It’s easy to order some hash browns for breakfast. They’re on many menus at your local restaurant. But you may find them loaded with extra fat. For greater heart health, you might want to try a new way to serve up potatoes for breakfast. I love mashed potatoes and they will frequently be on our table at lunchtime. But here’s a way you can make them part of your breakfast.
Peel 2-3 pounds of potatoes and cut them into cubes. I use a Vidalia food chopper to make this step quick and easy. Add the potatoes to a medium size pot and cover with water. Cook on a medium-high heat, covered, until the potatoes are boiling. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and add to a medium to large mixing bowl. Mash coarsely. Add the plant milk a little at a time and mix with a spoon or potato masher until potatoes are creamy. Add salt and seasonings you desire for mashed potatoes. Do not blend potatoes with a hand mixer—this will make the mixture too creamy for making waffles.
I like to make mashed potatoes the day before. Chilling them makes it easier to use in the waffle maker. In the morning, spread the mashed potatoes over the bed of your waffle maker, not too thinly. Leave a small margin around the potatoes since they will spread out when you pull the top down. Bake in a preheated waffle maker for 10-12 minutes, depending on the brand of your waffle maker.
Our family likes to serve these with homemade applesauce. Unsweetened applesauce from the store is another good choice. Or you could use our Berry Good Sauce (see below). Another idea is to use them for a savory breakfast and add scrambled tofu on top.
Potato Health-Bite
Don’t be afraid of the white potato, thinking this really isn’t a health food. It’s true, that potatoes can sometimes sabotage your health goals, but that is only because of the high-fat toppings Americans often add to the humble baked or mashed potatoes (i.e. sour cream, pats of butter). But potatoes are definitely a vegetable that loves you back. For instance, they are rich in vitamin C, an important antioxidant. And then there’s potassium, an essential electrolyte that aids in the working of your heart, muscles, and nervous system.
