Good Morning!
I’m so excited to launch Real Food Camping! This is my first post but I’ll be adding many more as I create (and taste) recipes at my campsite. I hope to make this blog a gathering place for all camping, hiking, and out door enthusiasts who are looking for cleaner, real food recipes for their adventures but also easy and delicious. I’m so glad you’re here and hope you look around and if you have any suggestions for recipes, are looking for specific foods, or just want to say hi, please use my contact form.
My Love/Hate Relationship with Breakfast
I have to admit that breakfast isn’t always my favorite meal of the day and cooking first thing in the morning is definitely not my thing, especially when camping. Having said that, I am always willing to make this Sweet Potato & Sausage hash.
I used to be all about packing store bought cereal and donuts when we went camping because they were easy to pack and ready to eat every morning. While I admit that this sweet potato & sausage hash is a little more work than grocery store donuts (OK, a lot more work than opening a box), it is also a lot healthier, more filling, and definitely worth the little bit of time in the kitchen.
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe was kind of a happy accident. I needed to use up a couple of leftover sweet potatoes before they went bad. I had seen recipes where people mixed sweet potato with ground beef but that didn’t really strike me as breakfast material so I tried the breakfast alternative, ground sausage.
This meal is easy and can be eaten on its own or with some eggs like shown above. It’s also very versatile. The sweet potatoes can easily be swapped for traditional potatoes. Next time I make this I’m going to try and replace the sweet potatoes with radishes so I’ll let you know how the low carb alternative.
Sweet Potato & Sausage Hash great because it can be made on a stove top, on a griddle or over the camp fire, making it easy to prepare no matter your camping set-up. Also, it’s perfect if you’re camping with just a cooler as the only ingredient that needs to be kept cold is the sausage (and eggs if you’re using them).
What You’ll Need for Sausage & Sweet Potato Hash
You don’t need many ingredients for this recipe.
- Ground Sausage
- Onion
- Sweet Potato
- Salt & Pepper
To Make Sausage & Sweet Potato Hash
Start by chopping one onion in large chunks.
Large pieces work best for this because they don’t break down quite as much.
Drizzle a little avocado or olive oil in a pan to start. Add the onion and one 12 ounce package of your favorite breakfast sausage to the pan. We like to use Bob Evans® Naturally™ sausage but any plain or breakfast sausage you like will work great.
Stirring the sausage and onion mixture frequently helps prevent sticking.
This was a double batch which is why it fills the pan so much. A single batch feeds about 6 people. Using a large pan works best once you add all the ingredients it really fills up.
While the sausage and onion are cooking is a good time to peel and chop the sweet potato.
I like to cut it into 1/2″ pieces because if they are to small they tend to turn into mashed sweet potatoes while it cooks (although that is still pretty good so if that happens don’t worry).
Once the sausage is nearly cooked, add add the sweet potatoes to the pan with a little salt and pepper.
Perfect, Caramelized Sweet Potatoes
The key to perfect sweet potatoes in this recipe is to not stir them to frequently, that way they get a nice caramel color on each side.
You’ll know the sweet potatoes are done when they turn a beautiful golden brown color and become tender. A couple of fried eggs are a great addition to this meal.
You can print the recipe for this delicious hash below!
Hearty Sweet Potato & Sausage Hash
Ingredients
- 1 Large Sweet Potato
- 12 Ounces Ground Sausage
- 1 Large Onion
- Salt & Pepper
- Avocado Oil or other cooking oil
Instructions
- Chop the onion into large pieces.
- In fry pan, drizzle avocado or cooking oil and heat pan over medium heat.
- Add onion and sausage to fry pan. Stir often to prevent sticking and break up sausage into smaller pieces.
- While sausage is cooking, chop sweet potatoes into medium sized chunks.
- When sausage is completely cooked, add sweet potatoes and mix in.
- Flip sausage and sweet potato mixture occasionally to prevent burning. You want the sweet potatoes to start to brown on all sides.
- When sweet potatoes are tender and caramelized turn the pan off and serve hot.
Notes
This really makes a breakfast that sticks with you all morning. It has a lot of flavor and the salty sausage and sweet potatoes complement each other really well. Honestly I eat it for dinner too!
What is your favorite breakfast food while camping or at home?
Happy Camping!
-Jess
