Southwestern Potato Hash with SPAM

The past week, we had a few unexpected expenses pop up.  Unavoidable expenses.  Also, we've been spending more money on entertainment lately.  More than we are used to.  Because of that, I decided that July is going to be another clean out the pantry and freezer month! 

I know, you've heard me say it before.  I really need to get Joe on board with this plan since he is the one that does the grocery shopping.  I really have to get him to stick to the list and not buy anything extra.  We can't skip the store completely since we'll need milk, bread, fresh fruit and vegetables.  We'll also need diapers since Grace has no interest in being potty trained yet.  More on that in another post! 

After checking out Debbi Does Dinner...Healthy & Low Calorie (one of my favorite resources for tasty recipes), I decided to give her Southwest Potato Hash recipe a try.  I had most of the ingredients on hand and what I didn't have, I replaced with a couple of other items I thought would be great additions to the recipe. 

Since I already had a meatless meal planned for this week, I worried that Joe wouldn't be thrilled with this meal.  I didn't have any bacon or sausage to serve on the side, so I was really happy to find a can of SPAM in the back of the shelf where I keep the canned tuna fish and chicken.  I tease Joe for buying SPAM, but really, it's NOT that bad! 

With the addition of the SPAM, this is most definitely a Clean Out the Pantry sort of meal! 

Southwestern Potato Hash (with SPAM)

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) whole potatoes, drained and diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 can (15 oz) Southwestern Bean Salad, drained
• 1 small can Mexican Style Corn, drained
• 1 can (12 oz) Hickory Smoke SPAM, diced
• 1-2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Directions:

• In hot oil, cook the diced potatoes and onion to desired crispness.
• Remove from pan and set aside.
• Add SPAM to the pan, and again, cook to desired crispness. 
• Add potatoes back to the pan with the SPAM, stir until combined.
• Add the bean salad and corn, stir until combined. 
• Cook until heated through.

Notes:

• I served this for dinner last night with eggs (egg beaters for me and over-easy for Joe) and watermelon slices. 
• We both agreed that the hash mixture would be great served on a wrap.  Either with the eggs or without. 
• The Southwestern Bean Salad, made this recipe super easy since it's already seasoned.  I drained the broth/sauce from the salad before adding the beans to my pan, but the next time I make this, I'll be using some (if not all) of the sauce for some extra flavor! 
• We're pretty new to the Southwestern Bean Salad.  I found it in the bean aisle of the Giant where we normally shop a couple of months ago.  Before that, we've never heard of it.  This is our second time using it and we really like it!  I provided the link, in case it's new to you, too! 
• For a light dinner (or even lunch), reheat the leftover hash and serve on top of a big chunk of iceberg lettuce.  Use your favorite salsa instead of salad dressing!  (I just ate this for lunch and it's AMAZING!  Sorry, no pictures, I was really hungry and ate it too quickly!)
• Don't care for SPAM?  You can easily replace it with crumbled bacon, sausage or diced ham.  Or simply leave it out to make this meal completely meatless! 
• After dinner, Joe got up, took another spoonful of the hash and said that I should definitely make this again! 

Calorie Count: 

• Total Calories = 2371 calories
• 8 servings @ 296 calories each

I'll be linking this recipe to the following blog carnivals and linky parties: 

• Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage
• It's a Keeper Thursday at It's a Keeper
• Cooking Thursday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
• Frugal Food Thursday at Frugal Follies
• Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet
• Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom
• Turning the Table Thursday at Around My Family Table