Cheeseburgers for breakfast

We were out late at a party last night and weren't particularly hungry when we got up.  I was drinking my second cup of tea and pondering what to make for breakfast.  I wanted was to go to a diner and get a cheeseburger and fries, while Nick could have a more traditional breakfast.  But our favorite breakfast spot doesn't make hamburgers on the weekend....and going out would require getting dressed.

I remembered that I had some cooked ground beef crumbles in the freezer.
And Tillamook sharp cheddar in the fridge.
And dehydrated hash browns in the pantry...mere inches away from cans of mild green chiles.

I love it when a meal comes together...

4.2 oz. package just-add-water hash browns

4 oz. can mild green chiles

Aleppo pepper, to taste

8-10 oz ground beef*

4 slices sharp cheddar

4 - 8 eggs

salt & pepper, to taste

oil or cooking spray

Combine the hash browns, canned chiles, and Aleppo pepper in a 3-4 cup container with a lid.  Stir to evenly distribute the chiles before adding boiling water.  Stir, cover and let sit 10 minutes.  It's better to have to add more water because the potatoes are still a little crunchy and have to add more water.  (Wet potatoes won't brown...)  The hash browns I buy are already pretty salty, so I don't add any salt...

Preheat a sandwich press to medium high, and oil it or spray with cooking spray.  Spread out the hash browns on the hot surface and spray the top with cooking spray (or drizzle it with oil) before closing the press.

Add your ground beef to a skillet over medium heat.  Break it up and continue cooking until it's  nicely browned.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

When the potatoes and beef are browned, transfer the beef to a bowl or plate, and wipe out out the frying pan.  Oil the pan, and add your eggs.  (I usually add a little hot water and cover the pan to steam-cook the tops.)

Open the press and separate your hash brown patty into 4 servings.  

Sprinkle the ground beef evenly over the hash browns and top with sliced cheese.  Leave it on the griddle until the cheese softens and melts.

Plate the hash and top with fried eggs.

Since this made a lot of hash, and there are only two of us, I packed half of it into freezer containers, and then topped each serving with one raw egg.  I pierced the yolks in a couple places with a toothpick before freezing.  Even if the hash browns aren't crisp and the egg yolk cooks hard, it should make a pretty tasty lunch.

*I buy large packages of ground beef, cook it up in crumbles, cool it, and freeze 8 -12 oz. bags.  The cooked brown beef will thaw and brown faster than a frozen package of raw ground beef for quick week night cooking.