Kitchen Experiments: Waffle Iron Hash Browns

Recently I saw a fun idea on Pinterest involving hash browns and waffle irons. I'm a MAJOR hash brown fan. It's probably one of my favorite foods in the whole world. If I go out for breakfast and hash browns aren't on the menu, I feel a little let down. I guess it's the country girl in me. (Actually, I don't really know if hash browns are considered "country food" by most people. What do you think?)Because of my deep love for hash browns, I was excited to give this a try. I saw quite a few different people sharing their tips and tricks, and I wanted to see what worked best for me. Here are my results:I used this waffle iron. I set it on 5, which is one of the hottest settings. I used store-bought hash browns (fresh, not frozen). First I put the uncooked hash browns in a mixing bowl and added a few tablespoons of oil. Just enough that every piece got coated but wasn't dripping with excess oil. I then seasoned them with a little salt and pepper. Then I cooked them in the hot waffle iron for twice as long as I would waffles (mine has a timer that goes off, so I just doubled that time). You can check them as they cook, so they can get as crispy as you prefer. We found that a thicker layer of hash browns (than what is pictured above) worked best, but don't overdo it or else the inside can get too mushy.I'm really glad I stumbled across this idea and tried it out. I love how easy it is and how it can free you up to focus on cooking your eggs instead of watching to pans. If you like hash browns, give this a try and let us know what you think. xo. Emma