Leftover Pork Chop Hash

This recipe is for Laurie, my cousin-in-law. Most of my family met up to partake in a pork chop feed last Saturday night, and we had a couple of yummy pork chops left over.  Laurie has been reading this blog, and requested that I post a recipe using my leftover pork chops.  I often think that I enjoy leftovers more than I enjoy things the first time around, so I was up for the task.  Having just picked up red potatoes,onions, and squash at the farmers market, hash seemed like the natural choice.  Y'all are certainly not limited to leftover pork chops either, as this recipe would be just as tasty with leftover steaks or beef roast.  It would also be equally as yummy with no meat at all!

Leftover Pork Chop Hash

4 T olive oil
1/4 c diced onion
1/4 c diced celery
1 carrot, finely grated
1/2 lb red potatoes, diced
1/2 butternut squash, sliced in rings
2 leftover pork chops, cut off bone and diced
1 T butter
eggs (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

-toss squash rings with 1 T olive oil and salt and pepper
-place in single layer on baking sheet
-roast at 375 for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through, until cooked through and browned

-while squash is baking, heat 3 T olive oil in pan
-saute onion, celery and carrot on medium heat for 5 minutes
-add potatoes and pork, stir to combine
-saute, covered, on medium heat for 20-25 minutes, turning and scraping as needed
(you want the potatoes to cook through and things to get nice and crispy)

-to add eggs, clear a hole in the middle of the pan and toss the 1 T butter in to melt
-crack eggs into pan and cook as desired (I did these over easy)

To serve, scoop a good serving of the hash onto a plate and  top with egg and squash slices.

You can also vary the veggies in this as much as you like, depending on your preference. or what is hanging around in your fridge.  Peppers of any color, cauliflower, broccoli or peas would all be possible additions, especially if you're going all veggie.  That is the lovely thing about hash, like soup, it is a very forgiving venue for leftover bits and pieces.  As defined in the American Heritage dictionary(yes, I still use an actual bound version), it is "a jumble, hodgepodge, or mess, and "a reworking or restatement of material already familiar."