Yield: 1-2, depending on how hungry you are.
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

So just so people don't get mad at me, by calling this "manly" I am NOT implying that women cannot cook or eat this dish, I am just suggesting that the types of people most likely to enjoy it are probably going to be men...but feel free to correct me. For the men, I wouldn't recommend cooking this if you are trying to impress your honey with your cooking skills, I consider it to be more of a "bachelor dish" for those times that you want a good, hearty meal and no one else is around.

I'm not gonna lie, I got the inspiration for this recipe from something I ordered at Denny's one time. It's really quick and simple (uses only three to four ingredients) and can all be cooked in the same vessel. What vessel to cook it in you ask? I feel like the cast iron skillet was made for this recipe like those boots were made for walking. You could probably cook it in a nonstick pan, but cast iron is ideal, trust me.

So, here it is:

Ingredients:

1 Medium Sized Russet Potato
1 Bell Pepper (I've used red and green, either works fine)
1/2 Package Mexican Chorizo Sausage, beef or pork
Cheese as desired (optional)
Kosher Salt
Vegetable Oil

Pretty simple, right? The only tricky one for some people would be the Mexican Chorizo. The kind I am talking about comes ground up in a little package, kind of like regular sausage. I live in the southwest so it is pretty prevalent here, but I'm not sure about other parts of the country or world. This kind is best for the recipe because it has alot of great fat that will melt into the rest of the dish and give it a wonderful flavor. If you get a link type sausage it probably won't work as well, but might still be ok. As for the cheese, any kind you like will do. I've used Colby Jack, Mozzarella, and Cheddar before, all with good results.

To Cook:
Put your cast iron skillet over medium heat with enough vegetable oil to give a thin coating on the bottom of the pan. Rinse the potato and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Add the potato to the skillet and sprinkle with a little salt. Cook the potato cubes in the skillet until nicely browned, stirring every few minutes. It is hard to get them evenly browned, but do your best. Be sure to not get impatient during this part, it may take up to 10 minutes, but you don't want the potatoes to be undercooked.

While the potatoes are cooking, dice the bell pepper into 1/2 inch squares. Once the potatoes are nicely browned, make a well in the middle of the pan and throw in the peppers and add a little salt to them as well. Give the peppers a stir every minute or two until they are browned, and then stir to mix with the potatoes.

Once the peppers and potatoes are browned and intermingled, make a well (again) in the middle and squeeze 1/2 the package of Chorizo right into the middle and mash so that is is relatively flat in the pan and fills in most of the space. If it is the right Chorizo, the fat should sizzle and melt into the potatoes and peppers, giving them a great flavor. Flip the Chorizo "patty" after it has cooked for a minute, and let the other side brown for a minute or two. Once it is cooked, mix the Chorizo with the peppers and potatoes and stir it all into a nice hash in the pan. Let it cook for another few minutes or until you are confident the Chorizo is cooked through. At the end, sprinkle some grated cheese over the top if you like and let it melt.

To serve, either just eat it right out of the skillet (the manly way) or put on one or two plates. If you go for the first option, be sure to put an oven mitt under the skillet before you place on a table or counter, as cast iron gets HOT and stays hot for quite some time. I like to envision myself as a cowboy out on the open range when eating this, because I feel like it is something that they might have eaten...but that's just me.

Enjoy!