For Christmas, Kyle's sister, Jaime, generously gifted us with future child- (and, by default, farm-) care. She was brave; we were delighted. Last month, we cashed in on that and enjoyed a long weekend in Cincinnati. At the lovely Bed and Breakfast that we stayed at, the menu had several tempting options to choose from and on one of the mornings, I opted for a dish similar to this, which I am calling Party Potatoes with Confetti Eggs. As I was gobbling it up, I commented to Kyle that "I am totally going to make this at home someday..." Last night, while contemplating our dinner options, this dish popped into my head and so I decided to give it a try. It turned out great and I will add it to our menu again soon. While most of us do not have time to bake potatoes in the rush of a typical morning (even with an Instant Pot, which is what I used), I think using leftover baked potatoes from the night before would be the trick needed to pull it off in a reasonable amount of time. Also, it is not necessary to season and crisp up the skins of the potatoes after their time in the IP, but it definitely brings the 'party' to an otherwise plain potato.
Ingredients
For the potatoes
4 to 6 fist-sized baking potatoes (or however many suits your family size), washed
1 c water (if making in an IP)
~2 TBSP oil
Seasonings that you enjoy (I used a mixture of flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, a pinch of red pepper flakes, garlic powder, thyme, and rosemary; inspired by my original post on seasoned baked potatoes)
For the eggs
8 eggs (or however many suits your family-size)
2-3 TBSP water
2 TBSP oil
~1/8 c chopped leeks (or substitute with onion)
veggies of your choice; I used a few strips of red pepper (about 3 TBSP), finely chopped, but mushrooms, broccoli, etc. would also be good
1/2 lb of chopped ham or cooked meat of your choice (I use 1 of our ham steaks sausage or crumbled bacon would also be great, or leave the meat out)
3 c spinach, washed, trimmed, and chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Extra Sharp cheddar cheese, or any kind that you enjoy
optional: sour cream
Directions
1. Using an IP, place the trivet in the bottom of the stainless steel insert and add 1 c of water. Pierce the scrubbed potatoes all over with a fork several times then place in the IP. Secure the lid and use the manual pressure cook setting for 14 minutes with the natural release. Note: if you do not have an IP, bake in the oven, following these suggestions and once done, skip to the part on topping the potatoes with the eggs in step 3 below.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, move on to the eggs--in a large skillet, heat the oil over low-medium heat, add the leeks and bell pepper, and saute for about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, scramble the eggs with water and add to the skillet. Let sit for a few minutes and then scrape to the center of the pan with a rubber spatula (reduce heat, if needed). Continue cooking and occasionally scraping until the eggs are mostly done (still a little glossy, but definitely not soupy). Add in the cooked meat (if using) and spinach; incorporate with the rubber spatula. Once done, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
3. Once the potatoes are done, place the oil in small, shallow dish (large enough for 1 potato to fit in at a time). Using tongs, roll each potato around in the oil and place on a broiling pan. Sprinkle the potato all over with the seasonings of your choice. Broil on 'high' for about 3 minutes. Once done, split the potato open, top with the confetti eggs, cheese, sour cream (if adding) and dig in!