Skillet Home Fries Recipe (Made With Leftover Baked Potatoes!)

This skillet home fries recipe couldn’t be simpler and is a great way to stretch the budget! These home fries are made with a couple leftover baked potatoes, making for a perfect diner-style breakfast at home!

Breakfast foods rank up there at the top of the comfort food hierarchy, dontcha think? Whether it’s fluffy pancakes, tender scrambled eggs, or crispy bacon, a full breakfast pleases the masses, no matter the time of day.

(You have done breakfast for dinner, right?)

One favorite breakfast dish is the classic home fries recipe. Chunks of potato, crisp on the outside and tender in the center, seasoned with salt and pepper and accompanied by a few peppers and onions, Home Fries are a must-make for breakfast.

Thankfully, there’s a super easy way to make them at home, especially if you’ve got a few leftover baked potatoes.

Using up leftovers is not only a great way to save time, but you also save money. And this Home Fries recipe is a great double win.

One of the best ways to save money on food is not to waste it! When you read the statistics of how much food Americans throw away each year, the number is staggering. 

A great way to divert good food from hitting the trash can is to eat it up within four days, the USDA guidelines for leftovers that are properly stored. However, sometimes, we get a little tired of eating the same item several days in a row.

That’s when we need to give leftovers new life! It’s not hard to cook once and enjoy several meals from the effort.

A little creative work in the kitchen can take last night’s dinner and make it into something tasty and new.

• Corn on the cob becomes Corn Salad.
• A little bit of meat and veggies becomes a great soup.
• Leftover chicken and gravy create the filling for a delicious Chicken Pot Pie.

A favorite re-do at our house is this Baked Potato Home Fries recipe. Simply chop leftover baked potatoes and saute them in oil with spices, onions, and pepper. Easy, filling and a delicious way to enjoy leftovers!

Ingredients for this home fries recipe

These home fries require only five ingredients to throw together.

• Olive Oil – I use olive oil to fry these up in, but you could use another favorite cooking oil.
• Potatoes – I like to use russet potatoes for our baked potatoes. You can bake your potatoes in the oven, or try my Crockpot Baked Potatoes. If you’ve got leftover boiled potatoes, those will work too.
• Pepper and Onion – Mixing in a little diced pepper and onion, gives these spuds a classic diner-feel.
• Salt and pepper- Season to taste!

Make this recipe your own by swapping in your favorite herbs and spices.

How to make these skillet home fries

• In large skillet heat the oil until shimmering.
• Add the potatoes, onions, and diced pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions and peppers are tender and the potatoes are lightly browned.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Should you boil potatoes before frying them?

Boiling potatoes before hand can help to get the soft inside and crispy outside. This recipe uses leftover baked potatoes so that step is already done for you. If you’ve got leftover boiled potatoes, go ahead and use those.

If you’re pressed for time, you can also use raw, chopped potatoes. You’ll need to extend the cook time but they’ll be delicious.

Can I reheat any leftover home fries?

While leftover home fries may lose some of their crispiness, they can absolutely be reheated. In fact, I like making a big batch at the start of the week for meal prep breakfasts. I reheat them in the microwave and add a fresh egg.

If keeping their crispiness is important to you, reheating in the oven on a baking sheet can get them crispy again. Fifteen minutes at 350F should do the trick!

How much does it cost to make home fries at home?

My daughter’s favorite local diner charges $4 for a side order of home fries. Let’s see how much it costs to make FOUR servings at home:

• 2 large baking potatoes: $1.74 
• olive oil: $0.40 ($6.49/16 oz)
• onion: $0.20
• pepper: $0.25

A full batch of this home fries recipe costs $2.59 or 65 cents per serving. Coupled with some eggs and bacon, you’ve got a feast for a king on a frugal man’s budget.

How to save even more on this recipe?

You can save even more when you apply the Good Cheap Eats system to this recipe. Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. Stock up when you see potatoes on sale and then put a Baked Potato Bar on the menu! Generally you’ll see potato sales near holidays when spuds are on the menu, such as Thanksgiving and St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a great way to not overspend on groceries near the holidays. 
• Price match. Check your grocery store fliers to see who has the best price on the items on your list. It’s just one way to lower your grocery store bill. 
• Make a plan for leftovers! Make extra potatoes on purpose so that you can save time and avoid letting extra potatoes get too old.

What do you need to make home fries at home?

This is a pretty straight-forward dish. You don’t need any fancy equipment. However, having some good basic kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I like to use in this recipe.

• plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
• Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
• large skillet with lid – I have two of these since I love this model so much.
• cooking tongs – I use these all the time for cooking in a skillet.

This post was originally published on October 26, 2010. It has been updated for content and clarity.