Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto Hash Browns with Sausage and Feta
Ingredients
Hash Browns:
- 1 pound frozen Southern-style, cubed hash browns (see note)
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- ½ cup diced yellow or white onion
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- Chopped fresh basil for garnish
Pesto Red Pepper Sauce:
- 1 (8-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained (see note)
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup sour cream
- Pinch salt
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).