Today I’m showing how to make a Sourdough Skillet Dinner using discarded sourdough starter. This is a practical, delicious way to use both fridge leftovers and your sourdough discard so nothing goes to waste.
An Easy Sourdough Skillet Dinner
A Sourdough Skillet Dinner is one of the simplest, most flexible meals to prepare. Gather leftover cooked vegetables, cooked meat, or beans, sauté them in a cast-iron skillet, then top with a savory sourdough discard mixture and bake. The finished dish has a comforting, tamale-pie–style texture without the cornmeal crust.
Besides being quick and tasty, this recipe is economical and waste-conscious. Use up ingredients that might otherwise languish in the fridge and transform your sourdough discard into a flavorful topping that bakes into a golden, cheesy crust.
More Discarded Sourdough Videos
If you enjoy making dishes from your sourdough discard, try these other recipes that turn discard into breakfast, bread, or a quick side:
- Sourdough Starter Pancakes – What to Do with Discarded Sourdough Starter
- Sourdough Starter Flatbread using Discarded Sourdough Starter
Sourdough Starter Recipes
If you’re new to maintaining a sourdough starter, there are simple guides and videos that walk through creating and feeding a starter. As your starter grows, the portion you discard can become the base for many discard recipes like the skillet dinner, pancakes, and flatbread.
- The Complete Sourdough Starter Guide
- How to Make a Foolproof Sourdough Starter
- Busy Mother’s Sourdough Secret – The Easy Way to Make Sourdough Starter and Sourdough Bread
More Skillet Recipes
Cast-iron skillets are ideal for recipes like this one. They move easily from stovetop to oven and create great texture and flavor. Try these other skillet favorites for quick, family-friendly meals and desserts.
- Cornbread Skillet Recipe – Whole Grain Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread
- Apple Pie Skillet Recipe with an Easy Foolproof Pie Crust
- Easy Yeast Dinner Rolls – Cast Iron Skillet Recipe
Sourdough Skillet Dinner
Equipment
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10-12 inch cast iron frying pan
Ingredients
Skillet Mixture
- 2 tbsp Butter, salted or unsalted Any other fat can be substituted (ghee, olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, or lard).
- 1 large Onion, diced
- 3 cups Chopped veggies, fresh or canned
- 1 tsp Salt Reduce to 1/2 tsp if using salted butter.
- 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups Chopped cooked chicken (or other cooked meat, beans, or lentils)
Skillet Topping
- 1 tsp Herb seasoning (Italian, Herbes de Provence, etc.)
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda (optional) Helps reduce the sourness of the discard if desired.
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Sourdough starter (discard)
- 3 tbsp Melted butter, cooled
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Cheese, grated (any melting cheese or combination)
Instructions
Skillet Mixture
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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Melt the butter in a 10–12 inch cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until golden, a few minutes.
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Add the chopped vegetables, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Sauté until the vegetables are tender.
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Stir in the chopped cooked chicken (or other protein) and warm through. Remove the pan from the stovetop and set it on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any overflow when baking.
Skillet Topping
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In a medium bowl, combine the herb seasoning, baking powder, salt, and baking soda (if using).
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Add the sourdough starter (discard) and mix until smooth.
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Stir in the cooled melted butter, then beat in the eggs until fully incorporated.
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Pour the batter-like topping evenly over the skillet mixture. Sprinkle grated cheese across the top.
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Bake at 400°F for about 25 minutes, until the topping is puffed and golden and the cheese has melted. Let rest briefly, then serve.
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Store well-wrapped leftovers in the refrigerator for 2–3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, warm on a baking sheet in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes.
Video
Notes
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Shop for items used in this blog post or video
Favorite Baking Supplies
- Favorite Aprons
- Lodge Cast Iron Frying Pan
- Baking Sheet
- Large Spatula Spoon
- Rubbermaid Food Container
- 10-Piece Glass Bowl Set
- Danish Dough Whisk
- Wooden Scraping Spoon
- Plastic Bench Scraper
- Metal Bench Scrape
- Metal Loaf Pans
- Glass Loaf Pans
- Cast-Iron Dutch Oven
- Baking Stone
Favorite Kitchen Supplies
- Masontops Fermentation Kit
- Mockmill Grain Grinder and Whole Grains
Recommended Reading
- Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More
- Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day
- Nourishing Traditions: A Cookbook of Traditional Foods
- Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World
- Nourishing Diets: How Paleo, Ancestral and Traditional Peoples Really Ate