Cowboy Breakfast Skillet

Experience a flavorful Cowboy breakfast skillet featuring sausage and potatoes. This hearty cast-iron breakfast delight combines the convenience of frozen potatoes, the savory goodness of sweet Italian sausage, the sweetness of Vidalia onions, and perfectly cooked eggs. Plus, it’s gluten-free, ensuring a satisfying morning meal with minimal ingredients.

This recipe is sponsored by Shuman Farms. As always, all options are my own.

You can make this breakfast skillet recipe at home easily by grabbing some frozen diced potatoes, sweet Italian sausage (freezes great if you find it on sale), eggs, and Vidalia onions. 

Vidalia onions’ sweet, versatile flavor allows them to be perfect for any dish – salads, grilling staples, ethnic dishes, and much more. They also have a longer shelf life (perfect for these quarantine days!)  than many other items in the produce department making them good pantry items to keep on hand. You can find storage and prep tips here.

These onions are the perfect building block for flavorful dishes.

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 24 ounces frozen Southern-style diced potatoes
• 1 medium Vidalia onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Scallions for garnish optional
• Drizzle of olive oil

How To Make Italian Sausage Breakfast

1. In a large skillet, cook the sausage until it’s fully done. Remove the cooked sausage and set it aside, while keeping the flavorful drippings in the pan.
2. Add the Vidalia onion and sauté it until it becomes translucent.
3. Introduce garlic, frozen diced potatoes, and some water into the pan. Cover it and let it cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
4. Uncover the skillet and continue cooking for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the potatoes start to stick to the bottom of the pan, you can drizzle a bit of oil to prevent that.
5. Reintroduce the cooked sausage into the pan.
6. Use a spatula to create four small wells in the mixture for the eggs. Crack the eggs into these wells while the heat remains high. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the potatoes in the skillet.
7. Once the edges of the eggs start to set, reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and cook for another 8-10 minutes, or until the eggs reach your desired level of doneness.
8. Serve the dish immediately and, if desired, garnish it with scallion

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Opt for a large skillet:
  • If your cast-iron skillet is relatively small, it’s best to use the largest skillet you have available. The idea is to avoid overcrowding the pan. If you lack an adequately sized skillet, consider reducing the quantity of potatoes, or you can use two skillets simultaneously.
• Add oil as needed:
  • If you notice the potatoes sticking to the pan once the water has evaporated, simply drizzle a bit more olive oil. This can also enhance the crispiness of the potatoes, especially when you add the oil toward the end of the cooking time.
• Substitutions:
  • You can easily swap the sausage for bacon, ground beef, or even omit it altogether.
  • Feel free to use any type of cheese you have available. No need to make a special trip to the store. You can also skip the cheese if you prefer.
• Cover the skillet when cooking the eggs:
  • Covering the skillet is beneficial when cooking the eggs. If you don’t have a lid for your large skillet, you can improvise by using another pan, such as a wok, turned upside down as a makeshift lid. This method works effectively to cook the eggs to your liking.
  • If you prefer eggs with a different level of doneness, continue cooking the skillet for a few extra minutes, especially if you can keep it covered. Remember that eggs will continue to cook a bit even after they are removed from the heat.

FAQ

Storage and Reheating Instructions

To store and reheat this skillet breakfast, follow these guidelines. Once your meal has cooled to room temperature, place any leftovers in an airtight container, ensuring it’s properly sealed to maintain freshness. Store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.

When you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers, there are a couple of options for reheating. One method is to warm it in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), place the skillet or the portion you want to reheat in the oven, and heat it until it’s warmed through, which may take around 10-15 minutes, depending on the portion size.

Alternatively, you can use the microwave. Cover the skillet or portion with a microwave-safe lid or microwave-safe wrap, and reheat it in short intervals, typically around 1-2 minutes per serving, checking and stirring between intervals to ensure even reheating. The time may vary depending on your microwave’s power.

Regardless of the method you choose, be mindful that reheating may alter the texture of the eggs, but the flavors will still be delicious. Remember that properly reheated leftovers are best when consumed within a day or two for the best taste and quality.

More Vidalia Onion Recipes:

• Shrimp and Grits with Gouda
• Bacon and Vidalion Onion Jam with Baked Brie
• Sweet & Tangy Cucumber Tomato Salad
• Refrigerator Pickles with Vidalia Onions