The American breakfast hash has working-class roots that deserve our respect. This was miner's food, rancher's food, the sustenance of people who needed calories that would carry them through a hard morning's labor. Leftover potatoes, whatever vegetables were at hand, maybe some scraps of meat, all crisped together in a heavy skillet until the edges turned golden and the kitchen smelled like a reason to get out of bed.

I've served this dish to holiday crowds for decades. It feeds a table of eight as easily as it feeds two, scales up without complaint, and most of the work can happen the night before. The secret to great hash is patience with your potatoes. You want them crisp on the outside, creamy within, and that requires time in a hot pan without constant stirring. Fight the urge to fuss.

The roasted vegetables bring sweetness and color that transforms humble potatoes into something worthy of a holiday table. Bell peppers, onions, perhaps some poblanos if you want gentle heat. Roast them until their edges char and their sugars concentrate. This isn't health food masquerading as breakfast. This is honest American cooking that happens to include vegetables.

The eggs go on at the end, nestled into wells you create in the hash, their whites setting while their yolks stay liquid. When you serve this to a crowd, bring the whole skillet to the table. Let people see what you've made. Food this good deserves a moment of theater.