Onion, Garlic, Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
- Primary Vegetable – Sweet Potato
- Secondary Vegetable – Zucchini
- Wilting Vegetable – Spinach
Thanksgiving Hash
- Meat – Leftover Turkey
- Aromatics – Onion, Garlic, Sage
- Primary Vegetable – Butternut Squash
- Secondary Vegetable – Mushrooms
- Wilting Vegetable – Kale
Summer’s Bounty Hash
- Meat – Ground Breakfast Sausage
- Aromatics – Onion
- Primary Vegetable – Zucchini
- Secondary Vegetable – Summer Squash
- Wilting Vegetable – Kale
A hash is a great way to move your diet to whole foods and more vegetables, especially for the breakfast meal. Use your imagination; use your leftovers! Don’t sweat the spices either. When in doubt, just use salt and pepper. Real food is delicious and doesn’t need to be covered up in spice. Just 5 ingredients plus one pan are all that’s needed to make a quick, hearty, whole-food meal!
Generic Hash Recipe
The solution to an egg-free, dairy-free, and grain-free breakfast is a warm, hearty hash filled with fresh vegetables and meat. Hash is Paleo and Autoimmune Protocol compliant, and a great way to start the day!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound meat of choice (Ground Sausage, Beef, Pork, or Chicken, Chorizo, Cubed Leftover Meat)
- 1 whole onion, diced
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
- 4 cups Starchy vegetable, cubed (sweet potato, butternut squash)
- 2 cups Non-starchy vegetable/fruit, cubed (zucchini, apple, brussel sprout, broccoli)
- 3-4 cups leafy green, chopped (kale, spinach, swiss chard)
Instructions
-
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large skillet or dutch oven then add meat and brown completely. If using leftover, fully-cooked meat, skip this step. Once meat is fully cooked, pour into a bowl and set aside. Return pan to stove top.
-
Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet, over medium heat, and brown the onions. When the onions are soft and brown, stir in garlic or any other spice and warm for 30 seconds to allow the flavors to bloom. When smelling fragrant, quickly add the next ingredient so the spices do not burn.
-
Add the primary starchy vegetable to the onion/spice mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir to cover in oil and spices then cover and cook until almost tender. Add oil and reduce heat as needed to prevent burning.
-
Add the secondary vegetable/fruit to the same pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until both primary and secondary vegetable are soft to your liking.
-
When vegetables are just about done, stir in the meat and wilting vegetable along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir to wilt the vegetable and warm the meat.
-
Remove from heat and taste. Add more salt and pepper as needed.
Serve and enjoy!
What do you typically make for breakfast? How do you incorporate vegetables into the most important meal of the day?
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