CHEESY HASH BROWNS WITH COUNTRY SAUSAGE GRAVY

Steps:

• 1. THE HASH BROWNS
• 2. Chef's Note: The amount of potatoes used in this recipe will depend on the size, and type of your waffle iron.
• 3. Gather your ingredients.
• 4. Using the large holes on a box grater shred the potatoes, and the onion.
• 5. Lay them on paper towels, and press to remove as much moisture as possible.
• 6. Add the onions, and the potatoes to a bowl, and then combine with the seasoning, ingredients: salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika.
• 7. Place the ingredient in the middle of a tea towel.
• 8. Squeeze the towel to remove most of the remaining liquid.
• 9. Chef's Note: The removal of the excess liquid is essential to producing a nice crispy hash brown.
• 10. Return to the bowl, and carefully mix in the egg, cheddar cheese, and sour cream.
• 11. Brush the grapeseed oil on the top and bottom portions of the waffle iron.
• 12. Preheat the waffle iron.
• 13. Chef's Note: If the waffle iron you are using has a heat setting, place it at 100 percent. This should give you a crispy outside and a soft inside.
• 14. Add a generous portion of hash browns to the waffle iron.
• 15. Close the lid and allow them to cook until crispy, about 12 to 15 minutes.
• 16. Chef's Tip: All waffle irons are different, so the timing for yours might be longer, or shorter. Take a peek now and then.
• 17. They should look something like this. Crisp on the outside, soft and warm on the inside.
• 18. THE COUNTRY SAUSAGE GRAVY
• 19. While the hash browns are cooking, gather your ingredients.
• 20. Add the sausage to a skillet over medium heat.
• 21. Cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• 22. Whisk the flour and milk together.
• 23. Add to the cooking sausage.
• 24. Continue to stir the mixture as it begins to thicken, and then reduce heat to low.
• 25. At this time begin seasoning the gravy with the salt and pepper... especially the pepper. When I can feel the kick of the pepper in the back of my throat, then I know it's ready.
• 26. Chef's Note: You can add a lot of seasoning ingredients to a good sausage gravy; however, traditional country gravy is mostly milk, flour, sausage, salt, and pepper.
• 27. Chef's Tip: Have a bit of extra milk, and flour on hand. Just in case you need to thicken, or thin down the gravy.
• 28. PLATE/PRESENT
• 29. Place the hash brown on a nice sized plate.
• 30. Ladle a generous portion of gravy on top.
• 31. Finish with sunny-side-up egg. Enjoy.
• 32. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.