12. Cast Iron and My Skillet Breakfast

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 There are so many things I love in my kitchen: rolling pins, whisks, graters, measuring cups and the list goes on and on.  So it is hard for me to pick just a few because they all play such pivotal roles in my kitchen.  My cast iron is treasured.  I love cooking with it.  It reminds me of using a "kitchen tool" that has been used for many, many years.  I feel a connection to all of the cooks from my past...Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers and on and on.

I will buy the worst looking cast iron at garage sales and flea markets and bring it home and restore it to it's natural beauty.  I will give it a beautiful black patina.  I give each of them the egg test.  If I can make an egg in it and not have it stick, then I have done my job.  This dish is the ultimate egg test because it combines eggs, cheese, potatoes and bacon.  

I read an article that gave the easiest and simplest way to re-season your cast iron.  I use to slather it with Crisco and let it season in the oven for an hour and cool.  This took forever, heated up my house and did not always work the first time.  The new way is much easier.  They have you do it on the stove top.  I heat my skillet up, grab some tongs and a napkin, dip my napkin in the Crisco and melt it all over the inside of the pan, all while on the stove top.  I do this about 4 times and it's done.  My last two pans passed the fried egg test the first time.  

Everyone must know that I LOVE cheese...and so, here is a cool cheese picture.

Bacon..YUM

Peppers and Onions...Delicious!

Combine with the red potatoes and your almost ready to pop it in the oven.

I made two sizes.  One large (12inch) and one small (6 inch) cast iron breakfast.

Recipe/ Method :

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and put skillets in oven.  BEWARE, they will get very hot!

4-5 potatoes for the large skillet and 2 for the small..cooked and then diced.

I made my potatoes that morning in my NU Wave oven.  But this is perfect for leftover baked potatoes from the night before. Do not use raw potatoes.

1/2 sliced onion

1/2 sliced bell pepper

salt/pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Saute the onion, bell pepper and garlic for 3 minutes in butter. Add salt and pepper to taste.

1 pound of Bacon..cooked and diced

2 cups of cheddar cheese for the large skillet, 1 cup for the small skillet

6 eggs for the large skillet and 3 for the small skillet

1/2 cup of cream or milk, for the large and 1/4 cup for the small skillet

I placed eggs and milk into a small bowl and whisked together.

Using a thick hot pad, remove skillets from oven and coat with butter. Layer your buttered skillets in this order:

Potatoes

Bacon

Onion and bell pepper

cheese

eggs/milk

Bake for 15-20 minutes in 400 degree oven.  The eggs should be puffy yet firm when touched.  See picture below.  Serve immediately.  

The large skillet would feed 4-5 adults and the small skillet is perfect for 2-3 people.

Before...

...and after.

I think my family liked it!

I love how you can see the individual ingredients that create a wonderful flavor when eaten together.

 ENOY!  Please feel free to share and make comments.