Lumberjack Hash

Last night was Lumberjack Hash for dinner. It was good to try a new recipe but it tastes exactly like you think it will. Good, but not really new. It would be perfect as a Sunday morning breakfast with a fried egg on top.

Lumberjack Hash (from Cooking Light Magazine's the essential dinner tonight cookbook)

2 tsp. canola oil (I used olive oil)
2 tsp. butter
1 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper (1 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed (about 1 lb.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 oz. ham, diced (I used 8 oz. because 4 oz didn't seem like much for 4 people for dinner)
3/4 cup shredded, reduced-fat cheddar cheese (I used the regular shredded cheddar cheese already in my fridge)

Heat oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic; cook 3 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and ham; cook 16 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown, stirring occasionally. Top with cheese; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Yields 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

I served it with my own fruit salad concoction:
1 large mango, diced
2 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups green grapes
juice of 1 or 2 limes

Stir the fruit together and sprinkle with lime juice. I like it better at room temperature, but store in the refrigerator.

I highly recommend this cookbook! I first saw it at Walmart and made both my Little Friend and my Little Prince look at it so they could remember it when Mr. Dub took them shopping for my Christmas presents. Every recipe has suggestions/recipes for what to serve with the entree. For Lumberjack Hash it suggests corn bread twists (such as Pillsbury) which I originally thought was overkill on the carbs, what with all the hash brown potatoes, but now that I've had it, I think corn bread twists (such as Pillsbury) would have been great with it. The book also suggests Honeyed Citrus Salad and gives the recipe; I already knew I wanted the other kind of fruit salad.

You can look forward to seeing lots of new recipes and reviews from this cookbook here on AmyDubDub!