Ham and Sweet Potato Hash

This was our dinner tonight, and it was Y-U-M-M-Y! It was very filling, very satisfying and had a great flavor to it! We all ate it! Even Miss Alexis, which, if you know how picky she has become, you would understand that because she ate it, you know it MUST be good! this is perfect for a weekend breakfast, a special brunch, or even for dinner, like we did. I served it with a smoothie and toast triangles. Perfect for a BLD as Rachel Ray would say, breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

*You can usually find the canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce in the Mexican foods aisle. In a pinch, you could substitute 1 teaspoon chili powder, although you'll miss the smoky heat from the chiles. (I used the chili powder because I forgot about the chipotle chilies when I was at the store).

*Serves 4-6

3 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 onion, minced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons heavy cream
10 ounces thinly sliced deli ham, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 large eggs

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight-fitting microwave-safe lid and microwave for about 6 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but not overcooked - they'll cook a bit more in the skillet later. Stir the potatoes halfway through cooking. Drain the potatoes of any excess liquid and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the chipotle and cook for about 30 seconds.

Stir in the drained potatoes and the cream. Using the back of a spatula, pack the potatoes into the pan, pressing them into a somewhat even layer. Let the potatoes cook without stirring them for about 2 minutes so they can start to get nicely browned. Flip the potato hash mixture, one portion at a time, and lightly repack into the skillet to let the potatoes brown on the other side. Continue this flipping process every few minutes until the potatoes are nicely browned, about 8-10 minutes total.
Stir in the ham and lightly repack the hash into the skillet. Using a large spoon, make 6 shallow divots about 2 inches wide in the surface of the potato mixture. Crack one egg into each indentation. Season with salt and pepper and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the skillet. Let the mixture cook until the eggs are set to your liking, about 5-7 minutes. Serve.

Note: I used a 12 inch skillet and I didn't have room to add the eggs, so I just cooked the eggs in a seperate pan and placed them on top of the hash. Still good.