egg and cheese con papas

Now, I'm not sure how or why in hades this seems to be the case, but it seems to me that NYC is incapable of making a decent egg and cheese. I mean, it's pretty straight forward. Two eggs, perfectly fried over medium with gently melted american cheese all delicately placed on a soft, seedless kaiser roll. Yet every time I go to order one at my corner bodega or elsewhere (read: the answer to your hangover) it always fails to please. Perhaps my standards are set too high. Growing up in the suburbs of New York, the delis in my town had this sandwich nailed. Particularly Made It Myself in New Canaan, CT, where they slip on some soft, slightly spicy homefries on the roll too. The "egg and cheese con papas." So until I'm oh-so-pleasantly surprised with a stellar egg and cheese in this dang city, it looks like I'll be making my own on Saturday mornings. And while it's a minor pain in the arse to do when you're regretting everything you drank, said, did, texted the night before, one bite of this bad boy and you know what? We were all just having fun. Nobody remembers anyways. Right?!?!

Here's how it goes...

Egg and Cheese con Papas
Makes 2 sandwiches

1 large idaho potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes
1/2 medium onion (yellow or white) finely chopped
1 jalapeno (seeded, finely chopped)
1 large clove of garlic, grated
2 tsp. chili powder
salt to taste
4 eggs
4 slices of american cheese
2 soft, fresh kaiser rolls
2 Tbsp. butter

In a small pot, and potatoes and fill with water (about an inch above the potatoes). Add a good handful of salt and put them on high heat with a lid on. Allow them to come to a boil, remove the lid and let them cook for about 8 minutes, or until you poke them with a fork and they split in half. Drain and set aside. In a medium-sized pan (preferably a cast iron) over medium-high heat, melt 1/2 Tbsp. of butter. Add in onions and jalapenos and allow to cook for a minute or two. Add in the potatoes and chili powder. Stir then light press down on the potatoes and allow them to cook (without touching them) for about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic. Turn the potatoes every so often so that all sides are brown and delicious. About 12 minutes total.

In a medium-sized nonstick pan, melt some butter over medium heat. Crack two eggs in the pan and fry to your liking (*I recommend the low and slow method. Crack the eggs in a medium-low pan, cover them and cook for 2 minutes. Then carefully flip and cover for another 2 minutes for an over-medium egg.). After you flip them, add two slices of american cheese and cover the pan until the cheese melts. Repeat for second sandwich.

Split open the kaiser rolls and place a scoop of the potatoes on the bottom half. Slide the egg and cheese on top. Cut in half. DEVOUR IMMEDIATELY (with ketchup, obvs).