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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.
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 Recipe
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.
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.
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Elise Bauer is the founder of Simply Recipes. Elise launched Simply Recipes in 2003 as a way to keep track of her family's recipes, and along the way grew it into one of the most popular cooking websites in the world. Elise is dedicated to helping home cooks be successful in the kitchen. Elise is a graduate of Stanford University, and lives in Sacramento, California.
Red Flannel Hash
I am a New Englander. My ancestors arrived in the NH colony in 1637. My red fannel hash recipe is at least 250 yrs old. The hash is made with all the leftover veggies from a boiled dinner. Cabbage, potatoes, turnip, carrots, onions, beets. The cooked veggies are put through a meat grinder with a course blade. Mix throughly and place in an oiled cast iron fry pan. If you want meat, serve it on the side
Glad I could clear up what red flannel hash!
Thank you for sharing!
Use canned whole beets and dice them. Use canned diced potatoes as well. A little chopped onion, sweet pepper and parsley will give you everything you need but the corned beef.Incidentally, NEVER use corned beef round, only brisket. I’m a chef and published cookbook author and I NEVER work harder than I have to. This is quick, easy and delicious.
I have been making this for many years after St Paddy’s day except I use goose fat in place of the butter. So so good.
It would probably be great with a little fennel added.
You mean fennel seeds? I think those would be a great addition.
I’m swear I’m not trying to be difficult, but is meant by cooked beets? Cooked how? I’m trying to get more beets in my diet, and this sounds lovely, delicious, and simple. Win win win. But if this is to use leftover beets, I first have to know how to cook beets. Lol.
Hello Scot, yes, red flannel hash is made with leftover cooked beets. You can either roast them, steam them, or boil them. Here’s a recipe for roasting them: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_beets_with_balsamic_glaze/ and here’s a recipe that starts with steaming or boiling them: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pickled_beets/
…and if you have no fresh beets, you can use canned (and well-drained) beets too. Though they are not nearly as sweet as the ones you roast yourself, they are a great “convenience food” to keep on the shelf for many beet recipes like this one. My thrifty mother often made Red Flannel Hash, and for much of the year, the beets she used were those she had canned herself.
My M-I-L made what she called Russian Borscht. It had a beef base with mainly root crop vegetable including beets. It was like a beef vegetable soup seasoned with bay leaves & dill weed, then when served you top with a dollop of sour cream. Beautiful colors & delicious flavor!