Hash Browns with Ham

Liam lost tooth number three (his other bottom front) Tuesday morning at breakfast. It was in his cereal. He fished it out, held it up, and said, Mom, look what I found. I said your tooth? He said yep. He washed it and put it on a napkin on the counter.

Tooth fairy had to be at CVS Tuesday night for ones. She put three under his pillow. He was pleased. He asked me Wednesday morning if the tooth fairy's budget is going up. I said inflation is hitting even magic. He nodded seriously.

Clinic was ordinary. 28 encounters. A chronic pain patient of mine, 50 years old, struggling with opioid taper. Took a long visit. He cried. We made a plan. He will come back in two weeks.

Group Tuesday. I told the group about Liam's tooth. Unprompted. Bernadette asked why I was telling them. I said because it was joy. And I want to practice naming joy. Bernadette said name it often.

Meghan and Aidan came over Saturday afternoon. Brian had the baby at home. Aidan and Liam did LEGOs. Meghan and I did the kitchen and laughed about dumb things. For two hours I forgot to be sad. Then I remembered to be sad and I thought, this is also okay, this forgetting. Not a betrayal.

Nora announced Friday that her birthday is eight days away. She has been counting. She has a paper chain on her bedroom wall from which she tears one loop per morning.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. Liam did most of the cooking — under supervision. He flipped seven pancakes. He broke two. Nora ate a broken one on purpose "because the broken ones are the best."

Sunday dinner at Southie. Ma made chicken and dumplings. Herb dumplings on top, steamed over a thickened broth. Winter food. Liam had seconds.

Food of the week: Ma's chicken and dumplings. Which is to say, the way to eat yourself to warmth on a 20-degree day.

The pancake morning was Liam’s, start to finish — he earned it. But the breakfast I keep coming back to, the one that feels like the truest version of a Saturday, is something you can do in one pan while someone small stands on a step stool next to you and hands you things. Hash browns with ham. Crispy edges, soft middle, salty and filling and honest. It’s the kind of food that doesn’t need a special occasion — it just needs a quiet morning and a little bit of time.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 cups frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
1 cup diced cooked ham
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional: shredded cheddar cheese for topping

Instructions

Prep the vegetables. Dice the onion and green pepper into small, even pieces so they cook at the same rate as the hash browns.
Heat the pan. Melt butter with vegetable oil in a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. The combination of butter and oil raises the smoke point and adds flavor.
Soften the aromatics. Add the onion and green pepper to the hot pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to turn golden.
Add the hash browns. Spread the thawed hash browns in an even layer over the vegetables. Press down gently with a spatula. Season with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
Let them crisp. Cook undisturbed for 6–8 minutes over medium heat until the bottom is deeply golden and crispy. Resist the urge to stir — the crust needs time to form.
Fold in the ham. Flip sections of the hash brown mixture, add the diced ham, and fold everything together. Press flat again and cook another 5–6 minutes until the second side crisps and the ham is heated through.
Optional cheese. If using, scatter shredded cheddar over the top in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Cover briefly to melt.
Serve. Plate directly from the skillet. Serve with eggs, toast, or on its own. Pairs well with hot coffee and a kid who insists on pouring the orange juice.

Nutrition (per serving)

Hash Browns with Ham — The Saturday Morning We Cooked Together