Copyright 2002 Blacks Culinary

The secret to making this dish is cooking the ingredients for this dish separately then adding them to a skillet placed under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese. Prepping your desired filling ahead of time will make this dish quick and easy to make. If you are using country potatoes for you prep starts the day before by boiling whole russet potatoes (skin on). Once they are cooked through they are chilled then cut into country potatoes. At this point they can wait in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. The next step is cleaning and destemming and slicing your mushrooms. You do not want mushrooms that are too big. If that is all you have break them in half or cut them into manageable pieces. You also want to dice your vegetables. The common ingredients for a Southern Skillet are Onions, Bell Pepper, Tomatoes and mushrooms but you can add almost anything you prefer. Start frying your bacon and sausage first as this dish assembles quickly. For the sausage I like to use a cast iron frying pan on medium low heat and just roll them back and forth every now and then till done. When your meats are close to being finished you will want to start frying your potatoes. In a separate frying pan add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil and heat till shimmering. Add your onions, green peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add to a large bowl and set aside. The next step is deep frying the hash browned potatoes. Most southern homes have either a deep fryer or a cast iron frying pan used just for this purpose. If you are using dehydrated hash browns prepare them according to the package instructions. To Fry Prepared Country Potatoes:  Preheat your fryer to 350*  Place your potatoes into a fryer basket and drop into the oil. Allow the potatoes to cook for 4-5  minutes or till golden and crisp. Strain your potatoes and remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. Salt immediately and add to the large bowl containing your vegetables. Add the desired amount of cheddar cheese and toss to combine. Place the mixture into a small cast iron skillet, cover with cheese and place into an oven preheated to 350*for 3-4 minutes or as long as it takes you to prepare your eggs. If you are using hash browns: start by precooking the vegetables in a little clarified butter till nearly done. Remove to a plate and set aside. To a medium bowl mix half the pre-soaked and drained hash-browns with the desired toppings. On a preheated (350*) flat top griddle add 2 Tbsp or so of clarified butter. Add a layer of plain hash browns then top with the mixed veggies and browns. Allow to cook for 5-6 minutes or until the edges are nice and brown. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Of course, you can prepare your eggs to your liking but the most popular way is over easy or over medium so that the yolk can drip down into the skillet when pierced. Remove the skillet and place the eggs over the top. Place your bacon and sausage links along the sides and serve with a small bowl of white gravy. Salt, pepper and Tabasco are common accompaniments.