Fancy Homes

This is the dish that I must have cooked a gazillion plates of when I had a restaurant. Customers would ask for Fancy Homes with an egg on top, or for a half order of Fancy Homes with almost every order that went out of the kitchen. It didn’t matter if it was with an omelet, pancakes, French toast or just eggs — it seemed to be a must-have. It’s simple but delicious and very satisfying. It’s also a good way to use up a baked potato that was cooked in the campfire the night before.

Ingredients:

4 large or 6 medium baking potatoes

6 to 8 cups chopped vegetables (We usually use a combo of onions, carrots, mushrooms, yellow squash, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, red and green bell peppers and sometimes peeled eggplant.)

4 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

2 to 3 tablespoons water

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (or more to taste)

Directions:

Cut potatoes into 1- to 1 1/2-inch cubes. Place them in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil. Continue cooking until a fork will pierce the potatoes easily. Drain.

Meanwhile, cut the vegetables into somewhat uniform, bite-size pieces. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil on a griddle or in a skillet. When the oil is hot, add the cooked potatoes and flip with a spatula or metal spoon. Add the salt, pepper and granulated garlic and continue to flip the potatoes and scrape the griddle or pan with the spatula. When the potatoes are almost browned to your liking, begin sautéing the vegetables.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in another skillet. When hot, add the vegetables, starting with the ones that take the longest to cook, such as carrots, onions, cauliflower, broccoli and eggplant. Then add the ones that take the least time to cook, like mushrooms, bell peppers, squash and zucchini. Now add the water — you don’t want to drown the vegetables, just steam them. Cover the pan with a lid and let the vegetables cook for a few minutes. Every once in a while, remove the lid and give the vegetables a good flip or stir. Cook until they are done but still a little crisp. If any water is left in the pan, drain it off. If you’re at home, preheat the broiler. If camping or cooking outdoors, just use a lid or aluminum foil.

When the vegetables are tender, place the home fries on a flameproof platter, cast-iron skillet or casserole dish. Place the vegetables on the home fries and top with the cheese. Place the dish under the broiler or cover. Broil for a few minutes or until the cheese has melted. If covering, let it sit for 5 minutes or so and the cheese should start to melt over the vegetables.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes