Pull out that cast iron skillet and whip up a batch of these Skillet Potatoes with Bacon and Cherry Tomatoes!
I love using my cast iron skillet. In fact, I’ve got 2 cast iron skillets. I’ve used them for everything from Cast Iron S’mores to Deep Dish Pizzas to pasta bakes. I remember when we first got our skillets, I was so totally confused about the whole seasoning process. You mean I shouldn’t use soap? And I should rub a little vegetable oil in there after cleaning the pan? But I dutifully followed the instructions that came with the pan, and over the years my cast iron pan has developed a nice seasoning on it.
Speaking of seasoned cast iron pans, those things are like gold in the South. I’ve heard of folks including their cast iron pans in wills. This is serious business. To be fair, those pans are usually several generations old…but still. My grandfather had this huge cast iron pan that he cooked bacon with every morning. Yes, every morning. (He ate a lot of bacon.) When he passed away, that pan totally stayed in the family. You don’t mess with years and years of flavor like that!
So it turns out that you actually can use a little bit of soap on your cast iron pan. The process of adding a bit of oil each time you clean the pan slowly creates a layer that bonds to the surface of the metal. The layer is no longer oil, but rather part of the pan itself. Thus, the reason why a well-seasoned cast iron pan is worth it’s weight in gold. Ok, maybe not actually gold. Perhaps silver. I mean cast iron is pretty darned heavy after all.
Last week, we had a lot of potatoes in our kitchen. You see, I love a good deal, and our grocery store had 5-lb bags of potatoes on sale for buy one-get one. I had to take advantage of that! (We won’t mention the fact that I already had some leftover potatoes on the counter from a previous recipe.) So there I was looking at an overflow of potatoes. That’s when I decided to pull out that cast iron skillet and make a batch of these Skillet Potatoes with Bacon and Cherry Tomatoes.
These Skillet Potatoes with Bacon and Cherry Tomatoes are an excellent option for a hearty, country-style breakfast. Or they can also function as a delicious side dish with a piece of grilled chicken or steak. (Mmmm. Steak.) And this dish takes full advantage of the cast iron skillet, too! You start with cooking the bacon in the skillet on the stovetop. Most of the grease is drained, but a little bit is left in the pan for flavor. Add in the chopped veggies and toss that bad boy straight into the oven. That’s the beauty of cast iron. It can do work on the stovetop or in the oven…or both.
If you feel like your cast iron skillet needs some love (or you happen to have a surplus of potatoes on your countertop), then whip up a batch of these Skillet Potatoes with Bacon and Cherry Tomatoes. And don’t forget to season that pan after cooking!
Ingredients
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon
- 3 pounds small red potatoes, cut into ½” pieces
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 bell peppers, chopped (1 red, 1 green)
- 2 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Using a large cast iron skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove bacon and pat dry with a paper towel; set aside. Discard excess bacon grease from pan, leaving ~2 Tbsp in skillet.
- Using a large bowl, add potatoes, onion, bell peppers, garlic, salt and pepper; toss until well combined. Transfer potato mixture into cast iron skillet, stirring to coat with bacon drippings.
- Bake at 425°F for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Increase oven temperature to 475°F and add cherry tomatoes. Stir and continue baking for 10-12 more minutes.
- Remove skillet from oven and top with crumbled bacon and freshly chopped parsley.
Your pics have me craving potatoes like nobody’s business. I just got a new cast iron skillet a few weeks ago (which I guess I’ll have to take really good care of so I can leave it to my grandchildren?) and I think this is the perfect inaugural recipe :). Have a great weekend, David!
Haha! Yes, you better take good care of that cast iron skillet, Kelsie! One day, your grandkids will be talking about how crazy Grandma Kelsie used that skillet to cook all sorts of delicious meals. (Ok, I might’ve added the crazy part…hah!) Skillet potatoes are one of my favorite weekend breakfasts!
I’m a huge cast iron pan fan. And this dish is going in it next. I think I’ll slide a sunny side up egg on top.
Ohhh, a sunny side egg would’ve been a great addition to this skillet, Jeff! Next time. Next time. I love skillet potatoes for breakfast on the weekends!
I also love cooking in my cast iron pan…I had no idea about adding a bit of oil after washing it…thank you for the advice.
I love this recipe and think that it will make a scrumptious Sunday brunch.
Looking forward to making this weekend 😃
Happy to help with the cast iron cooking advice! It seems strange to not wash your pan with soap, but the whole seasoning process is mighty important. That’s why cast iron pans get passed down in wills in the southern parts of the US…I kid you not! 🙂 And I’m all about a tasty skillet breakfast on weekend mornings. Thanks, Ashika!
Hi David! I have my great grandmother’s cast iron pans, as well as some I’ve purchased over the years. This skillet dish is one I’d be more than happy to eat! Yes to bacon hash!! I like Jeff’s comment about adding a sunny side up egg!
Yes! You totally know what I mean when I say that cast iron pans get passed down through the family. And I bet those pans are super well seasoned at this point…how cool is that!? 🙂 I agree with Jeff, too, about adding a sunny side egg to this skillet. Serve it up with a nice, hot mug of coffee and that sounds like a great way to start a weekend day! Thanks, Dorothy!
I think cast iron pans can last forever…and then some! These potatoes look delicious. I’d love them for breakfast with a couple of over easy eggs!
Oh, you are totally right about that one, Kathy! I mean Dorothy in her comment above mentioned she has her great-grandmother’s pans. How cool is that!? Skillet potatoes are one of my favorite weekend breakfasts…especially once it starts getting cool outside. Thanks, my friend!
I LOVE using my cast iron skillet and use it any chance I get! There was once a time I didn’t, but that is definitely not the case now. Everything cooks better and looks better in a skillet, doesn’t it? This recipe sounds amazing, David! I could totally go for this for breakfast right now with an egg and big cuppa coffee! YUM! Cheers to a great week 🙂
I totally agree with you, Dawn! I love my cast iron skillet! I find that I don’t use it as much in the summer as we eat a lot off of the grill…but come winter, my cast iron pans go into high demand! I love the idea of adding an egg to this one, too! Thanks so much, Dawn!
Dude! You are killing me -with bacon cravings – this morn! First it was the tortellini salad with BACON and now potatoes with bacon! Potatoes + bacon = the ultimate comfort food for me! I think I could even put away a whole cast iron pan pf these two – topped with a runny egg of course!
Such a scrumptious recipe!
Haha…I didn’t even connect that, but you’re right. I guess I’ve got some bacon on the brain lately? (Truthfully, though, bacon is never that far away from my brain!) I do love this recipe a lot, and we’ve been making something similar on weekend mornings now that the weather is turning chilly. A runny egg would indeed be an excellent addition here, too! Thanks so much, my friend!
This recipe sounds so delicious, I think I will try it. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Cecilia! This recipe really is quite easy, and the best part is it can serve as either a hearty breakfast or a nice dinner side dish. I really appreciate you stopping by and commenting! 🙂
Put an over easy egg on that and I’m in HEAVEN! Cast iron pans are just the best and so worth the effort of caring for them properly.
You are totally right about the over easy egg! I can’t believe I didn’t think of putting one in there when I took these photos…next time! 🙂 Thanks so much, Marissa!
forget the brunch lines, i’m making this next time i want brunch! i can’t say i have a family heirloom cast iron (they’re not quite a thing in asian culture lol though my dad has one stashed away somewhere), but i guess it’s time to start one (:
So if your Dad has one stashed away, then I say pull out that cast iron pan and make it famous! Turn it into a family heirloom…hey, it has to start somewhere, right? 🙂 Thanks, Heather!!
Sounds soooo yummy! There is something so comforting about potatoes..even more with some bacon in that cast iron skillet! Great idea for breakfast..with an egg on the side 🙂
I am totally with you on the bacon + potatoes train, Deepika! Talk about a wonderful combination of comfort food! And, yes, an egg on the side would make this perfect for breakfast. Yum!!
I just bought my first cast iron pan this year and I really love it. I love making all kinds of things in it. Love these skillet potatoes. Since I have a cast iron pan I think I will put this on my list of things to make.