Cowboy Hash and Eggs, Texas Toast and Salsa

Ingredients

Hash, Eggs and Texas Toast:

• 12 medium sized mushrooms, quartered
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 8 small red potatoes
• 3 slices applewood or hickory smoked bacon, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) or coarse salt and pepper
• Hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco), to your taste
• 2 cups, 8 ounces, shredded sharp Cheddar, pepper jack or smoked Cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 4 extra large eggs
• 4 thick cut slices bread, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, white, wheat or crusty farmhouse
• 1 clove garlic, cracked away from skins
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or several drops hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco) Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Yellow Tomato Salsa: Any flavor or variety of store bought salsa that you may have in your pantry is a fine substitute here as well
• 3 medium or 2 large yellow tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro or parsley leaves, chopped
• Salt

Directions

Chop all veggies for hash. Pierce potatoes with a fork and cook on high in microwave 5 minutes. Remove potatoes from microwave oven and cool for 5 minutes.

While potatoes are working, add chopped bacon to a large skillet over medium high heat and brown until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain, wipe pan and return to heat.

Preheat your broiler to high. Preheat a nonstick griddle pan for frying eggs over medium heat.

Chop or wedge potatoes. Add oil to the skillet which you returned to the heat, then potatoes. Begin to brown and crisp potatoes, 2 minutes on each side. Use this time to chop your salsa ingredients.

Combine salsa in a small bowl and season with salt.

Back to the hash: add the mushrooms to potatoes. Brown mushrooms a minute or 2, then add peppers and onions and season mixture with grill seasoning blend or salt and pepper, then hot sauce. Cook 3 to 5 minutes longer until veggies are just tender and potatoes are cooked through. Turn off heat and add bacon back to the pan. Combine bacon with the veggies then add cheese to the pan to evenly cover the mixture. Tent the skillet with foil to gently melt cheese over vegetables and potatoes and to retain heat.

Add a couple pats, 1/2 tablespoon butter, to preheated griddle pan. Crack extra large eggs on to griddle and fry to desired doneness. Eggs may, of course, be scrambled as well. As you like!

Place thick cut bread under broiler and toast 6 inches from heat on both sides. Place 2 tablespoons butter in a small cup with a clove of garlic and ground cayenne pepper or a few drops of hot sauce. Melt in microwave for 30 seconds.

Brush toast with garlic cayenne butter and sprinkle with parsley. Remove from broiler.

Transfer vegetable and bacon hash to plates. Top each portion with a single fried egg or arrange the fried eggs evenly over the platter. Serve with Texas garlic toast and serve the salsa on the side to compliment either menu item.