Cajun-Style Hash Brown Skillet

During all of our eating on a trip to New Orleans, we made kind of a funny discovery–when you order sausage for breakfast in New Orleans, you don’t get breakfast sausage, you get a big ol’ hunk of smoked sausage. And when you order a Cajun-Style Hash Brown Skillet in a (very) feeble attempt to offset the 3 beignets and hot chocolate you also ordered for breakfast, it also comes with smoked sausage. Luckily, it’s flavorful and delicious and awesome. This Cajun-Style Hash Brown Skillet is a fun diversion from traditional breakfast sausage hash brown skillet meals and one my family has on repeat year round.

Ingredients Needed

This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.

Potatoes O’Brien – This is simply a frozen mix of cubed frozen hash brown potatoes, onions, and bell peppers. Cubed hash brown potatoes work as well, you’ll just need to add your own peppers and onions.
Butter – Always use real butter if you can!
Fresh garlic cloves
Andouille sausage – This Cajun smoked sausage is full of flavor. It’s a fully cooked sausage that is pretty widely available in grocery stores in the US. If you can’t find it, any smoked sausage will do.
Eggs
Cajun seasoning – Like Tony Chachere’s or Tabasco sauce.
Shredded cheese – Optional. We like Pepper jack or sharp cheddar.

How to Make a Cajun-Style Hash Brown Skillet

To start, garlic and sliced sausage get a quick sauté in a buttered skillet. Then you’ll add your potatoes O’Brien and cook according to the package directions until the potatoes are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Season to taste with Cajun seasoning and/or Tabasco sauce, and remove from heat.
Next you’ll make some indentations in the potato mixture and crack in some whole eggs, seasoning with Cajun seasoning as desired. That whole pan gets popped in the oven until the egg whites are cooked through and the yolks are warm but runny. If desired, add a little freshly shredded cheese in the last 5 minutes or so of cooking.
Carefully spoon out of the hot skillet and enjoy immediately.

Storing and Other Tips

This dish is best enjoyed fresh. If you do have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
If you want to plan ahead, you could cook the potato mixture through the step of adding eggs. When ready to eat, heat potato mixture in the microwave or on the stove top and then follow the egg directions for the oven, or top with freshly fried or poached eggs.
Scrambled egg variation: Instead of the runny egg, after you cook the hashbrowns, push them off to one side of the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Whisk 6-8 eggs, a splash of water, and a few dashes of Cajun seasoning or salt and Tabasco sauce together in a small bowl. Melt a tablespoon of butter on the cleared side of the skillet and slowly add the whisked eggs. Use a rubber spatula to drag the scrambled egg curds across the pan until the eggs are cooked. Combine the scrambled eggs with the potatoes and add cheese if using. When the cheese is melted, serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this without the sausage?

Yep. Replace it with a breakfast meat of your choice, or skip the meat all together.

Can I use fresh diced potatoes in this recipes?

You can, but they need a little prep work. They will need to be par-boiled before being cooked. You can follow the method in this Breakfast Potatoes recipe if all you have is fresh potatoes.

Can I add other things to this skillet meal?

Yep. If you’re a fan of veggies, this is a great place to pack them in. Add your favorite greens or mushrooms, meats, cheeses, etc.

Is Andouille sausage spicy?

Traditional Andouille is usually spicy. However, many mainstream brands mellow it down quite a bit for the average consumer.