Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto Hash Browns with Sausage and Feta
Yield: 6servings as a side dish
Prep Time: 15 minutesmins
Cook Time: 30 minutesmins
Total Time: 45 minutesmins
Ingredients
Hash Browns:
1poundfrozen Southern-style, cubed hash browns (see note)
½poundItalian sausage
½cupdiced yellow or white onion
1teaspoonseasoning salt
2tablespoonsmelted butter
3ouncescrumbled feta cheese
Chopped fresh basil for garnish
Pesto Red Pepper Sauce:
1 (8-ounce)jarroasted red peppers, drained (see note)
¼cupbasil pesto
½cupsour cream
Pinchsalt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the hash browns in a colander and rinse with cool water so they thaw just a bit (this also helps wash away some of the preservatives depending on the brand you use - see note above).
Brown the sausage in a skillet until cooked through. Drain any excess grease.
In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, sausage, onions, seasoning salt and melted butter. Toss to combine.
Spread the mixture evenly on a large, rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender and sizzling, flipping the mixture with a thin metal spatula (or other type of spatula that won't break the potatoes apart) about halfway through. Add minutes to the cooking time if needed.
While the hash browns cook, in a blender or food processor, combine the roasted red peppers, basil pesto, sour cream, and salt. Process until smooth.
Scrape the hash brown mixture onto a serving platter or into a bowl, sprinkle with feta and chopped basil and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with the pesto sauce alongside for drizzling or dipping.
Notes
Hash Browns: depending on where you live, look for a brand of southern-style hash browns that has minimal ingredients in the list (in my neck of the woods, Western Family is the main brand I can find where the only ingredient is potatoes - imagine that!). Red Bell Peppers: also, instead of using jarred roasted red bell peppers, you can certainly roast your own (especially if you have a gas stovetop) - if doing so, use one large roasted red pepper. Sausage: any style of Italian sausage can be used; I'm partial to the chicken sausage from Trader Joe's that comes in uncooked links (simply slice through the casing and press the sausage into the skillet).