Alton Brown's 'Man Breakfast' with Bacon, Eggs, and Hash Browns Recipe

Updated August 30, 2018

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No, I did not make up the "man breakfast" thing. It's actually in Alton Brown's Good Eats 3: The Later Years. While you can argue about the name, my wife can attest to the fact that females can enjoy this meal, too. I mean, what's not to love about properly made hash browns with eggs and bacon? But the best part is that this meal comes together so quickly.

While the bacon cooks, you grate the potatoes. When the bacon is done, you remove the strips, and then cook the potatoes in the bacon fat. While those crisp up, the eggs cook slowly in a separate skillet. Then you just toss everything on to the same plate and dig in. There are a few tricks employed—the grated potatoes are squeezed in a towel to remove as much water as possible—but mostly this is remarkably straightforward and totally satisfying.

Recipe Details

Alton Brown's 'Man Breakfast' with Bacon, Eggs, and Hash Browns Recipe

Active 20 mins

Total 20 mins

Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

For the Hash Browns:

4 slices bacon
8 ounces russet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed, not peeled
Kosher salt

For the Eggs:

4 large eggs
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and black pepper

Directions

For the hash browns: Add the bacon slices to a 10-inch cast-iron skillet set over medium heat. Cook, flipping occasionally, until the slices are cooked to your liking. Turn down the heat if they are cooking too quickly. When done, drain the bacon on some paper towels and set aside.
Remove all but two tablespoons of the bacon fat, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Grate the potatoes on the largest holes of a box grater. Add the potatoes to the skillet and spread out evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt. Let the potatoes cook undisturbed for five minutes. Flip the potatoes with a spatula, reduce heat to low, and cook for an additional five minutes.
For the eggs: With five minutes left with the potatoes, add the butter to a non-stick skillet set over low heat. When the butter foams, carefully crack in the four eggs. (Brown suggests cracking the eggs into a custard cup, and then adding them in.) Season with salt and pepper, and then cover the skillet. Cook until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny, three to five minutes.
When the eggs are done, use a spatula place two eggs on two separate plates. On each plate, add half of the hash browns and bacon. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
395	Calories
22g	Fat
25g	Carbs
23g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	395
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g	28%
Saturated Fat 8g	42%
Cholesterol 405mg	135%
Sodium 778mg	34%
Total Carbohydrate 25g	9%
Dietary Fiber 3g	9%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 9mg	47%
Calcium 80mg	6%
Iron 3mg	18%
Potassium 878mg	19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.