Hamburger Potato Hash and Skillet Cornbread

Here lately I’ve been trying to think of things different to cook for dinner. I can only do so much with chicken and so much with ground meat. So I started thinking back to things that my Momma’ made while growing up….. Well, I thought of what my family calls mixture, which to most people is a breakfast hash; this led to the thought of what my family calls hash, which is like a hamburger potato soup. But wait, in all of my cookbooks and online recipe sites that I go to I have never seen anything like it. It is so simple that you would think that it has no flavor, but it does and it’s great if you are living on a budget. Now, when I think of this recipe I immediately think of some good skillet cornbread sans sugar. (Sugar ruins cornbread, ack!!!)

There are several ways that this meal can be eaten.

1)    Just put it on a plate and use the cornbread to sop up the juices.

2)    Mash the potatoes with a fork kind of like mashed potatoes with onion and hamburger meat in it and just eat the cornbread. This is how I eat mine.

3)    Or lastly, mash the potatoes as previously stated, but crumble your cornbread in with it. This is how my Dad always ate it.

For your veggie, if you must have one, do a small side salad, but I think it’s just fine to have the hash and cornbread.

Hamburger Potato Hash

1lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

6 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 clove garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

4 c. water

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over med-high heat, brown the meat until done; remove, drain grease, set aside. Add onion, potatoes, garlic, bay leaves, just enough water to cover with 1 inch or about 4 cups, and salt and pepper to taste. Boil until the potatoes are tender. Add the browned meat to reheat. Remove the bay leaves and serve on a plate.

Skillet Cornbread

1 ½ c. cornmeal

½ c. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

2 Tsps. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

1 ¾ c. buttermilk

¼ c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425F. Place an 8-inch cast iron skillet in the oven while it is preheating with the vegetable oil in it. Mix dry ingredients. Add the egg and buttermilk. Pour the batter into the skillet with the oil. Bake for 30 minutes.