Copycat First Watch Million Dollar Harvest Hash

It's loaded with all the good stuff (i.e. bacon).

By
Megan Scott
Meg Scott
Megan Scott
Megan is a recipe developer and editor with 12 years of industry experience, most recently as culinary director at a marketing agency. In 2019, she also co-authored the 9th edition of the classic cookbook, Joy of Cooking.
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Published on 02/11/24
Tested by Joan Velush
A bowl of First Watch's Million Dollar Harvest Hash, topped with a fried egg and honey

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 50 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 6 cups

First Watch is a beloved daytime cafe now with 500 locations across the country. In 2023, Yelp named First Watch “America’s Most Loved Restaurant.” With a seasonally rotating menu and staples like Million Dollar Bacon always available, it’s easy to see why this restaurant has a cult following.

Many of the dishes on First Watch’s menu are the brainchildren of Chef Shane Schaibly, and he was kind enough to share this recipe for Million Dollar Harvest Hash with us, along with some tips for making the dish. 

Why is it Called Million Dollar Harvest Hash?

What makes this “million dollar” hash? It’s the addition of Million Dollar Bacon, a sweet and lightly spicy candied bacon that First Watch offers on its core menu all year round. Chef Schaibly said that the bacon is so beloved that it’s tempting to add it to everything on the menu, but that doesn’t always pan out. But in the case of this hash, the bacon's perfect balance of sweetness and spice really work with the other ingredients in the hash.

The Perfect Finish

But there’s another ingredient the chef credits with taking this dish over the top: Mike’s Hot Honey. After using the famous honey on a really popular breakfast sandwich, Chef Schaibly said he wanted to replicate that flavor magic again. As he developed the recipe for this hash, he found that a drizzle of the honey was “the perfect finishing step for all the other ingredients.”

Tips for Making This Hash

  • Roast the mushrooms and sweet potatoes together—At the restaurant, Chef Schaibly’s team roasts the mushrooms and sweet potatoes separately, but at home you can just roast them on the same pan. When the sweet potatoes start to brown, the veggies are ready to go.
  • Use a rack for the bacon–The bacon is cooked on a rack set on top of a baking sheet. This helps the bacon cook more evenly and become perfectly crisp. 
  • Saute the mushrooms instead—In a pinch you can saute the mushrooms instead of roasting them.
  • Use frozen breakfast potatoes—First Watch uses fresh seasoned breakfast potatoes, but we’ve modified the recipe to use frozen breakfast potatoes instead as a time-saving step.
  • Runny yolks recommended—You can serve this with eggs cooked any which way, but for the best results, Chef Schaibly recommends going for runny yolks. See our guides to cooking perfect poached eggs or fried eggs.

“This hash is so good! It takes a fair amount of time to prepare all the separate components, but it’s absolutely worth it. This would be a spectacular brunch dish next time you want to really wow your guests!” —Joan Velush

Copycat First Watch Million Dollar Harvest Hash/Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Roasted Mushrooms and Sweet Potatoes

  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado oil, divided

  • 3/4 teaspoon seasoning salt, divided

  • 1 small sweet potato (8 to 10 ounces), peeled

For the Million Dollar Bacon Pieces

  • 6 slices thick cut bacon

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste

For the Hash

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado

  • 1 cup shredded kale

  • 4 large eggs

  • Seasoning salt, to taste

  • 2 cups frozen diced breakfast potatoes, prepared according to package directions

  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Jack cheese

  • 1 cup baby arugula

  • 1/4 cup fresh  goat cheese (chèvre), crumbled

  • 1 teaspoon freshly lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon finely fresh parsley

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives

  • 1 tablespoon Mike's Hot Honey

Steps to Make It

Make the Roasted Mushrooms and Sweet Potatoes

  1. Gather the ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F.

    Ingredients to make roasted mushrooms and roasted sweet potatoes

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Toss 8 ounces cremini mushrooms with 1 tablespoon neutral oil, and 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt in a large bowl until well combined.

    A bowl of cremini mushrooms tossed in oil and seasoned with salt

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. Transfer mushrooms to a large sheet pan and spread out in a single layer on half of the pan.

    A sheet pan with half the pan covered in cremini mushrooms tossed in oil and seasoned with salt

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. Cut 1 small sweet potato (8 to 10 ounces), peeled in half and lay the halves face down on the cutting board. Cut each half into 1/4-inch slices making half moons.

    A wood cutting board with a halved, peeled sweet potatoes sliced into half moons

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. In the same bowl used to season the mushrooms, toss the sweet potato slices with the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt.

    A bowl of sliced sweet potato tossed in oil and seasoned with salt

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Transfer the sweet potatoes to the other side of the sheet pan and spread out in a single layer.

    A sheet pan with one side with sliced half moon sweet potato pieces, tossed in oil and seasoned with salt, and the other half with cremini mushrooms tossed in oil and seasoned with salt

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  7. Roast the mushrooms and sweet potatoes until both are tender and the sweet potatoes have brown edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

    A sheet pan of roasted sweet potatoes and roasted cremini mushrooms

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Make the Million Dollar Bacon Pieces

  • Gather the ingredients. Increase the oven temperature to 400 F.

    Ingredients to make million dollar bacon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  • Line a large sheet pan with foil and a baking rack. Place 6 slices thick cut bacon on the baking rack.

    A sheet pan lined with foil with a baking rack, with thick pieces of thick cut bacon on the baking rack

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  • Sprinkle the bacon evenly with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste depending on your desired heat level.

    A foil-lined baking sheet with six pieces of bacon topped with brown sugar, black pepper, and cayenne pepper on a baking rack

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  • Bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until browned and caramelized. Let the bacon cool slightly, then remove from the baking rack before it has cooled completely to avoid sticking.

    A foil-lined baking sheet with a baking rack with cooked million dollar bacon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  • Slice the bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside.

    A plate with small pieces of million dollar bacon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Make the Hash

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make First Watch's million dollar hash

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add the roasted mushrooms, roasted sweet potatoes, 1 cup shredded kale, and 1/2 cup Million Dollar Bacon pieces. Heat for 2 minutes while stirring ingredients to heat evenly.

    A small skillet with roasted mushrooms, roasted sweet potatoes, chopped kale, and million dollar bacon pieces

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. While you are heating the above ingredients, cook 4 large eggs in a separate large nonstick skillet how you prefer. Sprinkle with the seasoning salt, to taste. 

    A small skillet with two fried eggs

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. Add 2 cups frozen diced breakfast potatoes, prepared according to package directions, and seasoning salt, to taste to the roasted mushroom-sweet potato mixture and heat for another minute. Add 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Jack cheese and mix together. Continue cooking until the cheese melts.

    A skilled of breakfast potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes and mushrooms, chopped kale, and shredded Jack cheese

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss together 1 cup baby arugula, 1/4 cup fresh goat cheese (chèvre), torn into pieces, 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley, and 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives.

    A bowl of arugula, chevre cheese, lemon juice, parsley, and chives

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Divide the hash mixture between two bowls.

    Two large bowls of the breakfast potato-mushroom hash

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  7. Top the hash with the eggs and garnish with the arugula-goat cheese salad.

    Two bowls of breakfast potato-mushroom hash, topped with arugula salad, and fried eggs

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  8. Finish by drizzling the entire dish with 1 tablespoon Mike’s Hot Honey.

    A bowl of First Watch's million dollar harvest hash topped with a fried egg and hot honey

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Use feta—Using crumbled feta instead of goat cheese adds a nice salty kick.
  • Substitute your preferred protein—While it’s hard to beat the Million Dollar Bacon, you can substitute cooked breakfast sausage, regular bacon, or even a plant-based sausage substitute.
  • Make your own breakfast potatoes—Frozen breakfast potatoes are easy peasy, but you can always make your own.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
1094 Calories
61g Fat
92g Carbs
49g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 1094
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 61g 78%
Saturated Fat 21g 106%
Cholesterol 454mg 151%
Sodium 2121mg 92%
Total Carbohydrate 92g 33%
Dietary Fiber 7g 27%
Total Sugars 33g
Protein 49g
Vitamin C 145mg 724%
Calcium 540mg 42%
Iron 7mg 36%
Potassium 2348mg 50%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)