Breakfast Skillet made in a Lodge Cast Iron Pan

Hashbrowns, eggs, bacon and cheese

This is a very hearty breakfast. Like the type of breakfast you eat and then go out and chop wood for hours. Hashbrowns, eggs, bacon and cheese…all cooked in one Lodge Cast Iron pan. It’s great for a low-mess breakfast option since it’s cooked in one pan, although your cardiologist might not like it. I had a breakfast something like this years ago while out and have made my own take on it ever since.

Ingredients

How to Make a Breakfast Skillet in your Lodge Cast Iron

What I’m about to show you makes enough for my family of 3. You may need to adjust based on how many people you are feeding and how hungry they are. My Lodge Cast Iron pan is this one here; 10.25″.

First, you want to cook your bacon. I like my bacon slightly crispy with some “chew” but feel free to cook to your preferred level of doneness. Take your cooked bacon out of the pan and set it aside while you continue on. If your bacon put out a lot of grease, drain some of it from your pan. Don’t drain all of it since you want some to cook your hashbrowns in. You just don’t want so much grease that your hashbrowns need a life jacket to prevent drowning. My estimate…I leave about 2 tablespoons worth of bacon grease for my size of pan.

Next, you want to cook your hashbrowns. Use enough hashbrowns to make sure you have complete coverage of the bottom of your pan, at a minimum. I spice them with onion salt, garlic salt, paprika and pepper. Medium-high heat works well with cast iron. It gives the hashbrowns time to cook and get crispy without burning. I find anything higher in temperature and they burn before they can cook.

While your hashbrowns are cooking, shred your choice of cheese. I typically use three different types: Old cheddar, sharp cheddar and parmesan. Place this off to the side. (The parmesan is in the white grater in the back of the picture since we buy it in large blocks and grate as we need it).

Also while your hashbrowns are cooking, chop up your cooked bacon. I chop the bacon into approximately 1/2″ pieces. You want to know you are eating bacon, but you don’t want giant chunks.

When your hashbrowns are done, it’s egg time! Survey your pan of hashbrowns. You need to determine where you are going to place your eggs. This will be different than my picture if you are cooking more or less than 4 eggs. Place a pat of butter down where ever you are going to crack an egg. The butter helps add a little more flavour and helps make sure your eggs don’t stick to the pan since they will seep into the hashbrowns.

Now, remember, your pan is hot, so any eggs that come in contact with the bottom are cooking. Turn on your oven broiler and now the magic of cast iron…move your pan to the oven under your broiler! I’m sure it goes without saying, but if you happen to have any of those handle protectors on, take them off before it goes in the oven.

Keep an eye on your eggs! Once the whites are almost completely cooked, add your chopped bacon to the top and back under the broiler to continue cooking your eggs. We like our eggs to have the yokes a bit runny still but feel free to continue to cook until the yokes are solid if that’s what you like.

When the eggs are almost done to your liking, add your cheese and yes, you guessed it….back under the broiler to melt your cheese!

And there you have it! Hearty, filling breakfast skillet made in a Lodge Cast Iron pan. Use a lifter (also commonly called spatula here in North America) to cut out sections and take them out almost like a slice of pizza. Since your cast iron is so well seasoned, the mass of hashbrowns, eggs, bacon and cheese will lift out in one piece.

Related: Blueberry Ricotta Skillet Cake – another breakfast idea for your Lodge Cast Iron pan

Let me know if you have made something like this in the comments down below. What would you add or change? Maybe replace bacon with sausage?