Breakfast Potatoes

I recently got back from skiing in Mammoth, California. With almost $100 lift tickets and equipment rentals, you have to save a few bucks somewhere, and I do it by not eating out. I packed a few food items for the drive up. Before you hit the slopes it's best to have a big meal with plenty of carbs -- to battle the cold and keep your energy up. One of my meal highlights was a humble ham and eggs with my Breakfast Potatoes.

And my wife and friend Drew ate them up! I thought I made enough spuds, but should have made more -- that's how quick they disappeared and how tasty they were. So here's my Breakfast Potatoes recipe that is great served on a snowy, cold morning.

You can use russet, white or red potatoes. I like to leave the skin on and saute them with chopped onion, bell pepper and garlic. That's it - couldn't be simpler. The only unusal step is to add a couple of tablespoons of water, then cover and steam the Breakfast Potatoes for a few minutes just before serving. This loosens the browned cooked bits on the pan so you get all that extra flavor to mix into the potatoes.

Spuds are cheap all the time and the veggies are too -- especially at my local Latin market, Superior Groceries. This tasty spud side dish can go with your favorite egg recipe. I like to simply fry my eggs so the creamy yoke mixes into the Breakfast Potatoes -- try it this way some time.

As a bonus, check out my skiing video from a couple of years ago, where I hit the slopes for the wildest ski ride you'll ever see!

The 99 Cent Chef Goes Skiing - VIDEO

 Play it here. Video runs 5 minutes, 32 seconds.

Ingredients (1-2 serving)

• 1 potato - about 1 cup cubed. Okay to use a russet, red or white potato, or any favorite on sale. Small red or white potatoes are smaller so 2 may be needed for this recipe.
• 1/2 onion - about 1/2 cup chopped. Okay to use less to your taste.
• 1/8 bell pepper - about 1/4 cup chopped. Again, okay to use less to suit your taste. I got a green bell pepper, but you can use any color.
• 1 clove garlic - about 1 teaspoon chopped.
• 1 teaspoon oil - or cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons of water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Cut potatoes into small cubes, about 1/2 inch or smaller. Add oil to frying pan over medium heat. When oil is hot add the chopped potatoes and veggies.

Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until onion and bell pepper start to soften, stirring often. Should take about 5-10 minutes, depending how thick the potatoes and veggies are chopped.

I like to finish my Breakfast Potatoes this way: add 2 tablespoons of water and give the veggies and potatoes a good stir. Cover and let potatoes and veggies steam for 3 - 5 minutes. Done when potatoes pierce easily with a fork or knife.

Finally, uncover and let the Breakfast Potatoes cook for a couple more minutes to make sure all the liquid cooks out. Serve hot, as a side with your favorite breakfast meal. I like fried eggs so the yoke runs into the potatoes...so good.

For crispy potatoes, just add an extra tablespoon of oil and fry one side of the potatoes until brown. Then add the veggies and stir. Cook veggies until soft and potatoes are tender all the way through. And skip the "steaming with water" part.