Pytt i panna is a tasty Swedish hash you can enjoy for breakfast or dinner. The name of the dish literally means "small pieces mixed in a pan", and is the ultimate Scandinavian leftover food.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about it in the privacy policy.
Pytt i panna is widely enjoyed in Sweden (pytt i panna), Norway (pytt i panne) and Finland (pyttipannu) under slight name variations.
It's usually served as a quick and easy family dinner, and is a popular way to use up any leftovers from previous meals. The dish is also popular as a hangover cure, and can be served as breakfast or brunch.
What is pytt i panna
Pytt i panna is the ultimate leftover dish. It's commonly made using any leftover pieces of meat and vegetables you happen to have on hand. These ingredients are sauteed in a pan with simple seasoning and served warm.
Pytt i panna is commonly made with diced potatoes, a type of diced meat such as sausage, bacon or ham, and optionally other diced root vegetables.
🥘 Ingredients
Pytt i panna can be made with a variety of ingredients. As this dish is made with leftovers, the main point is to use whatever you have available. Cooked meat and vegetables are common, with potatoes almost always being used.
For this version, we need leftover potatoes (roasted, boiled, baked or steamed potatoes all work well) or optionally diced frozen potatoes. Raw potatoes should be lightly steamed or boiled before use.
You will also need onion and bacon medallions. You can substitute this with any type of cooked meat, such as leftover slow cooker gammon, smoked sausages, diced hamburgers or ground beef.
Additionally, you can add whatever leftover vegetables you have available. Rutabaga, carrot, parsnip, leek, broccoli, peas and peppers are excellent options.
Optionally, you will need a fried egg and fresh parsley to serve on top.
🔪 Instructions
Dice all the ingredients in bite sized pieces. Heat some oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add the diced meat and vegetables. Leave them to sautee while stirring occasionally until they are all golden brown and warmed through.
The exact cooking time will vary depending on exactly which ingredients you use, but 5-10 minutes is typical.
When the potatoes and bacon have warmed through and started to turn golden, move them to one side of the skillet and crack the eggs on the other half. Fry for a few minutes until the eggs are to your liking.
Serve the pytt i panna with the egg on top, and sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the dish.
💭 Top tips
Here's my expert advice on how to make the perfect authentic pytt i panna:
- This dish has no rules. Use any ingredients you want, and pan fry them for exactly as long as you like.
- There are infinite amounts of regional varieties of the dish. In truth, every family uses their preferred ingredients, and that's okay!
- Pytt i panna is mainly potato based. Raw potatoes are too hard to pan fry in a reasonable amount of time. Therefore, you should always use potatoes that are at least partially cooked, or thawed frozen potatoes.
- To achieve the best results, you should dice the meat and vegetables into similar sized pieces. This will ensure that they cook evenly.
🥗 Serving suggestions
Here is how I like to serve this tasty Swedish hash:
- For breakfast: A skillet hash makes for an excellent breakfast or brunch. Serve it on its own, with a slice of toast or with fried eggs.
- For dinner: Swedes usually enjoy pytt i panna for dinner. It's often enjoyed as is, or with an egg on top. It can also be served with a hamburger patty, or with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side.
🍲 Leftovers
This easy dish stores really well! Here is how you can manage the leftovers:
- Storing: This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheated before serving.
- Freezing: Pytt i panna can absolutely be frozen! Freeze it in freezer safe storage containers for up to 6 months, then either thaw in the fridge before reheating it, or reheat it in a skillet directly from frozen.
- Reheating: Reheat the pytt i panna in a skillet or microwave until it's hot throughout, then serve.
🍴 You might also like these recipes..
If you love easy meals made with leftovers, you should try any of these recipes:
📋 Frequently asked questions
Can I serve this with a sauce? - Absolutely. You can serve this dish with your favorite sauce. Try it with ketchup, hot sauce, or even gravy!
Recipe
Pytt I Panna
Ingredients
Instructions
- Dice all the ingredients in bite sized pieces.
- Heat some oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add the diced meat and vegetables. Leave them to sautee while stirring occasionally until they are all golden brown and warmed through. The exact cooking time will vary depending on exactly which ingredients you use, but 5-10 minutes is typical.
- When the potatoes and bacon have warmed through and started to turn golden, move them to one side of the skillet and crack the eggs on the other half. Fry for a few minutes until the eggs are to your liking. If you have a small skillet, you might want to cook the eggs separate in a different skillet.
- Serve the pytt i panna with the egg on top, and sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the dish.
Notes
Leftovers
This easy dish stores really well! Here is how you can manage the leftovers:- Storing: This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheated before serving.
- Freezing: Pytt i panna can absolutely be frozen! Freeze it in freezer safe storage containers for up to 6 months, then either thaw in the fridge before reheating it, or reheat it in a skillet directly from frozen.
- Reheating: Reheat the pytt i panna in a skillet or microwave until it’s hot throughout, then serve.
Top tips
Here’s my expert advice on how to make the perfect authentic pytt i panna:- This dish has no rules. Use any ingredients you want, and pan fry them for exactly as long as you like.
- There are infinite amounts of regional varieties of the dish. In truth, every family uses their preferred ingredients, and that’s okay!
- Pytt i panna is mainly potato based. Raw potatoes are too hard to pan fry in a reasonable amount of time. Therefore, you should always use potatoes that are at least partially cooked, or thawed frozen potatoes.
- To achieve the best results, you should dice the meat and vegetables into similar sized pieces. This will ensure that they cook evenly.
Leave a comment