I love breakfast for dinner. I really love breakfast anytime. And I also love sweet potatoes. Add in Bacon, the world’s most perfect protein, and chorizo? I’m in. Who’s with me?

Sweet potatoes are just so, bright and cheerful. And they meld so well with so many different types of flavors – savory and sweet alike. Not to mention all those health benefits that they have, am I right? Less starch, more vitamins, all that jazz.

I’m not trying to say that this dish, laden with bacon and pork, is healthy — but I suppose it’s better than if the bacon and pork were served with a stack of flapjacks and potatoes… Although you could definitely do that with this recipe too.

Great for breakfast on a holiday morning, or for dinner with poached eggs on top — either time you make it is the right time. And if you really want to make this fast, buy pre-peeled and cut sweet potatoes.

Now, I like to make my own chorizo. You can absolutely buy perfectly good store-bought chorizo for the same amount it would cost to make your own. However, I like to control how much salt/spicy-ness, etc are in my products. I also think I make pretty good chorizo (shameless, and so un-Minnesotan of me to brag, I know).

I’ve put my chorizo recipe down below, just in case you decide you want to dabble with it. Otherwise, keep it extra simple and skip those steps.

Alternatively, you can decide if you want more smokey/spicy/etc. elements and add some of those individual ingredients to your hash as you go.

It’s a hash – you can’t mess it up!

Note: The below instructions are for cooking ahead, not for serving immediately. So, if you want to serve immediately, start with the sweet potatoes and add them to the oven right before cooking the bacon. That way everything will be done around the same time and it will be piping hot.

First things first – the optional make-it-yourself-chorizo.

Spice Blend:

4 Guajillo Peppers dried (you can find them in the herb section of your grocery store, by the dried mushrooms usually). OR 1 Tbsp Ground Guajillo
3 Ancho Peppers dried, or 1/2 Tbsp Ground Ancho
1 Tablespoon Smoked Paprika
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Chipotle, ground
1 tsp Cayenne Pepper, ground
1 Tablespoon Cumin, ground
1/2 Tablespoon Dried Oregano (optional)
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground (optional)
Pinch of Ground Cloves (optional)

I keep some of this on hand at all times – just saying. It’s good to add to ground chicken, beef, etc for tacos plus it’s just good.

First, crack open (literally) the guajillos and anchos and discard the seeds. Then toss them in a saucepan (no oil or anything) and gently toast on medium heat. You’ll see just the slightest color change and you’ll be able to start smelling them a bit more than before. They’re ready! Toss them in a blender or food processor and process until a fine, ground dust. Add in the other spices if necessary to help add more volume to your blender/processor. It’s okay if a few larger chunks are there, but try to get as much of a fine-dust-texture as you can.

Next, get 1# of ground pork into a mixing bowl. Add in the spice mix. Then add in

3 Garlic Cloves (or 2 large)
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

to the pork/spice mixture. You don’t want to add this to the spice mix itself because it won’t keep as long.

Test a dime size of the meat by placing it in a saute pan with a touch of oil. Heat until cooked (about 1-1.5 minutes, flip halfway through) and taste it. If you want more of the spice mixture add 2 tablespoons at a time. If you want more smokey, just add more guajillos or chipotle powder, if it’s too spicy for you, add a tablespoon of sugar.

Once you’re happy with the flavor, set aside. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

Next, the bacon!

1 16oz Pack of All Natural, Thick-Cut Bacon

Dice the bacon, or rough chop. Toss into a saute pan and cook until crispy.
Meanwhile, place 2 layers of paper towel into the serving/baking dish.
While the bacon cooks, dice 1 onion and set it in the same bowl as the chorizo.
(tip: you don’t have to wash the board before cutting the onion because it will all go into the raw chorizo).
Once the bacon is crispy, pour the bacon and grease into the serving dish on top of the paper towels.

This will help soak up most of the grease but still leave a bit to lightly coat the sweet potatoes, adding extra crispy-ness when re-heating.

In the same pan that you cooked the bacon in, cook the chorizo and onion.

While that is cooking, wash your cutting board. Then, peel and dice

4 Large Sweet Potatoes (or 5 small ones). Alternatively, you can also buy sweet potatoes already peeled and cut, get about 16-24oz depending on your guests’/family’s appetites).

Place the potatoes in a bowl and toss in olive oil and chipotle seasoning. I use about 2-3 Tablespoons, enough to lightly coat all the sweet potatoes.

Place on 2 sheet pans (so as not to overcrowd the pan) and bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes.

Remove the paper towel from the serving dish (soaked in the bacon grease), add in the cooked chorizo and onions, and let cool.

Once the sweet potatoes are ready, remove them from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes before adding them to the casserole dish (if not eating right away). Once added, cool in the refrigerator until ready to reheat. If serving immediately, add to the serving dish with bacon and chorizo and mix well. Place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes until everything is piping hot.

If reheating from cold, heat oven to 375 F and cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring every so often. Top with scrambled cheesy eggs or just cheese if desired!

Happy Cooking!