pytt i panna

Anundshög viking burial ground, Uppland

Known in English as a Swedish hash or hodge-potch, pytt i panna is the Swedish answer to using up all the leftovers in your fridge.

It’s a perfect lunch meal consisting mainly of potatoes, onions and meat: sausages, steak, ham or whatever you have on hand. It's often served with a fried egg and pickles, to cut through the fry-up, such as beetroot or gherkins.

In fact pytt i panna has become such a Swedish institution that these days you don’t even need leftovers because you can buy pre-cubed meat and potatoes in the supermarket freezer aisle or make the dish from scratch from prime cuts. There are even vegan versions available.

This is one of the meals that Jonas and I always make when we're in Sweden. It's traditionally served for lunch, but I also enjoy it as a hearty breakfast.

Pytt i Panna

Anna’s very own recipe. Serves 4 for lunch.
Ingredients:2 ½ cups diced boiled potatoes
2 ½ cups diced leftover meat (steak, sausages, ham)
1 cup onions, finely sliced
Butter, for frying
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 eggs, fried
Pickled beetroot, served separately

Method:
1. Melt some butter in a frying pan.

2. Fry onions until soft and golden. Using a slotted spoon to retain the melted better, remove onions from pan.
3. Add potatoes to pan and fry until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Add meat and cooked onions to pan and heat through, being careful not to break up potatoes.

5. Serve hot with freshly fried egg and beetroot on the side.

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Since this is a Swedish recipe using earthy products, I thought I'd share some of our photos of the Swedish countryside. I'll post more themed photos with other recipes over the coming weeks.

Medieval houses near Gökholmen Slott, Närke

Alvastra Cloister ruins, Östergötland

Håtuna Kyrka, Uppland

Tiveden National Park, bordering Närke & Västergötland

Trollhättan falls, Västergötland

country avenue in Närke

Tags: morsels and musings food blog food and drink australia recipes pytt i panna lunch main course pytt i panna recipes leftover recipes lunch recipes potato recipes swedish recipes swedish food swedish cuisine