Copycat Waffle House Hashbrowns and Iconic Lingo
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In honor of a recent out-of-state airline trip where our arrival flight times were delayed and our luggage was lost, I am thinking about late-night comfort food for weary travelers. Honestly, Waffle House fare is best eaten late at night, in my opinion. Whether I am traveling or not, I believe a trip to Waffle House is best appreciated after the sun goes down. My family agrees. When our family was full-time RV traveling, we’ve been known to visit the 24-hour diner around midnight.
On every visit, I order coffee just to drink out of their signature mugs like this one. Of course, the restaurant chain is typically busy round the clock.
Go back in time with the vintage photos (I remember those uniforms!)
https://www.wafflehouse.com/our-story/
Waffle House is a Midwestern and Southern diner chain with roughly 2,000 locations in twenty-five of the United States. These diners are known for fast food with a side of waitress entertainment. Orders are announced (shouted) from one end of the serving bar to the cooks in the middle of the cooking area.
I don’t know how they do it. The cooks always prepare our orders correctly after they get the shouted orders.
The yellow sign with black lettering and the method of order delivery are not the only icons of this round-the-clock diner. Almost as iconic as the coffee and waffles are the classic hashbrowns. These are tender on the inside with a crispy crust. The hashbrowns have a flavor that, if I am being completely honest, I don’t love with all my heart. There is something a bit interesting to the flavor. Not bad, just not like traditional, fresh potatoes. My secret is that I pour pancake syrup on them for a treat I can’t resist.
I have learned the secret ingredient to making Copycat Waffle House Hashbrowns at home. The flavor of these is still not going to be the same as typical, traditional hashbrowns or fried potatoes. However, these are oddly very good. I even like my recipe better than Waffle House hashbrowns.
One of the primary differences between the hashbrowns at my house and Waffle House is that theirs are cooked in a steel ring. This method maintains an extra tenderness on the inside of the hashbrowns. The diner may request that their browns be “scattered” at Waffle House. This means the cook will forgo the steel ring and scatter the potatoes on the grill for a more crispy texture. This texture is more like what I prefer and the method I am sharing here with you.
To make these at home, you’ll need one ingredient. Water, cooking oil, salt and pepper don’t count as ingredients. I’m assuming you have these items.
The secret is dehydrated potatoes. To achieve the interesting taste of these diner-style hash brown potatoes, you’ll want to grab a box of dehydrated potatoes like these shredded potatoes.
If you would prefer to do so, it is not difficult to dehydrate potatoes at home. I use my Excalibur dehydrator, my preferred dehydrator. On our RV, I used this Nesco dehydrator. The price point of the Nesco is lower but it worked well for me at that time and on that home-on-wheels. Keep an eye at thrift stores and on resale sites for dehydrators.
Watch how I easily dehydrate potatoes here.
To make the copycat Waffle House Hashbrowns
- Rehydrate desired amount of potatoes. Add boiling water to the bowl of dehydrated potatoes. Be sure the potatoes are covered with water. Cover with clean towel and let set for 20 minutes.
- Drain potatoes well.
- Prepare a cast-iron skillet by heating it slowly for about two minutes, then turn to medium high. This is my favorite line of time-honored cast-iron.
- Add cooking oil of choice. (Waffle House will likely use vegetable or canola oil. I prefer coconut or avocado oil.) Add a pat of real butter.
- When butter is melting and oil is shimmering, pour potatoes into hot cast-iron skillet. Be careful not to fill the skillet too much so the potatoes cook properly. Use two skillets, or cook in two batches, if necessary. Do not stir.
- Allow to cook until crispy on one side, then turn with a large spatula. Turn only once.
- Serve immediately.
- Season as desired. I use Redmond Real Salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
These hashbrowns may be reheated in a hot skillet. They don’t do well when reheated in a toaster oven or microwave.
How to serve
Waffle House is known to serve their hashbrowns in any or all of these ways:
- Scattered: Spread on the grill for more crispiness.
- Smothered: Add onions.
- Topped: Covered with chili known as “Bert’s chili.”
- Covered: Add American cheese on top.
- Chunked: Add diced ham.
- Diced: Add diced tomatoes.
- Peppered: Add jalapeños.
- Capped: Add mushrooms.
- Country: Cover with Southern-style sausage gravy.
- All the way: According to the menu, “world famous golden delicious hash browns with grilled onions, melted American cheese, hickory smoked ham, diced tomatoes, jalapeño peppers and grilled mushrooms, then topped with Bert’s Chili,™ and sausage gravy.”
No matter how you like ’em, try these iconic diner-style hashbrowns at home. You can even drink authentic Waffle House coffee and use their unique sweet cream waffle mix at home!
Watch me make these hashbrowns in my cozy Tennessee kitchen.
Family Favorite Recipes
Years ago my Mr. Patient and children encouraged me to write down many of their favorite recipes in one book. My first cookbook, From Katie’s Kitchen, Vol. One, includes 205 of the recipes that they requested. This book has become a fan favorite with Heritage Ways homemakers world-wide. Get your copy HERE and start cooking our many of the recipes that our family has been cooking for generations.
The Heritage Ways Diligent Homemaker’s Commitment
As Diligent Homemakers, we do the best we can with the resources we have at the time. These resources include our time, physical health and energy, money and possessions. We commit to using these God-given resources to the best of our abilities and give ourselves grace in the process.
Lazy hands make for poverty but diligent hands bring wealth.
Proverbs 10:4 of The Holy Bible, NIV
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Mrs. Katie of Heritage Ways
