You will love these poutine inspired hash browns cups stuffed with avocado scrambled eggs and cheese curds. They are great for breakfast or brunch!
Do you poutine?
Do you know what poutine is? Confession – I didn’t, so don’t feel uninformed if you don’t.
I love the word – it makes me feel oh-so-fluent in French. ‘Voulez vouz poutine?’
Wikipedia, first on the list of search results, informed me that poutine is a popular Canadian fast food dish of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy that originated in Quebec.
So my French instincts were spot on, in a French Canadian sort of way.
Cook's Tips:
Here's a photo array of process shots in making the hash browns cups from baked potatoes. Grating baked potatoes to make hash browns is much easier than grating raw potatoes for this. The latter approach requires lots of pressing out of the potato liquids before cooking.
Using a hash browns crust with eggs is an ideal combination, and always a crowd pleaser, like this vegetarian Quiche Lorraine.
I made these at Lake Tahoe, roughly 6400 feet above sea level. The hash browns cups actually took 35 minutes to bake here. For sea level, follow the recommendations in the below recipe.
Wimpy Tips:
Wimpy Tips:Fry up some bacon, crumble it up, and add to the scramble.
Hashed Browns Poutine Cups with Egg Scramble
Ingredients
Hash Browns Cups
- 4 medium russet potatoes
- Salt and ground pepper
- Cooking spray
Avocado Egg Scramble with Cheese Curds
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ yellow onion minced
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons crème fraîche optional
- ½ avocado peeled and chopped
- ½ cup cheese curds
- ¾ cup baby kale leaves or spinach
Instructions
Hash Browns Cups
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bake the potatoes until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool until easily handled, peel and coarsely grate. I use the largest openings on my grater for this. Season with salt and pepper, and lightly fluff. This can all be done the night before.
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Spray a 12-muffin pan with cooking spray. Scoop 4 - 5 tablespoons of grated potato (¼ cup or a little more) into each muffin cup. Gently press down the sides and bottom to create a nest, making sure the sides of the hash browns reach all the way to the top of each cup, since they will shrink down a bit when baked. Lightly spray again with cooking spray, and bake for 20 – 25 minutes. They should be a deep golden brown along the tops, and the sides will curve gently away from the pan. Be careful they don’t burn. Lift out onto a serving platter using your fingers or a fork. If you use a fork, gently reach it in under the hash browns cups and lift them up from their bottoms.
- Fill them with the Avocado Egg Scramble with Cheese Curds – (directions below).
- Serve immediately.
Avocado Egg Scramble
- Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat, and sauté the minced onion until completely softened.
- Whisk together the eggs and crème fraîche, and add to the pan. When the eggs are half-way scrambled but still fairly loose, add the avocado and cheese curds. Continue to cook, scrambling them with a rubber spatula. When they’re almost done, add the baby kale and cook for 30 seconds longer, tossing to wilt the kale.
Camilla @ Culinary Adventures
Breakfast poutine? Brilliant, Susan. I think I might need these for breakfast. Tomorrow!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Camilla! I love breakfast 🙂
Stacy Rushton
What beautiful crispy potato cups, Susan! I see a lot of possibilities for filling them in addition to your lovely eggs!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Me too - I'm going to do more experiments with the cups. I could see a mini eggs benedict with them too!
Liz
I'm definitely going to use baked potatoes for my next hashed browns! Love your tasty little egg cups, Susan!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Super easy, and with the Idaho potatoes, super fluffy!!!! I baked the potatoes the night before and threw them in the refrigerator for a quick grating the following morning 🙂
Suzanne
I have never had poutine, but it really does sound delicious. Your breakfast poutine sounds delicious. What are cheese curds, is it paneer or a different type of cheese? I love eggs and potato!!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
They're firm like paneer is, so that would be a good substitution. We were tasked on creating a new poutine, which traditionally includes cheese curds. It was my first poutine, and my first cheese curds. Truthfully, you could use any kind of cheese.
DB, Foodie Stuntman | Crazy Foodie Stunts
I wish I could have taken you to my chef friend's restaurant in San Jose where he had a whole poutine menu. (He shut it down last year because he opened up a more profitable wine bar in Campbell.) I love this unique interpretation of the dish.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Oh I would have loved that! Thanks so much for your kind comment, DB!
Tammi @Momma's Meals
I love these little cups of deliciousness!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Tammi!
Hezzi-D
This looks like it would be a great breakfast poutine!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Love breakfast on the weekends!!
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Those potato cups are awesome! I could fill them with so many different things!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I want to try mini eggs-benedict next with them ! I almost did them this time, but ultimately went with something I thought would be easier for my readers to try 🙂
TerriSue
I made these for brunch today. I didn't have an avocado or any greens but followed your recipe exactly minus those two things. My husband and son loved them. You have another winner here Susan!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm thrilled that you tried them, TerriSue!! And so happy you and your family liked them!! Thanks so much for letting me know. I really appreciate it!!
Cindys Recipes and Writings
You definitely got my attention with a breakfast poutine and avocado!
Renee
These cups would be the hit of any brunch! I know I'd love to have them any time.
Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
I can't wait to try making those hash brown cups! What a fun twist on poutine!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
As always, elegant, gorgeous and DELICIOUS! Love your baking then grating tip. So fun to create with you for this Poutine project!
Monica
These look amazing! I love finger foods and this is right up my alley!!!! Beautiful..
Kevin | Keviniscooking
These just look outstanding, thanks for sharing! I have a similar way to use the potato for hash brown type appetizers too with partial bake then grate. It's such a perfect way to get the right consistency and still hold shape. 🙂
Catherine
Dear Susan, poutine is just such a wonderful dish...it's pure comfort food! These mini poutines look and sound delicious. I would love to try these and I know my family would devour them in no time! xo, Catherine
Christie
This was my pick for favorite poutine recipe. I love that you made a breakfast and added kale and avocado.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Oh my gosh, Christie, thanks so much! I didn't make a lot of noise on it to get votes, and really appreciate every single one 🙂
Bruce Durward
Great recipe we used this to feature with a Maple Beer from BREW Microbrewery.
https://www.ecwb.ca/brew-microbrewery-maple-beer-with-hash-brown-poutine-cups-with-egg-scramble/
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Wow! Thanks so much! I just went over to check out your site. That Maple Beer sounds amazing!!