Dear Dr. Potato, my customers want favorite breakfast items on the menu all day long. Can you suggest breakfast dishes that satisfy 24/7?

Customization of menu items has evolved to the point that customers expect they can have what they want when they want it.  And, they’re frustrated when they go to a restaurant shortly after 11 a.m. and can’t get breakfast because the menu is now lunch.  So menu flexibility is key to keeping your patrons happy. Flexibility also gives operators the ability to offer items that appeal to a wider range of consumers, such as ethnic/spicy, gluten-free and better-for-you options.

Perennially popular, conveniently available in a variety of forms, and adaptable to a range of breakfast favorites, potatoes fill the ingredient bill for flexibility. Stir in some creative juices and the orders for breakfast specials will roll in ‘round the clock.

To start, breakfast hashes are back in vogue and offer a wide range of flavor options and 24/7 appeal. First Watch, a chain serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch, menus a version that ramps up the health quotient. Spicy Idaho® Potato Hash turns traditional hash into patties incorporating bacon, jalapenos, scallions and shredded chicken.

Spicy Idaho® Potato Hash

Chef David Payne at Eat More Jelly in Denver, CO pumps his Red Flannel Hash full of root vegetables, starting with equal quantities of Idaho® potatoes, red beets and sweet potatoes flavored with an equal part of bacon.

Eat More Jelly Red Flannel Hash

At Hank’s Oyster Bar in Washington, DC, Chef Jamie Leeds gilds her Idaho® potatoes with local ingredients like Chesapeake Bay crab to create Jamie’s Crab Hash.

Jamie's Crab Hash

If you think baked potatoes are a side dish, think again.  The Bitterroot Breakfast at the Bistro on Spruce in Coeur d’Alene, ID makes a baked Idaho® potato the star attraction. Chef Adam Miller stuffs it with sausage and white cheddar cheese, then topping it off with two eggs, fresh salsa and bacon-chive sour cream. This dish would work well for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

If your customers want egg-centric dishes, check out these options. Urban Table in Prairie Village, KS pleases customers with Morning Potatoes, a chunky frittata packed with Idaho® Yukon Gold potatoes, roasted red peppers, and caramelized onions.

Urban Table Idaho® Morning Potatoes

Chef Jesse Ziff Cool of Cool Eats, Menlo Park, CA turns eggs and potatoes upside-down, filling Idaho® Potato-Onion Nests with Creamed Spinach and Poached Eggs.

Idaho® Potato-Onion Nests with Creamed Spinach and Eggs

A breakfast signature dish is always a draw, and our current favorite starts with Potato Tot Waffles–a crunchy, delectable potato base for sweet or savory toppings.  (Cover a heated waffle iron with thawed potato tots, press the lid shut, and cook to desired crispness, about 3-4 minutes.) At the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, CO, Executive Chef William Dexter goes the luxury route with Tater Tot Waffle Rossini.  To create his “breakfast of champions,” Chef Dexter layers a small beef filet, sautéed chard and a poached egg atop a potato waffle before napping it with Truffle Hollandaise.

The Recipes section of our website is a terrific source for breakfast menu ideas using quality Idaho® potatoes.  In addition to the recipes I’ve already described, we’ve also posted all of our annual IPC Chef’s Calendars.  You’ll find inspiration for every menu part, including these excellent breakfast specialties that will please all day long.