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Red Flannel Hash

A New England tradition, red flannel hash made with cooked potatoes, beets, corned beef, fried up with onions and butter.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Hash made with corned beef
Elise Bauer

One of the best things about boiled dinner or corned beef and cabbage is the leftovers. In fact, one friend of mine regularly makes two roasts when she cooks corned beef, just so she has enough leftover for sandwiches and hash.

What Is Red Flannel Hash?

Red flannel hash is just corned beef hash with the addition of beets. It's traditionally made in New England for breakfast, with leftovers from a boiled dinner the night before, and gets its name from the somewhat obvious similarity of its colors to red flannel plaid cloth.

how to make red flannel hash browns with corned beef, beets, and potatoes
Elise Bauer

Isn't it gorgeous?

So so good too. My new favorite way of eating beets.

To make it, cook some onions in a large skillet (I use a cast iron frying pan). Add chopped cooked beets, cooked potatoes, and cooked corned beef. Press down with a spatula to get some nice and crispy browning. Serve with eggs for breakfast!

Red Flannel Hash

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp butter
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cups chopped cooked corned beef
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked beets*
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional, and use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if cooking gluten-free)
  • 1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh parsley (optional)
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • *For easy cooked beets, place a few beets in a saucepan and cover with water. Simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, until they are easily pierced with a fork. Let them cool, slip the peels off, then chop the beets.

Method

  1. Cook the onions:

    Heat butter in a frying pan (cast iron preferred) on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook a couple minutes, until translucent.

  2. Add the corned beef, potatoes, and beets:

    Stir in the pan to combine, and spread out evenly in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Press down with a metal spatula to help brown the mixture.

    add beets, corned beef, potatoes to the pan with the onions for red flannel corned beef hash browns
    Elise Bauer
    let the red flannel hash browns get crispy and browned before turning them over in the pan
    Elise Bauer

    Don't stir, but just let cook until nicely browned on one side, then use a metal spatula to lift up sections of the mixture and turn over to brown the other side.

    If the mixture sticks to the pan too much, just add a little more butter to the pan where it's sticking.

  3. When nicely browned, remove from heat:

    Sprinkle in some Worcestershire sauce, if using. Stir in fresh chopped parsley, if using, and sprinkle on freshly ground black pepper to taste.

    There should be enough salt from the corned beef, but if not, add salt to taste.

    Serve plain or with fried or poached eggs.