Sourdough Skillet – Healthy One Pot Meal

Name: Sourdough Skillet
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1.5 cups sourdough starter; 3 eggs; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon basil; 3 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil); 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 pound beef; 4 cups mixed veggies, Such as peppers, red onions, mushrooms, and corn.; 1/4 fresh cilantro; 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, optional

August 29, 2023 by Lisa 181 Comments

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Sourdough Skillets are healthy one pot meals that can be made with many different variations. Try it with whatever meats and/or veggies you have in your fridge for a nutritious and satisfying meal.

sourdough skillet topped with cheese and parsley in a cast iron skillet with a slice cut out. The slice is on a white plate on a blue checked towel

You know those meals you can make when you have no cohesive ingredients in your fridge, and you’re putting off a trip to the grocery store for as long as possible? In my house it’s things like crispy salmon burgers, fried eggs, or potato soup. Staple meals.

What is your definition of a perfect staple meal? For me, it is one that has only a few basic ingredients. It can be adapted to suit what you have on hand. And it must, of course, be a healthy square meal.

This one has it all; protein, fats, carbs, veggies. The sourdough starter makes a bread layer over the top of whatever filling you decide on.

I originally read about this idea over on the Traditional Cooking School Blog. I adapted it a bit and have been enjoying it for many years!

The Sourdough skillet is the perfect staple meal. Perfect when you don’t have dinner planned and just need to throw something together quickly, which is my specialty. I’m not one to typically plan meals. I like to open the fridge, look to see what we have and gather inspiration.

overhead photo of sourdough skillet topped with cheese and parsley in a cast iron skillet on white towel

Tips:

If you are totally new to sourdough, check out how to make your own sourdough starter here.
This recipe is really just a starting off point. You can create any type of filling you would like. Just add the sourdough topping, cheese, and bake. I’ve included some of my favorite variations below.
I like to use a cast iron skillet because it can easily go from stove top to oven. You can use another oven safe skillet, or transfer the filling to a baking dish and then top with the sourdough topping.
This recipe can be made with discarded sourdough starter. It is a great way to use up all that extra sourdough starter, especially when you are just starting out on your wild yeast journey.
If you are not adding meat like ground beef that has natural fats in it, I would suggest adding a little butter or olive oil to the bottom of the pan so the veggies don’t stick.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Healthy One Pot Meals Cast Iron Cooking Sourdough Skillet

Filling Ideas:

Veggies (any will do): peppers, onions, corn, green beans, peas, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. The possibilities are really endless.

Meat (totally optional): ground beef, ground chicken or turkey, sausage, pork, shredded chicken, etc.

Salt – I like sea salt

Pepper and Herbs (again, optional)

Fed Sourdough Starter (more on that HERE) or sourdough starter discard. A starter made with all-purpose, whole wheat flour, or other type of flour should work just fine. I have not tried it with a gluten free starter.

Eggs

Cheese (once again, OPTIONAL): If you are dairy free you can skip this and use coconut oil rather than butter.

Baking Powder

Butter (or even coconut oil… some kind of fat)

So, let’s tally up the things that are a must: Veggies, sourdough starter, eggs, baking powder, salt, some kind of fat.

For a grand total of SIX (did I count that right? ONLY 6??) ingredients!

If you don’t have THAT on hand, well then get ye to the store, post haste!

Sourdough Skillet Ingredients:

peppers, cilantro, onions on a white countertop

Sourdough Mixture to go on top

In a large bowl, mix:

Fed sourdough starter: This is an active sourdough starter that has been fed 4-12 hours before starting the recipe. It should be active and bubbly. While I typically use a fed starter, sourdough discard will also work since baking powder is the leavening agent.
Eggs
Salt
Dried herbs (optional)
Butter (or coconut oil)
Baking powder

Four cups filling

Options for filling could be:

lentils
ground beef
black beans
shredded chicken
onions, peppers, garlic
carrots, potatoes, green beans
zucchini, tomatoes, basil

I could go on and on. The options are endless. The beautiful thing about this dish is that it’s more of a concept than a recipe.

Tools you may need:

Cast iron skillet or skillet and baking dish

Knife

Cutting board

Cheese grater

slice of sourdough skillet topped with parsley on a white plate with a blue and cream checked towel in the background

How To Make Sourdough Skillet

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Sauté the beef (or whatever meat you choose) in the cast iron skillet on the stove. After the beef is completely cooked, place on a plate and set aside.

Sauté the mixed veggies and cilantro in the cast iron skillet.

While the veggies are cooking on the stove, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the sourdough mixture of sourdough starter, eggs, salt, butter, and baking powder.

When the veggies are done cooking, add the beef back into the cast iron skillet and season with salt and pepper.

Stir to combine the beef and veggies.

sourdough skillet topped with sourdough starter topping in a cast iron skillet on a white countertop with onions to the right

Spread the sourdough mixture over the top of the veggies and beef, and sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until bread is cooked through and golden brown.

You could seriously have this sourdough skillet every single night and never feel like you’re eating the same thing. Ok, I typed that and then realized it could be a slight exaggeration. But, for real, imagine all the possibilities!

If you need my help brainstorming, I put together a quick little ebook with five recipe variations. You can snag that up HERE.

Enjoy!

Storage

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat by placing it in an oven at 350 degrees until hot.

fork with a forkful of sourdough skillet on a white plate.

Sourdough Skillet Variations:

Maple Sweet Potato Chicken Sourdough Skillet

3 medium sweet potatoes
1 small onion
2 tbs butter
2 tbs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
2 tbs maple syrup
3 cups cooked chicken
Mozzarella cheese on top
Sourdough topping mixture

Farmers Market Sourdough Skillet

1 small zucchini, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 large bell pepper, diced
2 tbs butter
1 lb sausage
2 tbs finely diced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Cheddar cheese on top
Sourdough topping mixture

Is cooking with sourdough starter healthy?

Yes. It is already fermented and the grains and phytic acid have been broken down. So it is more nutritious, is easier to digest, and has a lower glycemic index compared to unfermented grains.

Check out my other sourdough recipes and posts

Sourdough English Muffins
How to Make a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
Sourdough Pizza Crust
Our Favorite Sourdough Pancakes Recipe
Sourdough Tortillas
No-Knead Sourdough Bread Recipe
Sourdough Biscuits
Sourdough Cornbread

Thank you so much for stopping by the farmhouse!

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you!