Breakfast Potatoes

A 10-Minute Microwave Breakfast Potato

These microwave breakfast potatoes are the answer for mornings when you want hot crispy-edge potatoes but don’t want to fire up a skillet. Two medium potatoes, sliced thin alongside onions, seasoned simply, and topped with cheddar at the end. Done in 10 minutes flat.

The two-stage microwave technique is what makes this work. Five minutes covered cooks the potatoes most of the way through and softens the onions. Topping with cheese and giving it another 4 to 5 minutes lets the cheese melt evenly while the potatoes finish cooking through, with the cheese acting like an edible lid that helps even out the heat.

Garlic salt is the seasoning move that punches above its weight here. Plain salt would taste flat against the potatoes; garlic salt brings savor and depth in one ingredient with no extra prep time.

Kitchen Tips

• Slice the potatoes uniformly thin, about ⅛ inch. Uneven slices give some pieces still hard while others turn to mush.
• Use a microwave-safe plate, not just any dish. Some plates have metallic glaze that arcs in microwaves.
• Cover with a microwave-safe lid or vented plastic wrap. The trapped steam is what cooks the potatoes; uncovered they dry out.
• Test a slice with a fork before stopping. Microwaves vary, and undercooked potato pieces ruin the dish.
• Serve immediately. Microwaved potatoes go stiff as they cool.

Variations

• Sprinkle crumbled bacon or diced ham over the potatoes before the second microwave round.
• Add a pinch of smoked paprika and a few drops of hot sauce for kick.
• Top with a fried or poached egg and serve as a light hash.