Tulo

Good Morning Breakfast Skillet Recipe

A cast iron skillet filled with crispy diced potatoes, bacon pieces, melted cheddar, and eggs cooked sunny-side up, garnished with sliced green onions.
Photo by Clayton de Araujo on Pexels

Parboiling the potatoes before they hit the skillet means they turn tender inside and genuinely crisp outside instead of raw-centered, and cracking the eggs directly into wells in the hot hash lets them set into the vegetables rather than steaming loose on top.

Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Servings
4

Ingredients

Servings4
  • 3 cups russet potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 6 large large eggs
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp green onions, sliced, for garnish

Nutrition per serving

Calories
488
Protein
25g
Carbs
34g
Fat
28g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

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Instructions

  1. 1Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add the diced potatoes, and parboil for 5 minutes until just barely tender at the edges. Drain well and pat dry with a towel.
  2. 2Heat a large cast iron or heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered fat in the skillet.
  3. 3Add the olive oil to the bacon fat in the skillet. Add the parboiled potatoes in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes to let a crust form, then stir and continue cooking for another 6-8 minutes until golden and crisp on most sides.
  4. 4Add the diced bell pepper and onion to the skillet with the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened.
  5. 5Stir the cooked bacon back into the skillet and spread everything into an even layer. Use a spoon to make 6 shallow wells in the hash.
  6. 6Crack one egg into each well. Cover the skillet with a lid and cook over low heat for 4-6 minutes for runny yolks, or 7-8 minutes for fully set yolks.
  7. 7Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top, cover again, and cook for 1-2 more minutes just until the cheese melts.
  8. 8Remove from heat, scatter the sliced green onions over the top, and serve directly from the skillet.
How to Bake Bacon in the Oven

Tips & variations

  • Swap the potatoes for frozen diced hash browns to skip the parboiling step entirely; add them straight to the hot fat and cook a few extra minutes.
  • For a spicier version, stir in a diced jalapeno with the bell pepper and finish with a few dashes of hot sauce.
  • To make this vegetarian, skip the bacon, use butter instead of the rendered fat, and add a cup of sauteed mushrooms for savoriness.
  • Pepper jack or smoked gouda both work well in place of cheddar.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a skillet over low heat until warmed through; microwaving works but will firm up the egg yolks further. This dish does not freeze well, since the potatoes turn mushy and the eggs become rubbery once thawed.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

  • Dicing the potatoes uniformly (no bigger than 1/2 inch) is what keeps the parboiling and skillet times accurate; larger chunks need longer at both stages.
  • If the skillet lid doesn't fit tightly, a sheet of foil pressed over the top traps steam just as well for setting the eggs.

FAQ

Can I make this breakfast skillet ahead of time?

Cook the potato, bacon, and vegetable base up to a day ahead and refrigerate it in the skillet or a separate container. Reheat it in the skillet until hot before adding the eggs fresh, since pre-cooked eggs reheat poorly.

What can I use instead of a cast iron skillet?

Any large, heavy-bottomed oven-safe or stovetop skillet works, including a well-seasoned carbon steel pan or a heavy nonstick skillet with a fitted lid.

How do I know the eggs are done without lifting the lid too often?

Give the pan a gentle shake through the lid; the whites should look set and no longer jiggle loosely, while the yolks will still have a slight give if you want them runny.

Can I use sweet potatoes instead of russets?

Yes, though sweet potatoes cook faster, so reduce the parboil time to about 3 minutes and check the skillet crisping time a few minutes earlier.

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