There are potato cakes and then there are hash brown cakes. The latter are made with grated, uncooked potatoes (my favorite), where as potato cakes are made with mashed potatoes. Today I’m dishing up some Hash Brown Cakes with andouille sausage, diced vegetables, Pecorino Romano, and last, but not least, spicy red chile flakes. Serve with a vegetable side, some pinto beans or top with a fried egg for a complete meal. See the recipe for more side suggestions.
Before we get to the recipe, I’d like to introduce you to yet another chile pepper – maras biber, a chile pepper from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. My friends @ Fiery Foods and Plants sent me some maras biber chile flakes this spring. As I was opening the package, Bobby was pouring freshly popped popcorn into a bowl. I immediately sprinkled some of the chile flakes on the popcorn (a great way to really appreciate the flavor of chile – BTW). What a very unique chile – slightly sweet and fruity with a medium to medium hot smokey heat. In these hash brown cakes, this chile greatly complements the smokiness and spiciness of the andouille and adds yet another layer of flavor. It also jazzes up a simple pasta dish, some sauteed vegetables and just about any salad.
Spicy Hash Brown Cakes with Andouille
A hash brown cake with andouille sausage, a few diced vegetables, Pecorino Romano, and spicy red chile flakes. Serve as a snack, appetizer, side or as the main dish.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information and substitutions.
- 1 pound yellow potatoes, scrubbed and grated
- 1 andouille sausage, diced small*
- ¼ cup minced sweet pepper
- ¼ cup minced onion
- ½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan
- 4 roasted garlic cloves*, smashed, then minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 generous tsp. medium hot red chile pepper flakes*
- 1/4 heaping tsp. smoked paprika*
- ¼ cup fine ground cornmeal (cornmeal flour)
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
- 1 egg, beaten
- Several wedges of lime
- Grate the potatoes and, in small handfuls, squeeze to remove some of the starchy liquid. Transfer to a strainer while you finish chopping the other ingredients.
Heat a griddle over medium low heat while you combine the ingredients.
- To a large bowl, add the potatoes and the remaining ingredients, except for the egg. Using a fork, mix up all of the ingredients to evenly distribute.
- Add the beaten egg and stir to combine well. Mixture will be relatively loose.
Melt a little butter or oil on the hot griddle.
- Scoop about ½ cup of potato mixer into your palm, press into a ball, and place on the griddle. Using a spatula, press down on the ball to flatten it into a cake.
- Continue to make more cakes and place on the griddle.
Cook each cake for about 3 minutes until it has browned nicely on the griddle side. Flip; however, if the cake starts to fall apart as you try to flip it, cook on the current side for another minute or more, then flip.
- Press gently and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until crispy brown.
- When serving, squeeze a wedge of lime on top of each cakes.
Roasted Garlic and Infused Garlic Oil
Roasted Garlic – If you don’t have roasted garlic, you can substitute with 1 large garlic clove, smashed and minced.
Andouille – If you don’t have andouille, substitute with another smoked sausage. You could also cook up some sausage, like Italian or Mexican chorizo, crumble and add to the potato mixture. Just don’t add uncooked sausage. It will make the cakes too greasy and they’ll fall apart.
Red chile flakes – As I mentioned, the maras biber is great with this cakes; however, you could use just about any red chile flakes or red chile powder for that matter. Just think about the sausage you choose to use and what might go with it. Personally, I would stay away from chipotle flakes (even though I do love them), because, combined with the smoked papriki, they could overpower the other flavors in these cakes.
Smoked Paprika – Now here is where you can use the chipotle. 
Any smoked chile powder would work in place of the smoked paprika.
Suggested Sides when used as entrée
- A fried egg on top
- Simply asparagus
- Squash sauteed in a little garlic infused oil or butter with some salt and pepper (That’s what I’m serving in the photos.)
- Calabacitas
- Yellow Squash with basil and pine nuts
- Gazpacho Salad
- Pinto Beans
- Bourbon Carrots
- Mango and Jicama Salad
- Your favorite side salad
These Hash Brown Cakes with Andouille make a great weekend brunch or dinner any day of the week. I hope you enjoy!
Other cakes and patties cooked up in MJ’s Kitchen:
Wow! Reading this recipe made my mouth drool, MJ. I love hash browns and adding veg, andouille, and cheese is a stroke of genius! Gotta try these.
Thanks Bill! These cakes have a real tasty kick to them. Hope you get a chance to try them.
Potato must soak up all the delicious flavors especially from the special sausages! In Japanese cooking, we use mashed potatoes to make croquette, but I don’t think we have any dishes beyond that. This will be my new recipe I’m interested in trying out. I love potatoes and can eat it every dish. <3
What fun to find a new pepper! I love the idea of sprinkling it on popcorn – genius. And hash browns are a long time favorite of mine 🙂 I’ve never squeezed lime over them – I need to try that !
Thanks Susan! Oh you really need to try popcorn and chile. Popcorn will never be boring again. 🙂
I love the addition of sausage here, it would bring tons of flavour to this hash brown
Thanks Raymund! You’re right – the sausage does add tons of flavor.
It may sound silly but to me it is amusing that we eat a certain dish yet we tend to not know what its name is. My mum used to make these but I never knew they are called Hash Brown although i had heard about hash brown potatoes and I thought that perhaps they are some sort of potato variety! 😛
I know what you mean! Also there is the confusion of something being called one thing in one country or state and something else elsewhere. Actually, hash brown are not a potato variety but more of a preparation. Hash brown potatoes are simply potatoes that have been grated with a large grater and cooked. I love them because you get the combination of crispy and mashed. 🙂
I’d love to try some pepper flakes in my next batch of popcorn…what a great idea! As are these hash brown cakes! Definitely a hubby approved recipe, too 🙂
Thanks Liz! chile flakes and popcorn is great! 🙂
These look delicous, MJ! They look almost like a southern take on crab cakes 🙂
Thanks Viviane! I hope to have crab cakes up soon. 🙂
These look really yummy! I can see making a big batch of these, cooking and freezing them for quick lunches or even breakfast. Have you tried freezing them? I read this when you first posted it and have been meaning to try it but haven’t gotten to it yet. I’ll let you know when I make up a batch and I think I’ll try freezing a few too. I love having something on hand for when I’m too tired to cook a big meal. I’ll let you know when I do.
Hey Darlin – no I haven’t tried freezing them, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Hope you enjoy them and let me know if the freezing works. XOXOOX
Superb!!!
i love this kind of meaty hash brown and you’ve made it dry too!!!
thanks Deby! Yes, frying them on the griddle works great!
This is MY kind of a dish. I am such a potato fiend. I would be a sausage fiend too, but I still want to be small enough to fit thru my front door. Oh my fried eggs with runny yolks. I can picture it now! I don’t do well with a whole pan of hash browns, but I should be able to nicely brown these little patty cakes.
Thanks Carol! I know what you mean about sausage, that’s why I limit it to just one. In this recipe, the sausage is serving the same purpose as the onion, just a little bit of added flavor. The eggs with a runny yolk – a MUST! 🙂
Well, I think I’d prefer hash brown cakes – they DO sound so much better. This looks really delicious!
Thanks Joyti!
I am usually a hash brown snub but when I saw this post and the picture of what you made. . . hmm, I am changing my mind. All the yummy ingredients that you threw in there, I can’t say no to that. I hope you are having a good week, MJ. 🙂
You? A hash brown snob? I wouldn’t have guessed that, but you do love your potatoes. 🙂 I love making hash browns but I never have been able to restrain adding stuff to them or topping them green chile and/or other ingredients. Have a great weekend my friend!
They are very much like German Reibekuchen…I too prefer the texture of hash brown. These look fingerlickingly delicious, MJ.
Just looked up German Reibekuchen and yes, this are very similar to those as well as Polish potato cakes. However, these aren’t fried in oil, just cooked on a griddle. Probably take longer to cook because of that, but you still get the crispy exterior and none of the fat from the oil. And yes, they are fingerlicking good! 🙂 Thanks!
My hungry teenager boys would love these for their spice and flavor. I will have to try these this week. Maybe I should double the recipe, what do you think?
Thanks Bam! Hungry TEENAGE boys? Oh yes, I would definitely double the recipe. 🙂
Looks fantastic and I agree hash browns are the best. Love the andouille here too and very curious about this chile, a great find.
Thanks Evelyne! You should check out the chile. It’s quite unique. I hope to be be growing it next year.
When it comes to potatoes I am not picky at all! I eat all types and all dishes haha! These hash brown cakes are so appetizing! Definitely something I would love in my plate!
Thanks Katerina! Potatoes definitely are hard to beat in any shape or form. 🙂
These hash browns look utterly wonderful, although my brother would definitely appreciate the sausage 😀
Great job!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks Uru! My husband really appreciated the sausage as well.:)
Yes I agree. Having these with some sunny side up’s and a glass of OJ
and thanks again for the plug. I will have some fresh pods in a month. Will get some Aleppos, Urfa biber and Maras biber pods out
Thanks John! Your pepper flakes sure made these extra special. Can’t wait to try some fresh ones. 🙂
These hash brown cakes look marvelous. My carnivores at home will love the fact that there is sausage in it. 🙂
Thanks Ramona!
It’s so funny but your hash brown cakes’s basis (raw grated potatoes and onions) reminds me of Polish potato pancakes. Obviously these beauties look not only more attractive, but also much more exciting with all the spices and the sausage inside! I must prepare them one day (it would be one of those dishes we would both go crazy for with my husband). I love the idea!
I had to look up Polish potato cakes and yes, they are very similar. Learned something new! 🙂 thanks! Mine so have A LOT more stuff in the and I cook them on a griddle rather than fry in oil. I guess the frying would make them more crispy, but I find that get get plenty crispy on the griddle. The andouille and spice make them extra special. 🙂
Griddle wins definitely versus oil! (Not to mention your spices and the sausage!) Traditionally Polish potato pancakes are soooo soaked in oil when you squeeze one you obtain a teaspoon of oil 😉
(My mum used to fry them in a thick layer of oil, very very slowly… This way they soaked the maximum of fat 😉 ).
I actually always used to eat Polish pancakes with some smoked sausage aside, so putting a good sausage into the pancake mixture sounds like a dream idea for me!
If you used to eat sausage as a side to polish pancakes, then you really should make life easy and put it all in one dish. 🙂 (Slowed fried anything is not very palatable.)
So many lovely ingredients all together. They would be delicious for breakfast, with fresh fruit. So good! Yum, Hugs, Terra
Thanks Terra! See…now you’re talking. The fruit would be great with this because it would help to cool off the little bit of spice one might get from the chiles. Great idea!
Hash brown cakes for me, too. Love the idea of the andouille in these! I love that stuff, so the more recipes where I can use it the better. And I love eggs, so I’d definitely be topping these with either a fried or poached egg. Excellent recipe — thanks.
Thanks John! Andouille is like bacon – you can put it in anything. 🙂
I will take mine extra crispy with a soft fried egg on top please.
You got it girl! Come on over!
These would surely make a meal in the morning, I’ll bet they would freeze well too. Think I may try making them for my brunch this Friday. I’ve been looking for something different!
Thanks Judy! I never thought of freezing them, but yes – I bet they would freeze nicely. Whenever I make them, we usually get two meals from them, so there’s nothing left to freeze. 🙂
These hash brown cakes would be perfect for breakfast or brunch. I love the combination of mashed/raw and the sausage.
Thanks Maureen! We had them for supper last night and breakfast this morning. 🙂