Sweet Potato - Chicken Hash

My Greenling Local Box has been heavy on sweet potatoes for the last few weeks, and I've garnered quite a collection. I was getting tired of my usual standbys (in a vegetable curry or diced and roasted with olive oil as a side dish), so I decided to try something a little different: some hash patties. I topped the hash with a chipotle-garlic salsa, but I think these would be just as good with a finely diced chipotle pepper or two tossed into the hash mix before cooking. I was doubtful as the mixture came together, wondering if it would be a success, but in the end, these turned out very tasty, and I will certainly make these again. Served with cornbread and salad, these made a great weeknight meal.



Ingredients:

2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes
2 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breast
about 2 Tbsp butter
about 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion
1/2 green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Salsa, for garnish

Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until potato pieces are soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, chop the chicken breast into very small dice. Or, if you're like me and don't really enjoy the trouble of chopping a lot of raw chicken, toss the chicken into the food processor and process until the chicken is broken up into small bits. (I suppose here you could even use chicken that has been pre-ground by your butcher.) Also finely dice the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. (Or, again, if you're like me and feeling lazy and/or pressed for time, toss these in the food processor, too. When it comes to feeding my kids, the-smaller-the-better when it comes to vegetable pieces, anyway.)

Heat about 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and vegetable mix, and stir and cook until cooked through and slightly browned. Stir in the oregano and paprika, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Combine the sweet potatoes and chicken mixture in a large bowl, mashing as necessary to bring the mixture together.

In a large skillet (preferably non-stick), heat another tablespoon or so each of butter and olive oil over medium heat. Scoop out 1/4 cup size or so mounds of the hash mixture and place them in the pan, pressing down a bit to make patties. Cook each patty until browned and crisp on one side, then carefully flip with a spatula and cook the other side. I had to cook mine in two batches.

Remove to a plate, top with salsa, and dig in.