Fennel & Sausage Breakfast Hash

Fresh and bright, this sausage fennel hash is a simple one-skillet breakfast.

This is actually a recipe we threw together during a camping trip last spring. At the time, we were in Durango, Colorado, it was March, and what most people would consider camping “season” was still a far ways away. It was a brisk 40 degrees in the noonday sun. This was definitely pre-season, or even pre-pre-season. But being the intrepid campers we are, we put on a hat and made the best of it.

One of the best ways to power through a chilly morning is with a hot breakfast. Cooking something warming and heartening is, of course, a big morale booster, but really the act of eating anything fires up your metabolism and warms your body. (So you can skip breakfast if you want, but just don’t tell us you’re cold.) Making something simple is also helpful by reducing the amount of time your fingers need to be exposed to the cold air. So, a one-skillet meal like this is a great option on a cold morning.

Building one layer at a time, this recipe consists of three easy steps. First, cook the diced potatoes and fennel. Second, crumble in the sausage until browned and the thyme until fragrant. Third, move the hash to the side and drop in two eggs. We prefer our eggs sunny side up, so we cover the skillet for a minute or two and let the steam from the hash cook the tops of the eggs. This produces firm whites and perfectly runny yolks.

So if you need some additional motivation to get up and brave a cold morning, this warming sunny-side-up breakfast skillet may just be the answer.

Why It Works For Camping

‣  One skillet breakfasts are simple to make and even simpler to clean. By containing everything into a single pan, you can make a delicious breakfast that is built one ingredient at a time. And if you use the skillet as your plate, then you only have a single pan and a few forks to clean up afterward.

Mastering the Technique

‣  For sunny side up eggs, the trick is to use the steam inside the pan to get them to perfection. If you have a lid for your pan, great! If not, you can use aluminum foil to cover, or even another skillet flipped upside down. On low to medium heat, cover for a minute or two and then check. You want the whites to be firm, but the yolk to remain yellow and runny.

Ingredient Notes

‣  The smaller you dice your potatoes and fennel, the faster they will cook. Because we’re impatient and want our breakfast as quickly as possible, we try to dice the potatoes and fennel into no larger than ½ inch cubes. Of course, this is camping and nothing is precise. But that’s what we’re aiming for.

‣  Vegetarian and vegan options? Glad you asked! Whether it’s Tofurky or Field Roast, nearly every grocery store these days carry a vegan sausage alternative. While these usually don’t “crumble” per se, they can be diced up into ½ inch cubes and browned just the same. And if eggs aren’t your thing, feel free to skip them. The potato, fennel, and “sausage” make a pretty well-balanced trio of flavors.