Bacon Butternut Hash With Ham And Eggs

Bacon Butternut Hash With Ham And Eggs
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This recipe is perfect to eat for breakfast or dinner. It calls for fall favored vegetables like butternut squash mixed in with bacon and smoked ham topped with fried eggs. Easy to make in a cast-iron skillet. This recipe is by JeanMarie Brownson and was originally published in the Chicago Tribune.
Prep Time
30
minutes
Cook Time
30
minutes
Servings
6
servings
Bacon Butternut Hash with Ham and Eggs
Total time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2-3 strips thick bacon, diced
  • 6 cup peeled, seeded, cubed butternut squash
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 small red onion, quartered
  • 1/2 small green bell or poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, quartered
  • 1/2 medium-size red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, quartered
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil for high-heat cooking, such as safflower or sunflower
  • 10-12 ounce (about 3 cups) fully cooked smoked ham, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 8-12 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese, such as fontina or brick
Directions
  1. Cook bacon in a large (10-inch) well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove crisp bits and reserve. Leave about 1 tablespoon bacon fat in the pan, and reserve the rest of the fat for later.
  2. Put cubed butternut into a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process with on/off turns just until butternut is chopped into rough 1/4-inch pieces. (Alternatively, roughly chop butternut into 1/4-inch pieces with a knife and a cutting board.) Transfer to a bowl; you will have about 6 cups.
  3. With the food processor running (no need to wash it), drop 3 cloves of garlic into it to chop. Add red onion and peppers. Roughly chop with on/off turns. (Or chop everything by hand.) Add to butternut along with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon thyme and 1/4 teaspoon rosemary. Mix well.
  4. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the bacon fat in the skillet. Add half of the butternut mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until tender and golden, about 10 minutes or until squash is fork-tender. Remove to a plate. Repeat with another tablespoon of bacon fat and remaining butternut mixture. Transfer to the plate.
  5. Add 1 more tablespoon bacon fat to the pan along with ham. Cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in butternut mixture. (Recipe can be made ahead up to this point; refrigerate if it will be longer than 1 hour.)
  6. Reheat butternut mixture if necessary over medium heat. Cook over medium-low heat to crisp the bottom, about 5 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, spray 1 large or 2 medium-size nonstick skillet(s) with oil. Heat over medium-high. Carefully crack eggs into skillet. Reduce heat to low; fry eggs sunny side up until whites are set and yolks somewhat set, 3 to 4 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over hash and let it melt over medium heat, about 1 minute. To serve, top each portion of the hash with two fried eggs. Sprinkle with reserved crispy bacon.
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