Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner with Your Cast Iron Skillet

Written by Aubrie Williams

In August, I shared with our blog readers on the Back to Basics column, my favorite piece of kitchen equipment, the cast iron skillet. I explained how to season it and care for it properly in order to enjoy it longer. Since that article, I’ve used my skillet four to five times a week on several different meals from breakfast to lunch to dinner.

This month, I’d love to share with you some simple recipes for using your skillet all day long.

Breakfast: Cheesy-Bacon Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients
3 Slices of bacon (I used turkey bacon)
½ green bell pepper chopped finely
¼ cup onion chopped finely
4 eggs
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Over medium heat, cook bacon in cast iron skillet until brown and crispy (about 5-7minutes). Remove from skillet and chop into small pieces. Add green pepper and onion to skillet and cook till lightly browned and soft (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from skillet. In small dish, whisk eggs till fluffy. Pour into hot skillet. Add bacon and green pepper mixture. Continue moving the eggs in the pan with a non-metal spatula, scraping the bottom until almost all the moisture is gone. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the eggs and continue to cook one more minute until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve warm with toast.

Lunch: Steak Fajitas

Ingredients
1 tbsp. Olive oil
1 Large round steak, sliced thinly
½ green bell pepper, julienned
½ small onion sliced thinly
1 package of fajita seasoning
Cheddar Cheese
Sour cream
Tortilla Shells, warmed

Directions

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high. Add steak, pepper, onions and seasoning. Continue turning and cook till steak is no longer pink and green pepper is soft (about 10-15 minutes). Fill tortilla shells with mixture and fold in half. Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Dinner: Country Fried Chicken

Ingredients
2 cups oil*
5 Chicken legs
1 egg
¼ cup of milk
1 cup of flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper

Directions

Begin by heating oil in cast iron skillet over medium. (*You may need more or less oil depending on the dimensions of your skillet. Use enough oil so that it comes at least one inch up the side of the skillet.) Oil is hot enough when you can throw flour in it and it sizzles. Whisk egg and milk into small shallow bowl. Mix flour and seasoning together in Ziploc bag. Dip chicken in egg mixture and toss to coat in flour mixture. Add to skillet. When flour is browned on one side, turn over. Chicken is done when you can slice to the bone and the juices run clear. Serve with potatoes, vegetable, and biscuits.

And there you have an entire day’s menu using a cast iron skillet! Enhance this menu with some great sides including buttered toast , fried zucchini, and cornbread, all cooked in… what else… your trusty cast iron skillet. Enjoy!