Breakfast

Trader Joe's Hashbrown Breakfast Stack

Easy4.7Yields: 2 servings

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Trader Joe's Hashbrown Breakfast Stack

Avocado toast is fine. It's good. We all had our moment with it. But you know what's better than smashing avocado on bread? Smashing avocado on a crispy, golden, shatteringly crunchy Trader Joe's hashbrown patty. This is avocado toast's glow-up and I'm sorry but there's no going back after you try it. The frozen hashbrowns from TJ's are paper-thin shredded potato patties that crisp up in a pan or toaster like nobody's business. They get this almost chip-like crunch on the outside while staying fluffy and potato-y on the inside. Stack smashed avocado on top. Add a fried egg with a runny yolk that breaks and drips down through the avocado and into the hashbrown. Hit it with Everything But the Bagel Seasoning because that stuff goes on everything and we've already established this. Maybe some hot sauce. Maybe some pickled red onion if you're feeling bougie. What you have now is a breakfast that costs about $2 per serving, takes 15 minutes, is naturally gluten-free (because the hashbrown is potato, not bread), and absolutely dunks on any avocado toast at any overpriced brunch restaurant where they'd charge you $17 for the same thing but on sourdough. I'm not anti-bread. I'm pro-hashbrown. There's a difference. Let's fucking go.

Ingredients

  • 4 Trader Joe's Frozen Hashbrown Patties
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 2 eggs
  • Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Hot sauce (Trader Joe's Green Dragon or your favorite)
  • Optional: pickled red onion, cherry tomatoes, microgreens

Instructions

  1. 1

    Crisp the hashbrowns

    Cook the frozen hashbrown patties. You have three options and they're all valid: (1) Toaster on high for 2 cycles until deeply golden and crispy. (2) Skillet with a little oil over medium-high heat, 3-4 minutes per side. (3) Air fryer at 400°F for 8-10 minutes. The goal is DARK golden brown and crunchy enough to shatter slightly when you bite in. Pale, floppy hashbrowns are a waste of everyone's time.

  2. 2

    Fry the eggs

    While the hashbrowns are crisping, fry 2 eggs in butter or oil. Sunny side up with a runny yolk is mandatory. The yolk is the sauce. If you cook the yolk through, you've made a completely different, significantly worse breakfast. Baste the whites with the hot butter to set the tops while keeping the yolk liquid.

  3. 3

    Stack it up

    Place 2 hashbrown patties on each plate. Smash half the avocado onto each stack. It'll be messy and imperfect and that's the aesthetic we're going for. Place a fried egg on top of each. Sprinkle with EBTB seasoning and flaky sea salt. Drizzle hot sauce. Add any other toppings you want. Pick it up with your hands and bite into it. The yolk is going to run down your wrists. That's correct. That's the experience.

Baker's Notes

  • The toaster method is the laziest and arguably the crispiest. Two cycles on the highest setting. They come out almost like thick potato chips. If your toaster can't fit them, a toaster oven works perfectly.
  • Everything But the Bagel Seasoning on avocado is one of the greatest pairings in human history. The sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, and salt were literally designed for avocado. I don't care that they were designed for bagels. They were wrong. They're avocado seasoning now.
  • If you want to add cheese, slide a piece of sharp cheddar or pepper jack on the hashbrown right when it comes out of the pan so it melts underneath the avocado. Hidden cheese layer. You're welcome.
  • Trader Joe's Green Dragon Hot Sauce is a jalapeño-based sauce that's creamy and tangy and goes absolutely perfectly on this stack. Not too hot. Just enough to wake everything up.
  • For meal prep, you can crisp a bunch of hashbrowns in advance and keep them in the fridge. Reheat in the toaster to re-crisp them. The avocado and egg obviously need to be fresh but having the hashbrowns ready cuts the morning effort to about 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories

420

Fat

26g

Carbs

34g

Protein

14g

Sugar

1g

Serving

2 hashbrowns + toppings

FAQ

Is this better than avocado toast?
Yes. And I say that as someone who loves bread. The hashbrown adds a crunch that bread can never achieve. Toast gets soggy under avocado. Hashbrowns stay crispy. The potato flavor with avocado and egg is savory perfection. And it's naturally gluten-free which isn't why I'm recommending it but it's a nice bonus for anyone who cares about that.
What if I don't like runny yolks?
Then I respect your wrong opinion and you should cook your egg however you like. Over medium still works great. Over hard loses the sauce element but is still tasty. Scrambled eggs piled on top is also a solid move. This is your breakfast. I'm just here to guide you toward greatness.
Can I use sweet potato hashbrowns?
TJ's doesn't make sweet potato hashbrowns (yet) but if you find them elsewhere, go for it. Sweet potato with avocado and egg is a great combo. You lose a little crunch compared to regular potato hashbrowns but you gain a subtle sweetness that works well with the EBTB seasoning.
My hashbrowns fall apart. Help.
Don't flip them until they've had time to form a proper crust on the bottom. If you try to flip too early, the potato shreds haven't bound together yet and the whole thing crumbles. Let them sit undisturbed for 3-4 minutes minimum. They'll hold together once the starch crisps up. Patience is a breakfast virtue.

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