Forget Corned Beef: Turn Leftover Ribeye Into The Best Breakfast Hash

Corned beef hash is an undeniably delicious choice for breakfast, especially when combined with scrambled eggs and toast. The cured beef and tiny diced potatoes are salty, starchy, and comforting, but they don't hold a candle to this same combination elevated with leftover ribeye steak. Though the chances of having leftover ribeye are slim, if you do end up in this predicament, it's both too expensive and too tasty to waste. Luckily, ribeye ranks among the steak cuts chefs love, and its rich flavor and generous marbling make it an especially decadent addition to a morning hash. Blanketed in a layer of fluffy scrambled eggs, this breakfast becomes an artisanal protein powerhouse to fuel your morning.

This may at first seem like an odd use for such a coveted piece of beef, but steak and eggs are a diner menu staple, so it makes sense to turn this succulent steak into a hash, especially if you happen to be on a quest to reduce food waste. It's a simple matter of cooking your potatoes, onions, and leftover steak in the right order. Since ribeye is the perfect grilling steak with tender meat and lots of beautiful marbled fat, it's important to reheat it properly to protect its texture.

The biggest mistake to avoid when making this meal is overcooking the steak, especially since it's likely already been seared to perfection. To prevent the ribeye from overcooking and becoming rubbery and tough, you'll want to dice it while the potatoes and onions cook, then add the steak to the hash for the final minute or two of cooking. This way, you can stir the diced steak into the rest of the hash, warming it through and coating it in cooking fat and seasonings while you cook the eggs in a separate pan.

Speaking of leftovers, leftover french fries are an excellent potato element for a breakfast hash as they're already crispy on the outside and tender inside. All you have to do is chop them to the right size and cook them until they're heated through and crispy again. Frozen hash browns or cubed potatoes are also an excellent shortcut here, as are canned potatoes, since they're easy to dice and crisp quickly. Each of these options also picks up seasonings beautifully.

In terms of seasonings, a standard combo of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika is delicious, though you can also throw in some dried basil and tarragon for a bit of herbaceous complexity. And a sprinkle of salty Parmesan will melt and crisp beautifully.