Sweet Potato, Onion, Bell Pepper and Sausage Hash

Roasted sweet potatoes, browned and slightly caramelized on the edges, were tossed with spicy hot sausage and handfuls of baby spinach and baby beet greens to create a deliciously simple dinner this past weekend. The potatoes roasted while I napped on the couch and when the timer beeped, I pulled together the rest of the meal in less than 20 minutes. I love quick and simple meals on a lazy Sunday night.

Back to the beet greens now, yes, you read that right. I used Baby Beet Greens and I really loved them! I'm a bit selective when it comes to greens in my kitchen. Some greens I just adore and others, I simply can't stand. I tried beet greens last year and they were woody and bitter and they tasted like beets to me. I wrote them off as a loss and decided to ignore them in the future.

However, this year, we accidentally planted a LOT of beets in our garden. As in, way way more than we could possibly eat. I'm not the biggest fan of beets and neither is my husband. My boys would happily eat them every day though, so we intended to plant a few just for them. Clarification from my husband: apparently, the plan was to plant them and thin them out as necessary. Obviously, I'm not the master gardener around here!

Well, things started coming up in the garden and I had a full spread of pretty green "something" that I didn't recognize. It looked a whole lot like the baby spinach leaves that I use every day, so I decided to pull one up and check it out. Sure enough, it was (or would have been) beets. The leaves were just beautiful though and very soft (completely unlike any fully grown beet greens I saw last year). I tasted one and it was very similar to baby spinach. I immediately decided to thin the beet section myself and use the greens in a hash that same night.

We all enjoyed this meal (my three kids included!) The beet greens tasted so much like the spinach we love; I could easily see eating the entire garden's worth of baby beet greens before any beets have a chance to appear.

Sweet Potato, Onion, Bell Pepper and Sausage Hash with Beet Greens or Spinach

3 medium size sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
3/4 lb breakfast sausage of your choice, I like to use a spicy or hot variety
1 medium sweet yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped, or 6 mini peppers, roughly chopped
4 handfuls (about 6 cups) of chopped baby beet greens or baby spinach leaves (I used some of each)
Eggs, 1-2 per person
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Olive oil
Butter, if desired for cooking the eggs

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Toss with your hands to make sure all pieces are well-coated. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat thoroughly. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or coat well with oil. Spread the potatoes across the sheet. Roast until they are fork tender, and then roast a bit longer to get a slightly crisp edge. This usually takes about an hour, give or take ten minutes or so.

When the potatoes are almost done, cook and crumble the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain the sausage and remove to a covered bowl to keep warm. Saute the onion and bell pepper in the same skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. When the vegetables are slightly tender and browned on the edges, add the sausage and roasted potatoes back into the pan and stir to combine.

Remove from the heat and add the beet greens and/or spinach to the skillet. Toss together for a minute or two to wilt the spinach. Cover loosely with a lid to keep warm while you cook the eggs.

Cook the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are still soft and runny. When ready to eat, top the spinach mixture with the soft eggs. Enjoy!

Click here for printable recipe