Hash Brown Breakfast Bake – ‘so boring yet so amazing’

I have Pinch of Nom to thank for coming up with this brilliant brunch dish which is so easy and cheap to make for only 189 calories per serving! Hash Brown Breakfast Bake includes potatoes, beans and bacon in one-pan, which is sure to be a big hit with the kids, even if this isn’t conventional ‘hash browns’ from McDonalds. The addition of the onion and garlic granules make this really tasty – my only slight faux pas was that I should have baked it for a little longer to make the potatoes on top go golden and crispier.

My teenage son Will,  normally loathed to try anything other than a bacon and egg sandwich for breakfast, absolutely loved this. “Dad, can we have this again please? The ingredients are so boring yet it tastes so amazing”. Thanks Will, I think!

Actually, I’ve done the boy a disservice. He also loves Breakfast Omelette Burritos from the Hairy Dieters, but that recipe requires eggs which are harder to come by right now. So it’s fair to assume that he’ll be tucking into Hash Brown Breakfast Bake more often in the coming weeks.
Recipe: Hash Brown Breakfast Bake – ‘so boring yet so amazing’

Calories: 189 calories per serving

Serves: 6

Book: Pinch of Nom – Everyday Light

Prep time: Approx 15 mins

Cooking time: Approx 22 mins

Ingredients: 2 baking potatoes (about 170g each – diced into 1-2cm cubes), 250ml water, low-calorie cooking spray, 2 small onions (peeled and diced), 8 bacon medallions (chopped into small pieces), 8 mushrooms (sliced), 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce or Henderson’s relish, sea salt, ground black pepper, 1 x 400g tin baked beans, 1 tsp garlic granules, 2 tsp onion granules

Cost per portion: Approx 0.75

Method: Preheat the oven to 220 degrees (200 degrees fan / gas mark 7).

Put the potatoes into a microwavable bowl with the water. Microwave on high for 7 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, spray a frying pan with low-calorie cooking spray. Add the onions, bacon and mushrooms with the Worcestershire sauce and fry for 5 minutes, until the onions have softened and the bacon is cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste, remembering that bacon is quite salty.

Once the bacon mix is cooked, spoon it into the bottom of an ovenproof dish. You can do this in one large dish or across six individual ones. Pour the baked beans over the top of the bacon mix.

When the potatoes are ready, they should be cooked through but still hold their shape. Drain the water off, coat with low-calorie cooking spray, sprinkle over the garlic granules and onion granules and season well with salt and pepper to taste. Lay the potato cubes over the baked beans, making sure to cover the top in a layer. Spray the potatoes with low-calorie cooking spray.

Place the ovenproof dish (es) in the middle of the hot oven for 15 minutes, until the potatoes on top are golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and serve. The bake can be frozen once allowed to cool (defrost fully before reheating).