Southwestern Style Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns

     Have you ever had something that needed to get cooked, but you were tired of doing the same old thing?  You pondered it and pondered it and then, BINGO, it came to you at 5:00 in the morning! Then you laid there, awake, planning out the recipe that you were certain would be the perfect solution.  Of course, you had to get out of bed and try it out on your husband!  This is what happened to me with this recipe and it explains why by 8:00 in the morning, I was exhausted.  Luckily, the results were great, so it is a good reason to be exhausted.

     If you remember a few weeks back, I had gotten some Orangetti Squash and I gave you a recipe to use it like spaghetti with chicken.

In this recipe, you may used orangetti squash or spaghetti squash.

I cut it open, took out the seeds, drizzled it with olive oil and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. Then, I baked it until it was fork tender.

     I did the same process shown above the night before I decided to make my Southwest Style Hash browns. Up until this time, I had only used spaghetti or orangetti squash to make Italian dishes, substituting it for the pasta.  This time I substituted it for the potatoes! After shredding the squash, I just stored the shreds in a covered bowl like this.  (Similar set here.)
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  I used my Pampered Chef chopper to finely chop  my onion .  I wanted the onion to blend in well with the squash.  I love using the chopper.  No tears!  Did you know that you can order Pampered Chef items on Amazon?  Here is the chopper I have.  I love it.  The blade turns on its own to give a really good even chop in just a few strokes.  I earned mine by having a party.  If it is a little too pricey for you,  here is another option that looks good.

     I also added diced green chilies, and spices like cumin, cilantro, and a sprinkle of Red Cayenne Pepper.  Don't forget the 2-3 cloves of garlic pressed into the mixture.  I also have the Pampered Chef Garlic Press which I absolutely love because it is heavy and not flimsy, it is large enough to handle larger cloves of garlic and you don't have to peel the garlic before you press it!  I have had both the chopper and the garlic press for a number of years now, and they are still going strong and I use them all of the time. 

      Once all of your ingredients are will blended, you have two choices for making your hash browns.  I used my cast iron skillet for that added health benefit to these already healthy veggies. Click on the pictures for descriptions. 

The first time I made them, I made patties like this. If I did this again, I would make the patties a little thinner.

Or, just scatter them in the hot skillet and brown them all over to get a crispier end product.

This is how the free form hash browns come out, crispy all over.

     When they are nice and toasty brown, here is how I served them.

Lay down a bed of the hash browns, or a couple of patties. Top them with cheese and fresh tomatoes.

On top of that, add a nice fried egg. The yolk mixed with the southwest flavors of the squash is so good!

      Here is the button for this nice and healthy, full of veggies, meal! 

Southwest Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns

    If you would like to shop this post, here are some of the things I use and love: