Sweet Potato & Zucchini Hash — The $3.47 Philosophy, One Skillet at a Time

The sixteen-week ultrasound Tuesday confirmed the baby is a girl. Dustin and I did the kitchen-towel reveal Tuesday evening after the appointment. The towel was pink. We had bought both colors in advance. The pink-towel-reveal was the small private celebration. Brayden is one hundred and nineteen weeks old. The Pantry Rules series continues with a small $3.47 sweet-potato-and-zucchini hash.

The sweet potato and zucchini hash is the third Pantry Rules installment — one sweet potato, one zucchini, one onion, two cloves garlic, two eggs (fried on top to finish), salt, pepper, olive oil. The hash is cooked in a single skillet on the stove. The sweet potato gets the longest cooking time. The zucchini and onion go in second. The eggs are cracked on top and the lid covers the skillet for the last three minutes to gently cook the eggs over the hash.

The technique question on a vegetable-hash is the sweet-potato cooking-time. Sweet potato is denser than white potato and needs longer to cook through. The fix is small-dice (quarter-inch cubes), a head-start of about six minutes in the hot skillet alone, and the lid-on for the first three minutes to steam-soften the cubes before the lid comes off for the brown-finish.

The total recipe cost is $3.47 (sweet potato $0.80, zucchini $0.60, onion $0.30, garlic $0.20, eggs $0.50, plus pantry oil-and-salt). The dish serves three. The cost-per-serving is $1.16.

Sweet Potato & Zucchini Hash

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Optional: 4 eggs, for serving
• Optional: chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Par-cook the sweet potatoes. Place diced sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover loosely and microwave on high for 4—5 minutes until just slightly tender but not soft. Drain and set aside.
2. Start the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4—5 minutes until the onion is translucent and beginning to brown at the edges.
3. Add the sweet potatoes. Add the par-cooked sweet potato cubes to the skillet in a single layer. Press them gently into the pan and let them sit undisturbed for 3—4 minutes so they develop a golden crust. Stir and repeat once.
4. Add the zucchini and garlic. Add the diced zucchini and minced garlic to the pan. Stir everything together and cook for another 5—6 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, until the zucchini is tender and lightly caramelized.
5. Season and finish. Sprinkle in the smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat all the vegetables evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cook one more minute to bloom the spices.
6. Add eggs if using. For a complete meal, create 4 small wells in the hash and crack an egg into each. Cover the skillet and cook for 3—4 minutes until egg whites are set but yolks are still slightly runny. Serve straight from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 28g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 310mg