I tried hash-brown recipes from Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, and Jeff Mauro, and the best was the easiest to make

Andy Lynes Feb 19, 2024, 21:25 IST

Hash browns made with recipes from Ina Garten, Jeff Mauro, and Bobby Flay.Andy Lynes

I made hash browns with recipes from Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, and Jeff Mauro to see which was best.
Flay's version was delicious, but it was more like a potato cake than a hash brown.

I always have a bag of potatoes on my shopping list because they're such a versatile ingredient.

Since hash browns are a staple side dish, I tested out recipes from Ina Garten, Bobby Flay, and Jeff Mauro to find out which chef's potatoes would be my new favorite.

Here's how the recipes stacked up.

Garten's ingredient list was short and simple.

Ina Garten's hash browns only call for five ingredients. Andy Lynes

The twist to Garten’s recipe was that it required a waffle maker.

I could see the appeal of hash browns made in a waffle iron. Andy Lynes

I shredded the peeled potatoes using a box grater.

I don't think shredding a potato by hand is too difficult. Andy Lynes

Squeezing the grated potatoes with a tea towel helped me remove any excess moisture.

I made sure the potatoes and onions weren't too wet before putting them in the waffle iron. Andy Lynes

I combined all the ingredients in a bowl.

The potato and onion went into a mixing bowl with an egg, flour, and spices. Andy Lynes

Then it was time to pack the potato mix into the waffle maker.

I made sure to grease the waffle iron before loading on the potatoes. Andy Lynes

The hash browns were tricky to get out of the waffle maker.

Some of the potatoes got stuck to the ridges of the waffle maker. Andy Lynes

I was disappointed that my hash browns didn’t look as good as Garten’s.

The hash browns got some color, but they weren't very crispy. Andy Lynes

I cooked the rest of the mix in a frying pan, and it turned out great.

With a few tweaks, I ended up liking Ina Graten's recipe. Andy Lynes

Next I tried Mauro’s recipe, which had some different ingredients.

Jeff Mauro calls his hash browns "atomic."Andy Lynes

The first part of the method was almost identical to Garten’s recipe.

I shredded the potatoes by hand and mixed them with the rest of the ingredients. Andy Lynes

I fried the potato mix in oil and butter.

Jeff Mauro called for both butter and oil to fry the potatoes. Andy Lynes

The hash browns looked exactly like the picture in the recipe.

I loved how crispy the potatoes got in the pan. Andy Lynes

Finally, I tied Flay’s simple cheese hash browns.

Bobby Flay's recipe was the only one I tried that called for cheese. Andy Lynes

There was no potato grating required for this recipe.

I boiled the potatoes and smashed them with the palm of my hand. Andy Lynes

I started by frying the chopped onions in butter and oil.

I decided to cook the spices with the onions. Andy Lynes

When the onions were caramelized, I added the potatoes to the pan.

The onions burned a little bit during the cooking process. Andy Lynes

Once the melted cheese and chives were added, the hash browns tasted great.

I wanted the cheese to get nice and bubbly. Andy Lynes

All three recipes had their pros, but Mauro’s was the clear winner for me.