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Fried Spam and Potatoes

In this post I’ll be sharing a recipe using a popular pantry staple for Fried Spam and Potatoes.

When I was a young child there were times where my mother would slice up Spam and fry it up for dinner. I hated it too! Like many of you, I grew up in a house where it was “you’ll eat it or starve”.

Of course there was no chance that I’d starve to death. I could make a meal out of a buttered piece of cornbread and bypass my share of sliced Spam.

Fast forward to back in March of 2020 when the store shelves were being emptied as folks were preparing to hunker down for a while and I grabbed a can of Spam from the store shelf.

Why did I do that knowing that I didn’t care for it, or so I thought, and haven’t had it in at least forty three years? Because it is shelf stable, that is why. Plus there wasn’t a lot of stuff left on the shelves to choose from.

There was another reason too. Lots of folks love the stuff. I thought to appeal to my wide range of readers (and we all have different tastes in food) that I should do a recipe with Spam for the blog.

People were eager to find shelf stable meal options in the past year and still are. I was seeing post after post on social media where a lot of people didn’t know how to cook. They never really had to in our world of convenience.

That can of Spam sat on my pantry shelf for almost a year. I was afraid of it. I felt sure that if I didn’t like it as a child then nothing would be different now. Well, you know what? I was wrong.

Spam Fried Potatoes

Delicious Spam Fried Potatoes with melted cheese and jalapenos

A decision was made that I’d fry up a skillet of potatoes with Spam for our supper.

Did you know that Spam is made with just six ingredients? It’s not preservative packed like you might assume. It’s shelf stable for years too. I could have put off this recipe until almost 2024 if I wanted to.

My husband suggested serving it with melted cheese and slices of pickled jalapenos (which he eats on almost everything). I thought that was a great idea!

You know what else? We really liked our meal.

Would I buy Spam again to keep on hand? You can betcha bootie I will.

Now in all honesty I’m not gonna claim to love the stuff. I probably wouldn’t even enjoy it just sliced and cooked as mother made it. But in a potato skillet, it was quite good.

Spam and Potatoes

How to cook Spam in a cast iron skillet

Probably the only unpleasant part of preparing the recipe was the initial smell when you open the can. I have that same reaction though when I open one of those cans of Chunky soup that hubs loves to eat occasionally.

After that it was smooth sailing. I sliced it up into cubes and into a hot cast iron skillet it goes. 

Pan Fried Spam Potatoes with Onions

Fried Spam and Potatoes recipe

After allowing the Spam to cook a few minutes then I added the cubed potatoes and some diced onion.

I love the combination of onion with fried potatoes.

Then it’s just a matter of frying and turning until the potatoes are softened and everything is browned as you’d like it.

Family Friendly Spam Recipes

Surprisingly delicious Spam meal fried with potatoes for breakfast or dinner

After I seasoned everything then I added a couple of slices of American cheese on top of the Spam and potatoes to melt then plated it up.

It was good! It really was! I’m still a little bit surprised myself. I’d tell you if I didn’t like it.

So if you’re on the fence with Spam then maybe you should try it fried with potatoes.

This dish would also work fine for breakfast or dinner. A versatile recipe, budget friendly product and shelf stable…you can’t go wrong.

Yield: 1 Family Skillet Meal

Fried Spam and Potatoes

Delicious Spam Fried Potatoes with melted cheese and jalapenos

A delicious budget friend meal using the popular pantry staple, Spam. The combination of pan fried Spam and potatoes is a delicious family meal.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup Vegetable Oil, for frying
  • 12 oz. Can of Spam, diced
  • 4 Russet Potatoes, medium/large in size peeled and diced
  • 1 Small Onion, diced
  • Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Optional

  • Sliced Cheese and Pickled Jalapeno Slices

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium.
  2. Add the diced Spam, potatoes and onion; fry turning occasionally until potatoes are tender and golden brown.
  3. Optional: Add cheese slices on top to melt before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 711mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 11g

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Charlotte

Sunday 4th of February 2024

Fried Spam and Potatoes is an awesome recipe, especially with onions thrown in the pan. One way we enjoy Spam is cubed up in potato soup. I always think of Spam as just another form of ham so that changes things a bit. Suddenly, plain old Spam is elevated to a higher culinary level... Try it you'll like it!

Lucy

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

If you think that's good (and l do because l love Spam), try it instead of hotdogs when you make beanie weenies.

Judy

Wednesday 9th of February 2022

My son also bought lots of Spam during the pandemic. He used it in fried rice and it was delicious!

Julia Jordan

Wednesday 9th of February 2022

Judy, I need to try it with rice. I know that is a popular combo and I'm sure we'd like it too. Thanks for stopping by! ~Julia

dave

Thursday 20th of January 2022

try it sliced and dipped in batter then deep fried

Julia Jordan

Friday 21st of January 2022

I'll do that. Thanks for the tip! ~Julia

Donna DesJardin

Monday 6th of December 2021

Fried spam and potatoes was a definite hit. Going to top it off with a fried egg for breakfast. Thank you!

Julia Jordan

Tuesday 7th of December 2021

I'm so happy that you enjoyed the recipe! ~Julia

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