Make this recipe. It’s named because you’ll weep with happiness once you nail down your method for these any-time-of-day Potatoes O’Brien, topped with a fried egg. It’s a pretty good way to start a leisurely weekend, but it’s also a pretty good way to wind down a stupid day at work.
The addition of chicken sausage is totally optional. Pre-cooked is great, whatever flavor strikes your fancy. I like garlic or andouille, but Italian or jalapeno or whatnot would be good, too.
Know that there’s a bit of chopping involved, but it makes a buttload of food, and the leftovers are solid. I like them wrapped up in a tortilla with a scrambled egg and some hot sauce for breakfast. If you’re scared by the sheer volume here, you can halve the recipe without much fuss.
I don’t like adding fresh garlic in this recipe, because at this level of satanically hot roasting it gets burnt and bitter. Blech. Opt for the powdered stuff, if you want to keep vampires from enjoying your brunch.
Potatoes O’Cryin’ (serves 10)
4 lbs red potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes
3 sweet bell peppers, any color, chopped into pieces about the same size as the potatoes
1 giant sweet onion, chopped, same deal
1/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
1 lb pre-cooked chicken sausage, sliced – optional
chili powder or garlic powder – optional
eggs – for frying, if you feel fancy
grated cheese – optional, EXTRA fancy
Preheat your oven to 450 and chop the potatoes, peppers, and onions. Keep chopping. Chop chop! Everything should be roughly the same size, to keep cooking time consistent. Throw the results of your choppery into a big mixing bowl and gently toss them with the olive oil. Spread the vegetables evenly on the sheet pans and sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. If you feel zesty, dust them gently with a bit of chili powder or garlic powder.
Pop them in the oven and set your timer for 60 minutes. Every 15 or 20 minutes, pull the vegetables out, give them a toss, and rotate the pans. Once 40 minutes have elapsed, if you’re using that sausage, add it to the pans. If you add it early, it’ll get all gnarled and petrified. Better to wait! Bump the heat up to 500, and let everything get browned and crispy.
While you endure the last minutes of the wait, put a dab of butter in a non-stick pan and fry up an egg for each person. Maybe grate a fluffy little pile of parmesan, too. Rescue your food from the oven, and shovel some of your Potatoes O’Cryin’ into a bowl. Top with some cheese. Fried egg. Hot sauce. Season it again with your tears of joy.
Handcrapted 