There's no denying that a cast iron skillet is one of the best kitchen staples, especially a well-seasoned one. Cast iron skillets are sturdy, reliable and heavy pans that conduct heat well for food to get evenly cooked throughout. And cleaning it is actually a breeze, as these are often called the original non-stick pan, you can even remove rust from it in a few quick steps! This pan can really do anything-one of my favorite things is that it's oven safe. I love being able to get a nice crisp on top of my food and around the edges. A cast iron skillet is the ideal pan when preparing one of the best meals of the day-breakfast. You'll be able to prepare a delicious breakfast, which will cook perfectly and look rustic. Here's a list of 17 cast iron breakfast skillet recipes that you'll want to make every morning.
1. Potato, Spinach and Red Pepper Frittata
I love making frittatas in a cast iron skillet because it's way easier than flipping an omelet and risking it all falling apart. Potatoes, spinach, red bell peppers, onions and eggs are combined in a large skillet and baked in the oven to get a nice crust on top. Add garlic powder along with the ground pepper and kosher salt for extra flavor. All the colors from the veggies look beautiful too. This recipe is so simple and fresh, and the large serving size means you can feed the whole family. Garnish with cilantro for an extra pop of flavor!
2. Farmer's Breakfast Skillet
I would love to wake up to this hearty breakfast on the weekend. It's filled with bacon, peppers, onions, ham or breakfast sausage and hash browns. Use red potatoes, sweet potatoes or russet potatoes depending on your preferences. If you want to enjoy this but on the healthier side, you can use egg whites instead of large eggs. Just be sure to save the yolks and make pudding or custard. You won't be disappointed with this recipe.
3. Crispy Potato, Chorizo and Green Chili Hash with Avocado and Eggs
You'll get all the food you need with the breakfast skillet recipe. It's satisfying and loaded with flavors from the chorizo. Chorizo is a very popular sausage used in many Spanish and Mexican dishes. It's beautiful brick red color and you can find the sausage in many grocery stores in either sweet or spicy.
Sauté all the ingredients for the hash on the stovetop, then add the eggs on top and bake in the oven. Total time is about 40 minutes, so worth it for this dish! Serve this rustic hash with avocado, salsa and warm tortillas.
4. Skillet French Toast & Preserves Casserole
If you prefer breakfast on the sweeter side, you have to try this out. It's basically like a bread pudding prepared in a cast iron skillet. This decadent breakfast uses buttery croissant pieces and gets sprinkled with pecans and raspberries, making this breakfast casserole a great recipe to serve on the weekend.
5. Sausage, Potato and Egg Skillet
Growing up, my mom would make something very similar to this recipe for breakfast. We simply called it potato and egg (we would even use leftovers to make a sandwich) and it would always come out perfect on the cast iron skillet.
I love the addition of the crumbled Italian sausage in this for extra flavor. The eggs also get nice and fluffy from the added heavy cream and are nice and cheesy from the shredded cheese.
6. German Oven Pancake
I love this giant pancake recipe! It's super easy to make, especially if you're having a busy morning but still want a nice breakfast. You can top it with anything you have on hand. I think fruit and some crunchy granola would be delicious or you can enjoy this the traditional way and top with lemon juice and powdered sugar.
7. Asparagus and Prosciutto Frittata
Whenever I'm out for breakfast, I like ordering my eggs with asparagus. They're a very healthy vegetable filled with vitamins and minerals and it really doesn't take much for them to taste so good!
This recipe has the addition of prosciutto, which makes the frittata even more amazing! The pan is placed under the broiler for a couple of minutes so the top of the frittata crisps up.
8. Lemon Ricotta Dutch Baby Pancake
This big pancake is rich and custard-like and filled with berries, vanilla extract and lemon zest. The ricotta cheese gives a little tanginess to the batter, which is made by blending the ingredients together until smooth. If you think that your ricotta cheese is too watery, try straining it to remove some of the liquid.
Slice this pancake up and serve with a generous dusting of powdered sugar.
9. Sweet Potato and Bacon Breakfast Skillet
This one pan skillet breakfast recipe is a great mix of both sweet and salty. The sweet potatoes and zucchini paired with the crisp bacon is a great variety of flavors. You can also cook the eggs to your liking. If you prefer them a little more well done, just keep the pan in the oven for a few extra minutes. You'll want this rustic meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
10. Blueberry Skillet Muffin
Cleaning out a muffin tin (especially if you're all out of muffin liners) can be a tedious and frustrating task! So, why not make one big blueberry muffin in your cast iron skillet? You can use fresh or frozen blueberries for this and it would be perfect to go along with a hot cup of coffee. If you don't have blueberries on hand, try using raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or cranberries.
11. Hash Brown Quiche with Ham and Cheddar
This is one of the most genius and convenient ideas ever, especially if you're not in the mood to roll out pastry dough for quiche. The hash browns act as the crust for this recipe and the egg mixture is filled with diced ham, green peppers and cheese. I always like to add a little pinch of nutmeg when making quiche to the egg mixture, which might seem weird, but gives a nice flavor.
12. Skillet Huevos Rancheros
Huevos rancheros or 'ranch eggs' is a great dish consisting of fried eggs on top of corn tortillas. This recipe also has a mixture of beans, spices and any vegetables you have hanging around in the refrigerator added in. This is a vegetarian friendly recipe, but for all you meat eaters, feel free to add in bacon or sausage.
You can serve this in smaller individual skillets or in a large one- the individual skillets are pretty cool though, especially if you're hosting friends over for brunch. Serve with avocado, lime wedges, hot sauce and diced tomatoes.
13. Sausage, Egg and Cheese Grits Breakfast Bake
This cheesy breakfast skillet bake is almost similar to a quiche and filled with sausage, grits, spinach, fresh herbs and eggs. You can top it with hot sauce for a spicy kick or even bacon, and for gluten-free grits, try one of these five brands.
This recipe is great because you can prepare it in advance (don't bake it), wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to a month. When your ready to bake it, just let it thaw out before popping it into the oven.
14. Giant Cinnamon Roll
This eye-catching cinnamon roll is best served warm with extra icing. The dough itself is easy to prepare, it just requires some time to rise-about an hour and a half. If the room is a little warmer, the dough will rise a little quicker. If calories didn't exist, I think I could eat the entire thing!
15. Skillet Breakfast Nachos
This breakfast is fun for both kids and adults and making your own tortilla chips (store bought works too!) is super simple. Just cut corn tortillas into wedges (you should get 8 wedges), lay them on a baking sheet and lightly coat with olive oil or cooking spray. Bake in a 350 degree oven until crisp.
The chips are then placed on the bottom of the skillet and topped with bacon, scrambled eggs and cheese. You can also be creative and add different toppings like sausage or sautéed vegetables.
16. Cauliflower Breakfast Skillet Casserole
This healthy protein packed breakfast skillet is a great way to get the morning going. It's also a one pan meal and combines chicken sausage, cauliflower, onions and Italian seasoning.
Using cauliflower is another one of those popular food trends that people can't get enough of. This vegetable can do it all (still can't get over cauliflower pizza crust).
17. Southwest Steak and Eggs Skillet
Hearty, rustic and filled with flavor. Tender strips of steak are combined with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, jalapeño peppers and hash browns. Top with eggs and cheddar cheese and get ready to devour this breakfast!