This Millet Breakfast Skillet Recipe is quick, hearty and very satisfying. And the crunchy crust is amazing!
Ahhh…leftovers! I love them. Flavors blend and meld overnight and the next day you get an easy delicious meal.
I especially love reinventing leftovers; taking the dinner from one day and turning it into something else the next. My favorite thing to make out of leftovers is soup. My second favorite thing to make out of leftovers is a breakfast skillet.
What’s a breakfast skillet? To me, it’s anything that is cooked in a skillet and contains eggs and a lot of carbs. How can that be wrong?
This particular breakfast recipe uses millet. Why is millet in this skillet?
Because of how it sounds. “Millet Skillet. Millet Skillet. Millet Skillet.”
But also because millet gets super-crispy when pan-fried (remember these savory millet pancakes from the other day?).
Just like with the pancakes, when the millet and egg mixture hits a touch of hot oil, a crunchy crust forms across the whole skillet. Meanwhile, the inside of the mixture stays soft and smooth, a bit like a polenta or grits cake.
So if you have leftover millet, use it in here for a very satisfying breakfast. If you don’t have leftover millet and want to make this recipe anyhow, never fear. The recipe gives instructions for cooking millet as well.
And now, here’s the hearty, delicious, crunchy millet breakfast skillet recipe:
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Millet Breakfast Skillet Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
DESCRIPTION
This Millet Breakfast Skillet Recipe is quick, hearty and very satisfying. And the crunchy crust is amazing!
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked millet (or use 3 and 1/2 cups cooked millet and skip step #1 below)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 6 Tbsp. milk
- 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 3 oz. diced ham
- 1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan combine the uncooked millet with 3 cups cold water and the salt.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and let bubble until tender, stirring occasionally, 15-20 minutes. Drain well.
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, and cornstarch.
- Add the ham, 3/4 cup of the cheese and the cooked millet. Stir to combine.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in an oven-safe nonstick or well-seasoned 10″ cast iron skillet. Spread the oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the millet mixture and spread it out. Press down and smooth it down. Let it cook for 3-4 minutes (this gets the crisping and browning started).
- Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until top looks dry and edges are browned, 15-20 minutes.
- Sprinkled with remaining cheese and bake for another minute or two, just until cheese is melted.
- Run a knife around edge of the pan. Cut into wedges and serve.
This post originally appeared in March 2014. It was revised and republished in September 2018.
Val Lacey says
Made this using vegan sausage instead of ham. My family loved it and frequently ask for it.
★★★★★
Christine Pittman says
That’s wonderful, Val. Thanks for letting us know!
Cathy says
Followed the recipe exactly except that I did not put cheese on top. It was great! I will definitely make it again. It would be easy to make variations using different meats and cheese and perhaps some veggies.
Christine Pittman says
Great, Cathy! So happy that you are looking forward to making more variations!
yannka says
Sorry, obviously I meat gluten free, not vegan.
yannka says
Hello, thanks a lot for all your advice! I actually made it last Saturday before you posted your reply but I’ll try the Greek version next time. I hope you’ll forgive me the many modifications but I believe that just like tortillas or quiches this will become my go-to recipe that can be very easily adapted depending on what you have on hand. I ended up sauteeing some scallions and a small zuchhini (which heated up the pan nicely) before adding the millet mixture , in which I used half cheddar and half feta and a handful of corn kernels instead of ham. Towards the end I sprinkled some cheddar on top as instructed and flashed it under the grill. It’s a great recipe to have on hand and also good for potential vegan guests! I also look forward to trying the pancake version.
By the way the Czech cuisine uses millet in sweet recipes rather than savoury – try it instead of oatmeal for breakfast with some nuts, raisins and sliced apple, for instance. It’s also heavenly with a splash of coconut milk:)
yannka says
Hi Christine, do you think that swapping feta for cheddar (or at least partly) will work without changing the texture too much?
Christine Pittman says
I think it should be ok. My first concern would be that the cheddar mixed in with the eggs and millet might actually be part of what’s holding it together. Except that there is sufficient egg in there to do that. My second concern is that the flavor of the feta might be overpowering. Perhaps consider not using cheese at all in the millet and egg mixture (or a mild shredded part-skim mozzarella) and then top it with feta for the last couple of minutes of baking.
I actually love this idea. It would be wonderful with some other Greek flavors in the mix. Have a look at these Greek stuffed peppers. I think you could almost do exactly that mixture but with the millet and eggs, and no chicken or brown rice: https://cookthestory.com/greek-chicken-stuffed-peppers/
Collin Lovas says
Great recipe, when veganized. Â Cook the millet as described above. Â Scramble a few Veggs and fry a diced onion and some Sweet Earth Bacon. Â Combine and bake until crispy on edges. Â YUM!
Christine Pittman says
Collin, That sounds delicious!
Rena says
Is there something to substitute for the cheese. Dislike cheese of nearly any kind and can only take the few I don’t dislike in small amounts.
Sue says
Great way to use left over millet. I used what I had on hand. I omitted the corn starch, used water instead of milk and substituted leek for the ham. Is was delicious. Thanks for the idea.Â
Christine Pittman says
Sue, you’re welcome. I love this recipe too. So happy you liked it!
A Magical Life says
I love millet and use it a lot since our family is gluten free. For other vegetarians, I’d suggest swapping out the ham for some sliced mushrooms and/or chopped red peppers. Looking forward to trying this. :)
Christine Pittman says
Great idea! Thank you!
Nathalie says
Do i have to put cornstarch in it ? Thanks!
Chris says
That is a great dish! I have to bookmark it for my leftover millet.
This post would also fit perfectly well for the No Waste Food Challenge that is running this month on my blog. So if you like joining such things …