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!

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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 itโ€™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.

Sautรฉ 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.  

Sautรฉ 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

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!

Sourdough Skillet

4.59 from 372 votes
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.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Healthy One Pot Meals Sourdough Skillet

Video

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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

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.ย ย Ideally, if you cooked your filling in the cast iron skillet, it is already preheated.ย  Preheating is the best step to take to ensure nothing sticks.
  • Saute the beef in the cast iron skillet on the stove.ย  After the beef is completelyย cooked, place on a plate and set aside.ย 
  • Cook the mixed veggies and cilantro in the cast iron skillet.
  • While the veggies are cooking on the stove, mix together the sourdough mixture of sourdough starter, eggs, salt, basil, 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.ย  Stir to combine the beef and veggies.
  • Spread the sourdough mixture over the top of the veggies and beef, and sprinkle with 1.5 cups grated cheddar cheese.
  • Bake for 25 minutes, or until bread is cooked through and golden.

Notes

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 393kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 674mg | Potassium: 387mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 5058IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 252mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.59 from 372 votes (288 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




293 Comments

  1. Veta says:

    5 stars
    This was so simple to make. I had a leftover roasted chicken, cream of chicken soup and frozen vegetables, so I made a filling very easily and use this recipe for the crust. The whole family loved it! Especially the cheese. That is a great addition to this.

  2. Amy says:

    Wow! My mind is whirring with variations on this theme. I love a good one-pot meal, and especially one that incorporates sourdough starter. Now I’m going to go check out that ebook. Thanks, Lisa!

  3. Holly Hageman says:

    This looks delicious! I have 5 boys so I need a bit more food than one pie. Could I make this in a glass 9×13 pan if my filling was hot snd just cooked on the stove?
    Any suggestions for feeding a bunch of teenage boys welcome!!

    1. Lisa says:

      Yep, that should work! Ha, that will be my future soon enough. I love adding a bread component to meals to help fill those bellies.

  4. Jennifer says:

    I’ve done a few different variations of your recipe. Thank you by the way for a great base! I’ve made a garlic-parm-rosemary top. So good. Making a Chicken pot pie version tonight. ๐Ÿ˜‹

    1. Lisa says:

      Sounds delicious!

  5. Anna says:

    I made this!! Itโ€™s currently in the oven and I know itโ€™ll taste great but my bubbly sourdough mixture was really thin compared to the one in the video. Any suggestions?

    1. Lisa says:

      This will depend on the ratio of flour and water you use to feed your sourdough starter. Also, if you are using discard that hasn’t been fed it awhile it can be thinner. Hope that helps.

  6. Michele Scallan says:

    I have a ton of discard to use up. What do you think about adding 1/2 – 1 tsp of yeast to my sourdough starter discard for this recipe? It’s been in the refrigerator for a while and not active.

    1. Lisa says:

      I would not do it personally. If you pull the starter out of the fridge and feed it a few times, it should get going again.

  7. S says:

    This is definitely in my rotation now. So delicious! I added about 3/4 cup of sauerkraut to the pot after adding the cooked ground beef back in. It was super yummy!

    1. Lisa says:

      Sounds delightful!

  8. Ronna Keith says:

    So yummy. I had attempted to roast some chicken and veggies on Tuesday night. It was dry and the veggies didnโ€™t crisp up. So I put the chicken in my instant pot with some chicken broth and when it was tender I shredded it. I roasted the lest over veggies to make sure they were done. I then made a gravy with the broth the chicken cooked in. I put everything in my cast iron skillet and topped it with your skillet meal batter. It was the bomb!!! The veggies were carrots, potatoes, brussel sprouts and a head of garlic. Delicious!!!

    1. Lisa says:

      That sounds absolutely delicious!

  9. Megan says:

    Hi Lisa! Is sourdough discard usable in these recipes if Iโ€™m in the first week of establishing a starter? Day two or three, for example. Or does the starter need to be a bit more established? I canโ€™t wait to try this recipe!

    1. Lisa says:

      Yes, you could use the discard in discard recipe. It isn’t mature enough to really get any benefits from the sourdough or to get that yummy flavor, but it still doesn’t have to go to waste.

  10. Franque says:

    5 stars
    This is an amazing recipe. Great for nights you don’t know what to fix as well as those when you need to use up extra veggies or meat. You can make any combo you want and this is heavenly!