suzy wrote:He mentions in the book that it is o.k to buy the ready made shredded Hash Browns, I got some from Tj's and it was very hard to cook them in my Non stick frying pan without leaving a lot of potato starch in the pan.
Sounds like it's time for a new pan, that the one you're using is no longer non-stick.
Dr. McD had demonstrated how to cook hash browns, whether it's the shredded you used or the diced, like the Ore-Ida. Heat the pan, add the potatoes to the dry pan, put the lid on, and walk away for 10 minutes. Flip them all over, put the lid back on, heat for another 5-10 minutes. Now they should be ready to eat. It *must* be done in a good non-stick pan to work like this. A number of people here use their George Foreman grills to get the same results. The secret, besides the pan being non-stick, it to not touch them while cooking, to let them sit and get a little crusty on the bottoms, which helps them flip easier and not stick to the pan. Constant stirring doesn't let that happen.
Would you please let me know which "Ora Ida" or other brands that are o.k on this plan and how to prepare them without wasting the food?
Preservatives are alright because they prevent the raw potatoes from turning brown, but any brands with oil are to be skipped over. The Ore-Ida diced ones - O'Brien and Southern styles, I think, are fine, but avoid the patties that look like rounded rectangles, like you would find in McDonald's, because they're full of oil. Some stores have shredded potatoes in the refrigerated sections, too, that contain just potatoes and maybe a preservative. They're fine, too. I buy the Stop and Shop store brand, myself. About a dollar cheaper per bag and the same ingredients as Ore-Ida.