A couple of weeks ago I spent a weekend in Phoenix at the home of one of my best friends, who also happens to be a blogger, together with a group of talented food bloggers. We spent the weekend sharing blogging strategies, swapping tips and trying our hands at cheesemaking. With that many food lovers in one place, eating was inevitable. Our collective favorite stop was Snooze A.M. Eatery, a popular brunch-only restaurant with a line that wrapped around the parking lot. We signed up, did a little shopping while we waited, and when our table was ready we ordered almost everything on the menu to see what made the restaurant so beloved. The answer was simple: the food is excellent. But one dish clearly stood out for the whole group—the Spuds Deluxe.

Snooze describes the Spuds Deluxe as “a heaping portion of our hash browns, covered with melted cheddar & jack cheese, scallions plus choice of two fillings… Soooo good with a cage free egg or two.” We tried it with beef barbacoa, bacon, and a fried egg, because adding an egg is basically my life motto.

After sampling my friend’s plate (she was the smart one who ordered the Spuds Deluxe), I couldn’t wait until my next trip to Phoenix. Within two days of getting home I had already refined my slow-cooker beef barbacoa so I could recreate a Copycat Snooze Spuds Deluxe.

The recreation came together quickly, and before long I was setting a generous plate of Copycat Snooze Spuds Deluxe in front of my family. Their reaction was exactly what I expected, so I’d already started a second skillet of hash browns—just in case.

By the time I grabbed a fork, the first plate was gone. They’re lucky they’re cute—and that I’d made extra—because things could have gotten ugly otherwise.

Cook’s Notes

• Copycat Snooze Spuds Deluxe works well as a one-pan dish. Use a heavy-bottomed skillet (cast iron is ideal). Fry the bacon, drain off all but the amount of fat recommended for your hash browns, then cook the hash browns in that fat. When they’re cooked, pile them on a plate and top with shredded cheese and the cooked bacon.
• After removing the hash browns, wipe the pan clean and return it to the heat. Spread leftover beef barbacoa across the hot surface so as much of it contacts the pan as possible. Don’t stir—let the barbacoa crisp on the bottom, then break it up and scatter it over the cheese-topped hash browns.
• Choose the type of hash browns you prefer: frozen, par-cooked, or homemade. I’ve been using a variety from the produce section lately because it cooks faster than the typical frozen kind. Follow the package or recipe instructions for best results—this is the base for the whole dish.
• The restaurant lets you pick two fillings, but making it at home gives you more flexibility. I like adding chopped cilantro and a few dashes of Cholula hot sauce for brightness and heat—optional, but highly recommended if you enjoy that fresh cilantro flavor and a peppery kick.
• I serve these family-style: pile everything on a large plate and let people pass it around. It’s more fun that way. If you prefer individual portions, divide the finished dish between plates. The recipe as written yields about four decent-sized servings.

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Copycat Snooze Spuds Deluxe

A heaping portion of crispy hash browns covered with melted cheddar & jack cheese, beef barbacoa, bacon, green onions, cilantro, and a fried egg or two.

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, cut into thin strips
• 6 cups frozen, par-cooked, or homemade hash browns
• 2 cups leftover beef barbacoa
• 1 cup mixed shredded pepper jack and cheddar cheese
• 4 green onions, root ends trimmed, thinly sliced
• A handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 to 4 fried eggs, depending on number of eaters

Optional but delicious:

• Cholula or your preferred hot sauce

Instructions

1. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium. Fry the bacon strips until chewy-crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Drain off all but the amount of bacon fat specified for your hash browns.
2. Add the hash browns and cook according to package or recipe instructions. When the hash browns are done, pile them on a plate and scatter the grated cheese and bacon over them.
3. Wipe the pan clean and return to the heat. Add the barbacoa and spread it out so as much of it touches the hot surface as possible. Don’t stir—let the bottom crisp and the meat heat through. Break it up and distribute over the hash brown pile.
4. Toss the sliced green onions and chopped cilantro over the top, then add the desired number of fried eggs. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the actual ingredients you use.