Our Breakfast Skillet is a great way to start off the day, especially on busy mornings. It’s filling without being too heavy, so you can eat breakfast and still feel ready for work or school! This skillet is made with simple ingredients like cheese, sausage, hash browns, and seasonings that will make your family happy at the breakfast table.
If you’re looking for a hearty family style breakfast that’s quick and easy, try making this breakfast skillet recipe! A breakfast skillet is a hearty breakfast made with shredded hash browns, ground breakfast sausage, eggs, and cheese that is cooked up in one big pan.
It can be served alone or alongside a simple fruit salad with some fresh squeezed fruit juice or some buttermilk biscuits. Prepare it for a large family brunch on a lazy weekend or as part of a holiday breakfast with a batch of Christmas Mocktails and a side of Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Breakfast Sausage – This recipe uses sausage as the breakfast meat. Feel free to use any type of sausage you like, such as pork or turkey!
- White Onion & Garlic – These are used to add flavor to the dish. If you don’t like onions or garlic, feel free to leave them out or use shallot instead of onion for a mild flavor.
- Vegetable Oil – This is used to cook the garlic and onion to soften them and help release their flavors.
- Frozen Shredded Hash Browns – You can use fresh or frozen hashbrowns for this recipe. They add a hearty texture and round out this skillet to make it a full meal.
- Salt & Pepper – These are used to season the dish. You can adjust the amounts to your personal tastes.
- Dried Thyme – Adds a bold herb flavor to this breakfast skillet that balances the savory notes.
- Eggs – This recipe uses eggs to bind the ingredients together and add another layer of flavor along with protein and healthy fats.
- Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese – This adds a little bit of melty gooey cheesy goodness to the breakfast skillet.
How To Make A Hearty Breakfast Skillet
- Cook the sausage, garlic, and onion: Add a large skillet to the stovetop over medium heat. Add the ground breakfast sausage along with the onion. Break everything up with a spatula and cook the sausage until its no longer pink and the onion is soft. Then, add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds to release its flavor without burning. Transfer the sausage, onion, and garlic mixture to a plate with a paper towel to drain any excess oil.
- Cook the potatoes: In the same skillet, add the cooking oil over medium heat until its shiny and smooth. Add the potatoes and spread them out in an even layer at the bottom of the skillet. Flip them every 3-4 minutes while keeping them flat until they are browned and crispy.
- Combine the sausage and potatoes: To the cooked potatoes, add the sausage mixture and stir in the salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to combine the flavors.
- Add the eggs: To the potato and sausage mixture, crack in each egg. Cook them until the eggs are slightly moist but no longer wet. This should take about 7 minutes.
- Add the cheese: Remove the pan from the stovetop. Evenly distribute the cheese over the top of the eggs and put a lid over the top. Let the cheese melt fully.
- Garnish and serve: Remove the pan from the heat and serve with your favorite toppings including avocado, sour cream, and freshly chopped cilantro.
Breakfast Skillet Recipe Tips
- If you want to make this breakfast skillet ahead of time, just follow all the steps up until adding the cheese. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge and add the cheese when you’re ready to reheat it.
- Remove the breakfast skillet from heat when there is still some moisture on top of each egg because it will continue to cook once you remove it from the stove.
- The hashbrowns should have a slightly crispy exterior and moist interior which makes them perfect for absorbing flavor from the eggs, spices, and cheese (without getting soggy). If you don’t like your hashbrowns crispy, feel free to cook them for a shorter amount of time.
Variations
- Add your favorite vegetables to the breakfast skillet including chopped green peppers and tomatoes, or zucchini.
- Instead of ground breakfast sausage, add cooked breakfast sausage links or patties.
- Try using different types of shredded cheeses such as cheddar, pepper jack, or Swiss.
- Add a layer of crispy bacon or ham on top or as a replacement for the breakfast sausage for a layer of smoky flavor and additional protein.
- Season the potatoes and eggs with a dry taco seasoning to add a zesty southwest flavor to this breakfast skillet.
- Add a layer of hashbrowns as the base before adding the eggs for another sturdy and crispy texture.
- Top with fresh ingredients like green onions, cilantro, and avocado to finish off this breakfast skillet and add even more flavor!
Storing and Freezing
Storing: This breakfast skillet is best if consumed immediately after cooking, but it can be stored in an airtight container and reheated later. Store for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Cook the breakfast skillet according to all of these directions, but don’t add the cheese. Then, let it cool and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat with a little extra cooking oil before adding the cheese and serving warm.

Breakfast Skillet
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Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound(s) breakfast sausage, (bulk sausage)
- ½ white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 4 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil, or other neutral tasting oil
- 4 cup(s) hash browns, frozen, shredded
- ½ teaspoon(s) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon(s) ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon(s) thyme, dried
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup(s) Monterey jack cheese, shredded off the block
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and onion, and use a spatula to break apart the sausage. Cook until it is no longer pink and the onion is soft, about 8 minutes.1 pound(s) breakfast sausage½ white onion
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel lined plate.2 cloves garlic
- Pour the oil in the pan, and let it heat up before adding the potatoes and spreading them out in an even layer.4 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil4 cup(s) hash browns
- Allow them to cook for about 10 minutes, flipping them every 3-4 minutes, while keeping them in a flat layer. The hash browns should be brown and crispy.
- Stir in the sausage mixture, salt, pepper and thyme, and let it cook for 1-2 more minutes.½ teaspoon(s) kosher salt½ teaspoon(s) ground black pepper½ teaspoon(s) thyme
- Crack the eggs into the pan and cook until they are still slightly moist but not wet, about 7 minutes.6 large eggs
- Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the cheese on top then cover the pan with a lid and let the cheese melt.1 cup(s) Monterey jack cheese
- Serve with sour cream and sliced avocado, and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley if desired.
- See post for storage options.