Potatoes & Eggs
A few weeks ago I made this frugal, late lunch, repurposing some fries we took home from a restaurant dinner a few days before that. Truthfully, I never once considered writing a recipe for Potatoes & Eggs, a staple from my childhood, but so many people seemed intrigued when I shared it on Instagram recently that I thought it was time to finally record it here, sort of— I’m sharing a rough  recipe for it, more detailing the technique than giving hard and fast measurements.
See, that’s the thing about Potatoes & Eggs. It’s a humble no-recipe, kind of recipe, something every Italian-American mom whipped up, at least the ones I knew in Brooklyn. It was also one of the few things I ate as a kid, being quite the finicky eater. Potatoes & Eggs were also served as a hero in almost every pizzeria in Brooklyn, or at least when I was growing up, you know back before NYC became the home of the artisanal, house-milled flour, hand-stretched pizza crust.
This little bit might stop you all in your tracks, no doubt, but I love eating potatoes & eggs with ketchup. Some childhood habits are too hard to break. I suppose we can run, but can never hide from our roots.
Rather than fuss with such a classic, I’m giving you the rough break down of how to cook this frittata-like dish. A basic ratio would be a handful of French fries to each egg, but if you have less fries, don’t fret. This is one of those dishes, simple as it is, that always gets a squeal of approval from both my girls. Â You can get fancy, if you want, and add some cheese, even some fresh chopped herbs. I do that on occasion if cooking it just for myself, but when it comes to the kids, mine at least, all you need is two ingredients to hit a home run every time: leftover fries and some eggs.
More Recipes Using Leftovers on In Jennie’s Kitchen
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Potatoes & Eggs
Ingredients
- Leftover French fries
- Eggs beaten with some salt & pepper
Instructions
- Heat some potatoes in a skillet (home fries or roasted potatoes work fine, too). Swirl in a bit of olive oil. Pour in some beaten eggs, sprinkle with salt. Cook until the bottom and sides begin to set, then slide a spatula around the edges, and tilt the pan so any uncooked egg can slip underneath. Once the top looks set, and no longer jiggly, flip the frittata, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
Karen
This is awesome! I’ve literally never heard anyone use leftover fries for anything, (they are pretty gross, all floppy and soggy…) but this is genius. Found you on FB from the adthrive thread 🙂
lisatberry
I make something similar with leftover tater tots and it’s so good…and instead
of ketchup I use Hot sauce.
Jennie
Hi Karen! Thanks for stopping by, and nice to “meet” you. -Jennie
Gina
Like you this was a staple at our house growing up on Staten Island, but my mother was from Brooklyn. Leftovers went with us to school for lunch, and yes we used ketchup as well. I love this dish.
Auntie
This was my dinner last Friday night. Had it on Italian bread, with a small salad and a glass of white wine. Yup, it was a staple of my childhood. Very inexpensive and it also served as a meal on Fridays back when Catholics couldn’t eat meat.
So glad you remembered this Jennifer. xo
Anna
It was a staple in our Italian/American household too growing up in Jersey. My mom made it like a frittata or sometimes she mixed it up a bit so it was more like big chunks of scrambled eggs with the potatoes. Tastes wonderful on fresh, crusty Italian bread that you can only get in the metropolitan area it seems. My mom also made peppers and eggs — talk about a great sandwich — made same way as potato and eggs only using peppers. You made me very hungry!!!!!!
Missy
I love reading your blog. Your writing is so honest and I can really relate to your voice. Thanks for being brave and vulnerable. It’s truly inspiring.
farmerpam
Yup, I grew up having potato and eggs, my Italian-Brooklyn roots are showing. (Yes, on the ketchup too.)
Terri Davila
This meal perfectly satisfies without being heavy. Big staple in our home during lent but more during winter. Everyone like to close the kitchen & off to bed early during winter. Wow, definitely not ready for winter yet! Btw, high five for the use of ketchup. Thanks for posting