By Season opener, Diego's senior year. I've been dreading and anticipating this simultaneously for months. He ran out of the tunnel with the first team and the crowd made a noise I hadn't heard before from this stadium — a specific reception for a player they know and have watched grow and are now watching play for the last time. He heard it. His stride didn't change. That's composure. That's everything I've been trying to build in him for years.
38-7. He had 171 yards in the first game of his senior season. After the game in the locker room I didn't look for him differently than I looked for any other player. He found me. He said, "Four more months, Coach." Four more months before college. Four more months of this. I told him to make them count. He said he was planning to. He said it like a person who has already decided something. He had.
Called Hector after the game. He'd been watching via the streaming service the school has used for three years. He said, "That kid knows where the hole is before it opens." Yes. He does. He always has. I told Hector we had a good shot at four this year. He said, "Four would be something." Then he was quiet for a moment and said, "Bring me to the championship." I said I would. I said it without qualifying it. He said good.
Green chile stew on Saturday. Season opener stew, the tradition. I made a double batch because the twins — now ten — have reached the age where a single bowl isn't enough and asking for seconds is considered appropriate. Marco had three. I consider this a data point about the quality of the stew and the direction he's heading.
The tradition started before the twins were old enough to have opinions about food, and now Marco’s on his third bowl and I’m calling that a verdict. This pot roast hash is what I reach for when the stakes feel real — when Diego’s running out of a tunnel for the last first time and Hector’s watching from three states away and I need something that feeds a room and feels like it means something. I always double it. You should too.
Pot Roast Hash
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 8 (double batch)
Ingredients
- 3 cups leftover pot roast, shredded or roughly chopped
- 3 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup roasted green chiles, diced (Hatch or Anaheim)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh cilantro and sour cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Par-cook the potatoes. Place diced potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons water. Cover and microwave 4–5 minutes until just tender but not fully cooked. Drain and set aside.
- Build the base. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5–6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the potatoes. Add par-cooked potatoes to the skillet in a single layer. Press down gently and let cook undisturbed 3–4 minutes until a crust forms on the bottom, then stir and repeat once more.
- Add the meat and chiles. Fold in the shredded pot roast and roasted green chiles. Season with cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine evenly.
- Deglaze and simmer. Pour in beef broth. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered 8–10 minutes until the broth reduces and the hash comes together with a loose, stew-like consistency.
- Taste and serve. Adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream if desired. For a double batch, simply double all ingredients and use the largest pot you own.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 480mg