Some mornings you want more than toast. This sweet potato breakfast recipe is the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with a good smell and sends everyone to the table hungry. It bakes up savory and hearty in one skillet, and it started the way most good things do around here, with a craving and a fresh dug harvest.
A couple of years back I got a hankering for a breakfast casserole, and instead of running to the store, I looked at what our garden had just given us. Sweet potatoes. The moment we unearth those from the ground, I start looking for a way to fix them. This one turned out so well it earned a spot in the family recipe book I am writing for my boys, in my own words, the way I would tell it to them standing at the stove.
- Why Start Your Day With Sweet Potatoes (Savory, Filling, and Good for a Crowd)
- Why This Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipe Works (Easy, Savory, and Flexible)
- How to Make This Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipe (A Few Notes First)
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole Recipe
- How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
- Common Challenges (And How to Fix Them)
- Make It Your Own (Use Up the Garden Overflow)
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole
- FAQs: Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipe
Why Start Your Day With Sweet Potatoes (Savory, Filling, and Good for a Crowd)
Most folks only think of sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, buried under marshmallows. That is a shame, because they make a wonderful savory breakfast. Baked into a casserole with eggs, bacon, and a little cheese, they turn sweet and tender against the salt and give you something that actually holds you until lunch.
They are good for you too. Sweet potatoes are one of the best sources of vitamin A you can grow, and they bring fiber and potassium along with it. According to the USDA, a single medium sweet potato delivers well over a full day’s worth of vitamin A. That is a solid start to any morning.
This dish also shines when you have people to feed. One skillet stretches to serve six to eight, so it is my go-to when family stays over or a hungry crew shows up. You make one pan, you slice it, everybody eats. If you are growing your own sweet potatoes, it is a fine way to enjoy the harvest.
Why This Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipe Works (Easy, Savory, and Flexible)
What I love most about this sweet potato breakfast recipe is how forgiving it is. I have tweaked it a dozen ways over the years, depending on what is waiting to be used up. A half onion here, some bell pepper that needs cooking, a handful of cheese in the back of the fridge. It all finds a home in this skillet.
That makes it a friend to any gardener. When the garden hands you more than you can keep up with, this is a fine place to put it. The base stays the same. What you fold in is up to you and your harvest.
How to Make This Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipe (A Few Notes First)
The batter comes together like biscuit dough. You cut cold butter into the dry ingredients until it looks like small crumbs, the same way you would for from-scratch biscuits, then bring it together with eggs and buttermilk. Keep the butter cold until you use it. That is what gives you those tender pockets.
Cook the bacon first. It is the safer choice and it deepens the flavor. Chop your sweet potato into small bite-size pieces so it cooks through while the casserole bakes. Full measurements and steps are in the recipe card below.
Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole Recipe
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes, plus 5 to 10 minutes as needed
Servings: 6 to 8
Calories: about 458 per serving
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons real salt
- Pinch of baking soda
- 4 tablespoons butter, kept chilled until ready to use
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk (you may need a little more)
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 slices bacon (sausage or ham work well too)
- 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into small bite-size pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
- 3/4 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)
- 1/2 to 1 cup grated cheese (optional)
- Coconut oil for the bottom of the skillet
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Chop the bacon and cook it in a skillet over medium heat until done. Set it aside on a paper towel. Cooking the bacon first keeps the bacon food-safe and builds flavor.
- Coat the bottom of your pan with coconut oil. I use a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
- In a medium-large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Chop the chilled butter into pieces and cut it into the flour until it looks like small crumbs, the way you would for biscuits or pie crust. A pastry cutter or a fork both work.
- Crack in the eggs and pour in the buttermilk. Mix well.
- Fold in the sweet potato, bell pepper, onion, garlic, cheese, and the cooked bacon.
- Add the water a little at a time until the batter is pourable. It should be thicker than biscuit dough but not as runny as pancake batter.
- Pour into your skillet and bake. Check at 30 minutes. If the top is browned, pierce a piece of sweet potato to test it. If it needs more time, return it for 5 to 10 minutes, checking every 5.
- Let it rest 5 minutes if you can, then slice and serve.
Notes: Use what you have. I reach for farm-raised, organic, non-gmo ingredients, but this recipe bends to your kitchen. I do not always add the cheese and garlic. It depends on the day.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftovers
Let any leftovers cool, then keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. To reheat, warm slices in a 350 degree oven or a skillet so the edges crisp back up. The microwave works in a pinch, though the texture goes softer.
You can freeze it too. Wrap individual slices well and freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven.
Common Challenges (And How to Fix Them)
A few things trip people up the first time. Here is how to head them off:
- Sweet potato still firm in the middle. Your pieces were too big. Cut them small next time, and keep baking in 5 minute rounds until a piece pierces easily.
- Batter too thick to pour. Add buttermilk or water a splash at a time until it pours but still holds body.
- Top browns before the center sets. Lay a piece of foil loosely over the top and keep baking until done.
- Casserole turns out watery. Your vegetables gave off moisture. Pat them dry before folding them in, and go easy on the added water.
Make It Your Own (Use Up the Garden Overflow)
This is where the recipe earns its keep. Swap and add based on what your kitchen and garden have going:
- Fold in a couple handfuls of chopped spinach, kale, or chard.
- Use leftover roasted vegetables instead of raw.
- Trade the bacon for cooked sausage or diced ham.
- Add fresh herbs, a diced hot pepper, or a different cheese.
- Stir in a chopped tomato or two when the vines are running over.
Whatever you choose, cook any raw meat first and give watery vegetables a quick pat dry. The rest is up to your taste and your harvest. If you want more ideas, this recipe is one of our top three sweet potato recipes.
Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole
Equipment
- 1 Pastry Hook , optional
- 1 10" Deep, Cast Iron Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 2 tsp real salt
- Pinch baking soda
- 4 Tablespoons butter keep chilled until ready to use
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk may need a little more
- ½ cup water
- 4 slices of bacon sausage, or ham works well too
- 1 Medium sized sweet potato chopped into small bite size pieces
- ½ cup chopped bell pepper
- ¾ large onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic chopped (optional)
- ½ – 1 cup grated cheese optional
- Coconut oil for bottom of skillet
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400.
- Cover the bottom of your pan, I use my 10 inch cast iron skillet, with coconut oil.
- Pre-cook the bacon to your level of preferred crisp!
- Mix the dry ingredients in a medium-large mixing bowl.
- Chop the butter into pieces and add to flour; cut it in until it is in tiny pieces like when you make biscuits or pie crust. I use a pastry hook, but you can use a fork.
- Crack eggs into this and pour in buttermilk. Mix well.
- Add the other ingredients and combine well.
- Add water to make the dough pourable. It will be thicker than biscuit dough, but not as runny as pancake batter.
- Pour into your pan and place in oven. Check it after 30 minutes. If it is brown enough, you can take it out and pierce a piece of sweet potato to see if it is done. Probably not, put back in for 5-10 minutes longer checking after 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes (if you can) and then slice out what you want. Yummy!
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs: Sweet Potato Breakfast Recipe
Can I make this sweet potato breakfast recipe ahead of time?
Yes. You can bake it the night before, refrigerate it, and reheat slices in the morning. You can also cook the bacon and chop the vegetables the day before so assembly goes quick. For the best texture, mix the batter fresh rather than letting it sit overnight.
Do I need to peel the sweet potatoes?
That is up to you. The skin is thin, edible, and holds nutrients, so I often leave it on after a good scrub. If you prefer a smoother bite, peel them. Either way, cut the pieces small so they cook through.
Can I use sausage or ham instead of bacon?
Absolutely. Cooked breakfast sausage or diced ham both work well. Brown or warm the meat first, then fold it in with the vegetables. Use about the same amount you would use of bacon.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
Yes. Wrap individual slices and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven so the edges firm back up. Freezing is a handy way to keep a fast breakfast on hand.
How do I know when the casserole is done in the center?
Check it at 30 minutes. Pierce a piece of sweet potato with a knife or fork. If it slides in easily and the center of the batter is set rather than wet, it is done. If not, give it another 5 to 10 minutes and test again.
What goes well with a sweet potato breakfast casserole?
It is filling on its own, but a side of fresh fruit, a green salad, or a cup of good coffee rounds it out. If you are feeding a crowd, set out hot sauce and extra cheese and let folks fix their slice the way they like it.
This sweet potato breakfast recipe is proof that the best dishes often come from a craving and whatever the garden just handed you. Make it once your way, then start bending it to fit your kitchen. If you try it, come back and tell me what you folded in, or leave a comment with your own favorite twist.
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