Sunday morning, May 24, 2009, I decided to prepare breakfast, to get us in the mood for a bit of four wheeling adventures up the Burma Road, and onward to Jenkins Hill.  My brothers aren't very fond of eggs, so I decided to make a stick-to-your-rib breakfast that didn't include eggs, and something that everybody loves:  Potatoes O'Brien and bacon.

Potatoes are a staple at our camp, and I'd brought plenty of them for the occasion.  Potato's O'Brien are quick, simple and easy to make at camp, and they're a real crowd pleaser.  Here's the method that I used...

Photo:  I pre-cooked the bacon, removed it from the griddle, and placed it on a plate, before getting the potatoes, onions and chili peppers cooking.

For the four of us, I used a half-dozen medium-sized russet potatoes.  I prefer russet potatoes, as they have a sort of "earthy" flavor, but any variety of potato can be used.  Also, I used one large Anaheim chili pepper and one small red onion, and 12 pieces of bacon.  First, cut the potatoes into pieces of around 3/8" by 1/8", but it's not critical.  Dice the onion and peppers; reserve, DO NOT MIX WITH POTATOES, YET.  Cut each strip of bacon into four pieces, reserve.  Let's see, that took all of five minutes...

Now its time to cook the potatoes.  You can use a frying pan, but I prefer to use a griddle.  Years ago, I acquired a cast iron griddle, that fits perfectly over a 2-burner camp stove.  I've spent a lot of time seasoning the griddle, so now it's practically non-stick, but I have a few more tricks to tell you.  So I placed the griddle over the stove, turned on the burners to medium high heat, and allowed the griddle to come to operating temperature.  Next, I pre-cooked the bacon on the griddle until the bacon was rubbery; about 2 minutes, then I took the bacon off the griddle and placed it on a plate to be used later.  LEAVE THE BACON GREASE ON THE GRIDDLE, as it helps keep the potatoes from sticking and it implants a delicious, smoky taste to the potatoes.

Turn heat to high, and place the potatoes on the griddle.  Cook, stirring frequently, until all sides of the potatoes begin to turn  golden yellow.  Now it's time to add the diced peppers, onions, and whatever seasoning you prefer to use; I really love Mrs. Dash, as it's delicious and salt-free.  When the potatoes turn golden brown and the vegetables become translucent, add the bacon and cook until the bacon becomes slightly crispy; about two minutes.  Remove from heat, dish up, and eat immediately.

Photo:  I'm putting the finishing touches on the bacon, as they cook with the potatoes.  Note the golden brown color of the potatoes, and they're chewy on the inside.  This breakfast was a huge hit, as there wasn't a scrap of food left.

Coffee and orange juice rounded out our delicious camp breakfast, eaten that wonderful Sunday morning, in Jerseydale Campground, in the scenic Sierra National Forest.

If you've used my method, you'll be rewarded with a delicious breakfast, and a super-easy cleanup, as the griddle is cleaned by wiping it off with a paper towel.  Now that's an easy breakfast!

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