by Megan Winfrey

Dinner leftovers for breakfast - what a fabulous concept! Especially when dinner was so good that you can only wait as long as breakfast to have it again. This is that kind of recipe, y'all. Earthy, herby, and lightly sweet, these hash cakes pair just as well with a side salad and a dollop of sour cream as they do under sunny side up eggs with a side of bacon. I also hear that they make an amazing mid-night snack right out of the fridge, but I wouldn't know much about that. (wink, wink)

Red Flannel Skillet Cakes

• 3-4 whole beets
• 4-5 yukon gold potatoes
• 2 leeks, tops trimmed, cut into half moons
• 6 slices of bacon, chopped
• 2 tbs. fresh thyme, chopped
• course salt and fresh ground pepper
• olive oil, as needed for frying
• goat cheese or sour cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 450ºF.

Place the beets on a large piece of heavy duty foil, drizzle with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Fold the foil into a packet around the beets, place on a cookie sheet, and roast for about an hour or until the beets are tender. Remove them from the oven and let cool for handling. Peel them with a vegetable peeler or paring knife, then dice into 1/4" squares. There should be about 2 cups worth of beets.

Add 2 tbs. of oil to a large skillet and cook the bacon until it starts to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the leek and cook for another 8 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the beets and thyme and cook for another minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, reserving the skillet. Peel the potatoes and grate, using a large hole grater. Add the potatoes and 1 tbs. salt to the beet mixture, toss to combine.

Heat an even layer of olive oil in the same skillet as before to medium-high heat. Form 1/4 cup scoops of the beet and potato mixture into a mound using your palms. Working in batches of 4, carefully place the cake in the skillet and flatten with your spatula. Cook, flipping once, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels as you go, and keep warm in a 200º oven if desired. Serve with a simple arugula, lemon, and goat cheese salad- or topped with sunny-side up eggs!