If you need to fuel up for a long day of ranching, farming or let’s face it– wiping cute, little butts and folding laundry– then make this Chorizo breakfast skillet with roasted veggies and fried eggs.

Between the Chorizo, charred peppers and onions and the spicy, roasted sweet potatoes, you will feel like you’ve been transported to a ranch in southern California. I’ve been watching a lot of Ranch to Table on Magnolia Network. I’ve been inspired by cattle rancher/ home cooking show host, Elizabeth Poett, to say the least.

What is in Chorizo?

For this breakfast skillet, I used ground, pastured pork Chorizo and eggs from All Grass Farms. They raise their Berkshire hogs on pasture and in the surrounding woodlands of their northern Illinois farm. If you are in the area, I highly recommend taking a farm tour and seeing for yourself the beautifully diverse farm that Anna and Cliff McConville have grown. They both take land stewardship very seriously, putting regenerative practices into place, such as, rotational grazing, cover cropping and disturbing the soil as little as possible.

The ground Chorizo I’m using doesn’t specify Mexican or Spanish Chorizo, but based on ingredients and flavor, my vote is it leans towards Spanish. Pork is the standard meat for Chorizo but sometimes beef is used. Spanish and Mexican style Chorizo’s differ on the seasonings and preparation. Mexican style typically is heavier on the spicy, peppery notes while Spanish is smokier and leans on paprika for the heat. I love the depth of flavor Spanish style imparts and find it to be more versatile when cooking.

The great thing about Chorizo is that it’s very flavorful on its own. It doesn’t need more than a pinch of salt. The flavor it leaves behind in the pan is also a great way to season other ingredients in this dish, such as, the beans and corn.

What else is in the skillet?

This Chorizo skillet is a savory breakfast dish, with onion, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, black beans, and corn. Everything is topped with a sprinkle of scallions, cheese and a beautiful, runny, pasture raised egg.

The sweet potatoes are best cut into bite size, uniform pieces. Salt, cumin, garlic, red chili flakes and chili powder impart heat and savoriness. The potatoes are tossed in Extra virgin olive oil and roasted at 400F for 30-40 minutes. I toss them halfway through and keep a close eye towards the end to make sure nothing burns. Like many people, sweet potatoes turn bitter when burned.

On a separate sheet pan, lay out the sliced onions and peppers. They also get tossed in Extra virgin olive oil and salt. They roast right along with the potatoes but will be done closer to the 25-minute mark. The potatoes should be crispy and beginning to caramelize and the peppers should be softened and well charred.

The black beans should be drained but NOT rinsed. When the Chorizo is nearly done browning, add the can of black beans into the same pan. The mouthwatering pan juices will impart incredible flavor.

Once the Chorizo is cooked and the beans are warmed through, remove them from the pan. Add cooked corn kernels that were cut from the cob (or canned). Corn is in season right now, so I opted for fresh. Either boil the corn a few minutes or steam them in a wet paper towel in the microwave. Then, onto a dish towel, cut the kernels off the cob before adding them to the pan. Cook just a few minutes until beginning to pick up some color then turn off the heat.

Toppings.

This would not be a skillet without a fried egg on top. The runny yolk is a built-in sauce. With that said, it is imperative to not overcook the yolk. I’ve been known to get irrationally upset with myself about a mistake like that.

Here is my #1 perfect over-easy egg trick: Cover the eggs with a lid. Simply heat some oil or butter in a pan, crack the egg and cover. If you can, use a clear lid to be able to see exactly how cooked the egg is. Right when the egg is glazed over, get it out of that pan!

Other toppings that are optional are scallions and cheese. This sounds nuts but I find this skillet so rich and flavorful that I don’t need much cheese. I love the fresh, robust burst of fresh scallions, so I highly recommend!

This is best eaten straight away but leftovers are still delicious. Keep in mind the potatoes would be crispy once refrigerated. Make the eggs separately for each serving.