Skillet Fries

Though neither the man of the house nor I could be described as rabid environmentalists, we do try to do our part when it comes to using resources wisely.  We watch our energy consumption and, most relevant to this blog, do everything we can to avoid wasting a lot of food.  Often, since ours is a two person household, I end up halving or even quartering recipes.  Other times I prepare a full batch of something and then freeze part of the batch partially-prepared for leftovers (there are raw meatballs and mushroom ravioli tucked into my freezer as we speak) rather than cooking the entire batch and then eating the same thing for days on end.

The last time we grilled out we ended up with some leftover grilled onion and red peppers.  Not wanting all of that delicious flavor to go to waste, we cooked up some absolutely delicious skillet home fries and served them with bacon and a fried egg for breakfast.  The potatoes would also be really tasty as part of the filling for a breakfast burrito, etc.  The potatoes came together easily and they were much tastier than the soggy mess you often get on the side of your plate at a restaurant.  Though you could certainly cut up some fresh red peppers and onions and cook them along with the potatoes, using the leftovers made the preparation of the potatoes a little simpler and the smokiness from the grill added wonderful flavor.

You'll Need:

1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes
2 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, sliced and grilled until tender
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced and grilled until tender
1 tsp. paprika
salt
pepper

Getting Started:

Cut potatoes into 1/2" pieces.

Mince garlic.

Now You're Cookin':

In a medium skillet heat 2 Tb. vegetable oil over medium heat.  Once the oil is hot but not to the point of smoking add the garlic.  Saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes.

Add the potatoes (and the raw peppers and onions if you don't have pre-cooked peppers and onions available) paprika, salt and pepper to taste and stir to coat.

Cover the potatoes and let cook until nearly cooked through.  A fork should be easy to insert into the potato pieces but they should still be firm.  This took my potatoes about 12 minutes.

Add the roasted veggies and stir to combine.

Let the potatoes cook for an additional 5-10 minutes to add a little color and crispness.

Adjust salt and pepper if necessary and serve.