Thanks to the Instant Pot, I've been able to bake potatoes all summer without heating up the kitchen. I'll do ten or twelve at a time, and it's become a weekly ritual. Having cooked spuds in the fridge is such a great help with meal-making and a real time-saver.

Once baked, we would shred and freeze them. No more buying hash brown potatoes at the store. That's been a nice savings to the grocery budget.

But the cooking part still stumped me. I've written a few Cook'n articles on how to fry the crispiest and most tender hash browns. While it's getting easier and my end product is getting better and better, it takes a chunk of time. "Couldn't there be a quicker and even easier way to get crispy, tasty hashbrowns?" I've wondered.

Well, yes. There actually IS a quicker and even easier way to get crispy and tasty hashbrowns. And this is my point. Now I never know if I'm offering old news or not. But here goes: My huge (for me, anyway) discovery this summer--we can cook hash browns on the waffle iron! Did you know this?

And it doesn't matter what variety of potato you're using. Russets, Yukon Gold, red spuds--truly, it doesn't matter. Whatever potato you're using comes out delicious--crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and oh so tasty!

Using an Instant Pot (or another brand of electric pressure cooker), here's the procedure:

1.      Scrub several potatoes well; slit each slightly to prevent bursting as they bake

2.      Pour 1 cup water into bottom of Instant Pot

3.      Place the lift-out rack inside

4.      Add potatoes, stacking as needed

5.      Close and lock lid; using MANUAL setting, set bake time for 25+ minutes (depending on how full your pot is)

6.      Allow steam to release slowly

7.      Once potatoes are baked, removed to a cooling rack and let them cool

Then it's time to shred. I use my hand-held box shredder most of the time. But I have shredded them using my food processor as well. Divide into plastic zippered storage bags and freeze. But be sure to reserve some for waffling very soon.

To get an incredible hash brown patty, try mixing a desired amount of shredded spuds with a little diced onion and bell pepper. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper and a smidge of soft butter. Fold this together well.

Give both sides of your waffle maker a good coating of either butter or vegetable spray. Then spoon enough potato mixture onto the maker so it's about a half-inch thick. Bring the top down onto the spuds with a little pressure so it sinks into the potatoes. I've found that when the green "DONE" light comes on, I still need to cook it for another minute or two. You'll have to determine the time according to your maker--they're all different.

Not to be gushy, but I really believe this hash brown method is the best ever. We haven't been disappointed yet.

I would love to hear from you on this topic. Did you already know about this technique? Do you have tips for us? Or if this is news to you and you try it, will you let me know what you think (via email)? This will be fun to explore together!