COOKING WITH CAST IRON
If I had to use one word to describe what cast-iron cooking means to me, it would be wholesome. That’s because these black pans bring back memories of family get-togethers surrounding tables burdened with fried chicken or roast, casseroles, pies, and cakes. It reminds me of the hours my grandmother and mother spent in the kitchen, laboring over each dish, sometimes to make it healthier, other times to make it more decadent.
Wholesome can mean satisfying, hearty, healthy, and nourished. But for many of us, eating wholesome food also involves certain dietary restrictions.
About two years after Robby and I were married, I learned that my severe fibromyalgia pain was largely due to the wheat gluten in my diet. A nutritionist confirmed that my body just couldn’t break down the wheat, which was causing painful inflammation. After avoiding wheat for only three days, I felt like a new person!
Still, I suffered from slight nausea on a daily basis, and there seemed to be some lingering inflammation. After a simple test, my nutritionist told me something I didn’t want to hear: I wasn’t able to process refined sugar. I had already given up regular breads, pastas, and doughnuts, and now I was having to give up sweet tea! I think I shed actual tears.
Then I did what I had to do. I switched to unsweetened tea. I replaced sugar with honey whenever possible. And I limited my post-lunch chocolate to one or two pieces. The nausea stopped and the inflammation disappeared.
Not only did I feel better than ever but the drastic change in my health also made way for one more change: I became pregnant with our first child! Now I have even more reasons to prepare foods that are wholesome and nutritious. And while it’s not always easy to cook without gluten and sugar, it’s certainly easier than finding something I can eat on a restaurant menu!
If wholesome eating includes dietary restrictions for you, I encourage you to make the following recipes your own. Remember, this is a guidebook on how to cook with cast iron; it’s not a cookbook with strict, take-it-or-leave-it recipes. Feel free to substitute ingredients as needed and, if it doesn’t work out the first time, try again.
Cooking and eating shouldn’t be a source of stress. Instead, it should be a joyful way to feed your body and soul and to bring you closer to those around your table.
Making It Gluten Free
Since Robby and I are both gluten free, I don’t even keep wheat products in the house. Instead, I stock my pantry and fridge with various gluten-free options that I cook with as needed. For this reason, I can assure you that you can make nearly any recipe gluten free—and still enjoy it! The key is substitution.
When a recipe calls for regular or all-purpose flour, you can usually substitute it with a store-bought gluten-free mix. My current favorite all-purpose flour blends are by King Arthur Flour (for thickening casseroles and gravy) and gfJules (for baking fluffy breads and desserts). Most mixes tout a one-for-one ratio, which means you use a cup of the gluten-free mix for every cup of regular flour the recipe requires.
Another option is to use pure rice, almond, or coconut flour. However, these are often more expensive than mixes and can add some unintended flavor (unless you want your dinner to taste like coconut). You’ll also need to check the substitution ratio; if it’s not on the packaging, a quick search online should help.
As for pastas, a lot of traditional brands are now offering gluten-free versions, at least for macaroni and spaghetti. You’ll need to experiment with these, though. Some rice-based pastas turn brittle, while some corn-based varieties are too dense. For this reason, I recommend pastas that incorporate multiple nonwheat flours instead of just rice or corn. And if you’re looking for something different, the all-vegetable versions made from mung beans, black beans, or lentils are really tasty in certain dishes or even as a side item.
Remember: it’s your kitchen, and it’s your rules. Experiment with every recipe until you find what works for you—and then write it down in the margins so you’ll know what to use next time. And if you’re feeling a little glutinous, go ahead and indulge (and enjoy a bite for me!).
The Other Kind of Seasoning
Southern cooking is rich in flavor, but that doesn’t mean you need to buy a lot of special seasonings. In fact, the most basic seasonings (salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder) are all that’s necessary to bring out the natural flavors of most vegetables and meats. If you’re looking for seasoning mixes, though, these are the ones I rely on the most.
Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend by Morton Includes salt, black pepper, sugar, onion and garlic flavor, celery seed, parsley, and other spices. This adds a light garlic flavor to veggies and casseroles.
Seasoned Salt by Lawry’s Includes salt, sugar, paprika, turmeric, onion, and garlic. I use this to season chicken or beef.
All Purpose Greek Seasoning by Cavender’s Includes black pepper, garlic, oregano, sugar, onion powder, parsley, and “five other spices” which make this mix truly unique. Sometimes I’ll sauté veggies with this or use it to season chicken. However, it’s also really good in salad dressing and dips.
If a recipe calls for one of these mixes, feel free to substitute with the basic seasonings noted above or use your own favorite mix. Use those mixes sparingly, though, or you can make the dish too salty.
In the context of healthy living, wholesome can also refer to financial soundness. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have a ton of money to spend on dozens of cast-iron pieces, or the space to store them all. In fact, Robby and I have been trying to live more simply, which includes minimizing our belongings to only those items we really need, want, and use.
While you may not be interested in minimalism, you’re probably not interested in buying a bunch of cookware, either—and you don’t have to. Every recipe in this chapter can be made in what I refer to as a large skillet (ten or twelve inches) or a Dutch oven (five quarts or more). For the instances in which I prefer a small (nine-inch) skillet, griddle, grill pan, or other specialty pan,
I’ll make a note, but feel free to modify the recipes to work in whatever skillet or Dutch oven you have available. After all, America’s pioneers—those original cast-iron cooks—made do with what they had, and so can we.
Cooktops and Ovens
When you think of cast-iron cookware, you probably imagine cowboys cooking over an open fire. It’s true that cast iron is still the perfect medium for outdoor cooking, but it works just as well (if not better) indoors—regardless of your cooking surface.
Here’s a breakdown of modern cooktops and some helpful hints on how to cook with cast iron.
Glass While the first generation of glass-top stoves were too fragile to hold heavy cast-iron pots, the newer models are sturdier. To be safe, though, check your manual for weight limits, and don’t forget to factor in the weight of the food you’re cooking, especially if it’s a big pot of soup. To avoid scratching the surface of the cooktop, never slide a cast-iron pan from one burner to another; simply lift it as needed. Since glass tops can heat unevenly and take longer to heat up, you may also need to adjust your cooking temperature and time.
Electric Remember the old stove tops with the electric coils? They may not be as fashionable as glass-top stoves, but they usually heat more quickly and evenly. If you have a stove with electric coils, though, make sure the coils are secure. I almost lost a pan of eggs when a loose coil tipped to the side while I was cooking.
Gas I have a gas stove, and I think it’s the perfect cooktop for cast-iron pans. That’s because it gives you the most control over the amount of heat you use, with no glass or coils to contend with. The metal gratings over the burners also allow you to slide the pans from one burner to another without concern for the pan or stove. If you’re in the market for a new stove, I highly recommend a gas top, whether you use propane or natural gas.
Induction These cooktops use electricity to create a current through a copper wire that is hidden under a glass surface. The magnetic field this creates induces an electrical current in the pot placed on the cooktop, thereby heating the pot. Because these cooktops are extremely efficient and offer great temperature control, you’ll see them on many cooking shows (though they may look like simple glass-top stoves). To create the magnetic field needed for heating, most induction cooktops only work with ferrous metals; fortunately, that includes cast iron as well as some stainless steel. So if you have one of these nifty cooktops, go ahead and enjoy your cast-iron pans. Be sure not to drag them across the glass surface, though.
OVENS
Cast-iron pans heat just as well in gas or electric ovens. However, I have seen that dual-ovens, with two separate heating areas, tend to heat unevenly if both are on at the same time. The smaller heating spaces may also complicate matters, so be careful not to burn the top of your casseroles and adjust your temperature as needed. This should go without saying, but never, ever, ever, put cast iron in the microwave.
IT’S NOT YOU!
Do you follow recipes diligently, only to have every dinner over- or undercooked? That’s because not all cooking surfaces and ovens are created equal. Many recipes you’ll find online or in cookbooks are based on cooking times using expensive, high-powered ovens or induction cooktops, which may not be appropriate for your appliance. Take note of how your stove and oven behave, and adjust your temperature and cooking time accordingly. You may also be able to adjust the heating elements on your appliance, but be sure to read your manual and follow all safety guidelines.
One of the healthiest things you can do for yourself is to eat a wholesome breakfast every morning. When I was younger, juggling college and work, I ate what everyone else seemed to be eating: frozen pastries, pre-packaged sandwiches, doughnuts, bagels, drive-through biscuits, and (at a particularly low point) chocolate-covered peanuts. I was relatively thin, so I didn’t see the harm in it.
It took a while for me to accept the fact that the run-out-the-door-and-eat-in-the-car routine was stressing me out. Worse yet, the lack of real nutrition was depleting me even further, making for long, tired days.
After Robby and I were married, we started having breakfast together. Even if we were too tired to really talk, it gave us a moment to connect before the day began. Eating a balanced breakfast also gave us more stamina for the day and helped us avoid reaching for sugar and caffeine in the afternoon. It was a win-win!
If you’re stuck in the grab-and-go breakfast cycle, I encourage you to make a change for the better. Your body (and your hubby) will thank you.
Grand Slam
Eggs are great, but they’re even better when they’re cooked with hash browns and bacon or sausage. Fortunately, you can cook all these in the same pan at the same time. This helps enrich the flavors and leaves you with only one pan to clean. (Healthy and easy? Yes please!)
Choose a large skillet or griddle and place it on low-medium heat. Add a pat of butter.
Hash Browns Add the hash browns. These can be shredded, in cubes, or in patties, and can be found in the refrigerated or frozen section of the grocery store. I prefer the patties because they’re slightly seasoned, cook faster, and brown nicely. If you’re using shredded or cubed potatoes, allow a little more cooking time.
Meat Add your favorite bacon or sausage to the skillet. You can use raw or precooked meat for this, but allow a little more cooking time if it’s raw.
Eggs Add your eggs last because they take the least amount of time to cook. Simply season with a little salt and pepper and flip once for a perfect fried egg. Or you can scramble your eggs or make an omelet by adding cheese and chopped veggies. You really can’t go wrong!
THE PERFECT EGG
Researchers can’t seem to decide whether eggs are healthy or harmful. Yes, they are a cholesterol-rich food, but some studies have shown that doesn’t impact a person’s cholesterol level. Since I have low cholesterol anyway, I enjoy the benefits of eggs: they contain six grams of protein and nine essential amino acids, and are rich in choline, which promotes normal liver function. But what eggs lack is just as important as what they offer: no carbs, sugars, or gluten.
Still, I didn’t really appreciate eggs until Robby and I adopted a rescue hen named Lula Bell. She used to lay the biggest, best-tasting eggs I have ever had. Although she’s too old to lay eggs now, we keep her as a family pet.
She’s certainly deserved her retirement!
If you can, choose free-range or cage-free eggs over factory eggs. The flavor is always better, and you’ll feel good knowing that the hens who worked hard for those eggs have a good life.
Here in the South, nothing is better on a cool morning than hot biscuits smothered in sausage and gravy. You can find good gravy mixes in supermarkets, including Pioneer Brand Gluten Free Country Gravy Mix. However, those mixes can get expensive when you consider they just include flour and spices (not to mention preservatives). Plus, you still have to add the sausage.
I recently started cooking gravy from scratch using the following recipe, and I’m amazed at how good and simple it is to make. I recommend country or breakfast sausage, which may be labeled as “pan” or “crumbled” sausage. If you buy it fresh at the meat counter, you can ask for a quarter pound. If you get it prepackaged in the refrigerated section, look for the 16-ounce package. I suggest making small patties out of the leftovers and adding them to your Grand Slam breakfasts throughout the week.
1.Place a skillet over low-medium heat. For extra flavor, add bacon grease to the pan. This is especially helpful if you use low-fat sausage, which may not produce a sufficient amount of fat/drippings.
2.Brown the sausage. Sprinkle flour into the pan and stir into the meat and fat.
3.Add ½ cup of milk to start with. Continue cooking until gravy is thick, stirring periodically. Add the remaining milk if you want to thin the gravy a bit.
4.Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot on Traditional Biscuits.
½ Tbsp. bacon grease (optional)
4 oz. (about ¼ package) mild pan sausage
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
½–⅔ cup milk or cream
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
RENDERING BACON
Here in the South, bacon grease is an essential ingredient to most recipes … but it’s not something you buy in the store. The good news is that making—or “rendering”—bacon grease is really easy, and it can be stored in the fridge for weeks.
Start with a few pieces of raw bacon. For most dishes, you’ll want regular, country bacon, not bacon with maple or other flavors. Simply cook the bacon on a cast-iron grill or skillet, either on the stove or in the oven. Turn the bacon periodically and remove it from the pan when done. Place the bacon on a plate with paper towels until cool, and then store in the fridge for breakfast.
Bacon grease is solid at room temperature, so carefully pour it from the pan into a glass dish while it’s still hot. Once it’s cool, cover the dish, add a label, and store it in the fridge.
It doesn’t take a lot of bacon grease to flavor a meal (usually one to two tablespoons), so spoon out what you need when you need it.
I love pancakes. Seriously. I wake up thinking about them.
When I went gluten free, I was fortunate enough to find some great mixes, especially Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix (yum!!). But I had one problem: I couldn’t handle the syrup. The combination of carbs in the pancakes and the syrup had a nasty effect on my blood sugar.
Thankfully, I discovered fruit compote, which is fruit cooked down into a type of syrup. In the following recipe, I sweeten blueberries with honey instead of refined sugar, which works great, tastes delicious, and doesn’t wreak havoc on my blood sugar. The lemon juice is optional, but it brings out the blueberry flavor.
1.Place a small skillet on low-medium heat. Pour 1 ½ cups of the blueberries into the pan. Add the water and honey and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
2.Gently smash the blueberries using a spatula or fork. Add the remaining blueberries and cook for an additional 6 minutes or until heated thoroughly.
3.Add lemon juice. If you’d like to make the compote a bit thicker, mix the cornstarch and water in a separate bowl and add to the pan during the last few minutes of cooking.
4.Serve warm over pancakes with butter. Store any leftovers in the fridge up to a week.
2 cups blueberries (frozen or fresh)
3 Tbsp. water
2 ½ Tbsp. honey
½–1 tsp. lemon juice (optional)
Thickener (optional):
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. water
Earlier this year, I discovered the amazing Dutch baby, and our weekend breakfasts haven’t been the same since. Also known as a German pancake, this treat is thicker than regular pancakes, contains more eggs, and is baked instead of fried on the stove. This is definitely not a Southern dish, though it’s almost always baked in a cast-iron skillet. Interestingly, it contains no chemical leavening agents, such as baking powder. Instead, it relies on steam during the cooking process to rise and then falls shortly after it’s removed from the oven.
I experimented with this dish for a while before settling on the following recipe. I suggest canned peaches instead of fresh ones because they’re sweeter and easier to keep on hand for those mornings you just have to have a Dutch baby. To make it gluten free, I use white rice flour because it seems to rise better than other options. I’ve also tried it with more flour, but that made it too bready and detracted from the peach flavor. No matter what, though, this dish has always come out deliciously edible, so feel free to experiment!
1.Preheat oven to 425°F. Rub oil into a large skillet.
2.Hand-mix eggs, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour, salt, cinnamon, and butter, until blended. Pour batter into the pan. Arrange the peach slices on top. (If the pieces are large, you may want to cut them in half first.)
3.Bake for 15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 325°F and cook for an additional 5–10 minutes. Do not open the oven door while cooking, as this can cause the Dutch baby to deflate.
4.Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with butter and a dollop of Cool Whip. Leftovers (if there are any) are great the next day.
½ Tbsp. olive oil (for the pan)
3 eggs
½ cup milk or cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. cinnamon or more to taste
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 15-oz. can sliced peaches in heavy syrup
Powdered sugar and Cool Whip for serving
Everybody needs a culinary claim to fame, and for Robby, it’s his breakfast quiche. He started experimenting with this not long after we were married, and now it’s nothing short of breakfast perfection. He even uses a store-bought gluten-free pie shell for us, and it’s still better than anything I’ve ordered from a restaurant.
This recipe works great in a 2-quart Dutch oven because the pie shell is about an inch wider than the diameter of the pot. This allows us to mold the pie shell up the sides of the pot a bit, creating the flaky crust for the sides of the quiche. If you use a regular skillet or larger Dutch oven, use two pie shells to cover the bottom of the pan and create the sides. Don’t be afraid to tear apart the shells and mold them to the shape of the pan you’re using.
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Rub oil into a small Dutch oven. Place one pie shell in the bottom of the Dutch oven, molding it up the sides. Use the second pie shell if needed.
3.Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.
4.Bake uncovered for 1 hour or until done. Serve hot or cold with a side of fruit.
½ Tbsp olive oil (for the Dutch oven)
1–2 frozen deep-dish pie shells (defrosted)
5 eggs
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
½ small onion, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped (frozen or fresh)
1 package Canadian bacon, diced
¼ cup cream
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, garlic powder)
As a child, I loved to hear the sound of Mom opening a Pillsbury can, the kind you have to bang on the edge of the counter until it goes “POP!” If we were having breakfast, we would coat the buttered biscuits in jelly, apple butter, or honey, or slather them in gravy. For dinner, we often enjoyed savory garlic cheddar biscuits. And for dessert—my favorite—we would drizzle Hershey’s syrup on plain, buttered biscuits. I still crave those from time to time.
I always enjoyed fresh-from-the-oven biscuits, but my mother never made them from scratch. She claimed they never turned out as good as Grandma’s biscuits, but I’m not so sure about that. Either way, we stuck with the easy-to-make goodness of Pillsbury.
If you still like to make those heat-and-serve biscuits, that’s fine! Simply use your cast-iron skillet or griddle to bake them to perfection, with just the right amount of crunch on the outside and a soft, flaky inside. For even more golden crunch, make sure you preheat and oil the pan and leave some room in between the biscuits to allow air to circulate.
As much as I’d like to pop open one of those cans today, they’ve yet to come out with a gluten-free option. Thankfully, though, there are gluten-free biscuit mixes available now. Some are pretty good, but they can get expensive, and I don’t like the preservatives they often include.
So this year, fueled by pregnancy cravings, I felt compelled to dive into the art of biscuit-making. After a bit of research and much trial and error (think: hard hockey pucks), I finally settled on the following old-time recipes. I can tell you from experience that these turn out just as delicious if you use regular or gluten-free flour.
These biscuits may not make a “popping” noise, but they sure make me proud when they come out of the oven.
TO PREHEAT OR NOT
In several of the following recipes, I’ve noted that the pan should be preheated in the oven. This is especially helpful with baked goods, making the bottom nice and crispy. However, preheating is an optional step you can skip, especially if you don’t want the food to be too crispy or if you’re trying to avoid burning, as in the case of cornsticks.
Experiment with each recipe to see if you prefer the pan preheated or not.
The following is a traditional biscuit recipe that requires the dough to be rolled out and cut into circular shapes before baking. These take a little more work than a drop biscuit, but if you’re jonesing for your grandma’s biscuits, they’re worth the effort.
1.Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a large skillet in the oven for 3 minutes to preheat.
2.Meanwhile, lightly flour a wood cutting board or parchment paper.
3.Remove the pan from the oven, and add a light coating of oil using tongs to protect your fingers.
4.Add dry ingredients to a large bowl and stir together. Work in the shortening with your fingers. Add the milk slowly, stirring with a fork. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Once it separates from the sides of the bowl, stop mixing it.
5.Place the dough on the cutting board and roll or pat it lightly until it’s about ¾ inches thick. Be careful not to get the dough too thin. Cut out the biscuits using a floured biscuit cutter or small glass.
6.Place the biscuits on the hot pan. Bake for 15–18 minutes or until golden brown.
1½Tbsp. oil (for the skillet)
2 cups self-rising flour
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
¾ cup milk
SAVORY BISCUITS
If you’re looking for something a little more savory, add your favorite ingredients like garlic, oregano, and cheese to the batter, and bake as directed.
Although our grandparents may have loved buttermilk, it’s not something we typically drink anymore. Instead, we prefer cow’s milk, or what our grandparents called sweet milk. However, buttermilk still has a prominent place in the world of baking. That’s because its acidic nature makes extra-fluffy biscuits, pancakes, and more.
In the following recipe, the batter is a bit too soupy to be rolled like traditional biscuits or dropped on a skillet. Instead, I prefer to pour it into a cast-iron muffin pan or mini cake pan, which is why I call it a pour biscuit.
1.Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a muffin pan in the oven for 3 minutes to preheat. Then, remove the pan from the oven and add a light coating of oil using tongs to protect your fingers.
2.In a large bowl, stir all dry ingredients together. Add the butter, cutting it into the flour with a fork until coarse and crumbly. Stir in the lemon juice and buttermilk until blended. The mixture will be a bit soupy.
3.Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown.
½ Tbsp. oil (for the pan)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened but not melted
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
BUTTERMILK SKILLET BISCUIT
In the spirit of minimalism, I experimented with baking the Buttermilk Pour Biscuits in a standard skillet. The result is something that looks like cornbread but tastes like a biscuit—delicious! This is a great option if you’re craving buttermilk biscuits, you’re low on time, and you only have a skillet to work with. It’s also great on any Saturday morning with a heaping helping of sausage and gravy.
To make, prepare the batter using the recipe above, but decrease the buttermilk to 1 ½ and use an oiled, preheated skillet instead of a muffin or mini cake pan. Cut the biscuit into wedges like cornbread and serve with all the fixin’s a good biscuit deserves.
If you weren’t raised on mayonnaise rolls, they may sound a bit weird. However, mayonnaise is made of oil and eggs, the perfect ingredients to bake fluffy rolls or biscuits.
This recipe for drop biscuits comes from my grandmother. In my mother-in-law’s version (see the recipe for Mayonnaise Rolls in the variation that follows) the batter is placed in a muffin tin, so we call them rolls instead of biscuits. Both are delicious and easy to make and can be modified from sweet to savory. These might end up being your go-to biscuits for breakfast and dinner.
1.Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a large skillet in the oven for 3 minutes to preheat. Then remove the pan from the oven and add a light coating of oil using tongs to protect your fingers.
2.Place flour in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise and milk until smooth. Stir the mixture into the flour until blended, but avoid overworking the batter. The consistency should be thick.
3.Using your hands, roll the batter into 12 small balls, and drop them into the hot pan. Moisten your fingertips with water periodically to keep the batter from sticking while working with it.
4.Place the pan back in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown.
½ Tbsp. oil (for the pan)
2 cups self-rising flour
4 Tbsp. regular mayonnaise (not low fat or vegan)
1 cup milk
½ Tbsp. oil (for the pan)
1 ½ cups self-rising flour
2 Tbsp. regular mayonnaise (not low-fat or vegan)
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup milk
MAYONNAISE ROLLS
Although quite similar, my mother-in-law’s Mayonnaise Rolls are a bit sweeter and lighter than the Mayonnaise Biscuits.
Follow the same preparation directions as above. Spoon the batter into a preheated, oiled muffin pan and bake at 350°F until golden brown.
To say that cornbread has been a staple of the American diet is a huge understatement. Everyone from the Pilgrims to the pioneers learned how to turn America’s indigenous grain—corn—into a hardy food source. If milk, eggs, and sugar were available, then a fluffy, sweet cornbread could be made. If not, then folks made due with something more basic, like a hoe cake. Either way, the cornmeal provided nutrition and “gut wadding,” as my grandmother used to say.
As basic as cornbread is, there’s a lot of controversy over the history and terminology, leaving many to wonder if a certain item is a hoe cake, johnnycake, corn pone, or cornbread. What we can all agree on, though, is that cornbread is delicious and has earned its place at the dinner table.
In this section, I’ve included some basic cornbread recipes that would complement any dish. And if you’re curious about what a hoe cake tastes like, well, there’s a recipe for that, too.
HOE CAKES AND CORN PONE
Hoe cakes, the most basic form of cornbread, are a true American invention. It’s commonly believed that they were first created by field workers and slaves who prepared their meager lunches in the fields. Since they only had cornmeal and water, they combined the two and molded the mixture into patties. Then they made a small fire and cooked the cakes on their cast-iron hoes, hence the name hoe cake.
Robby’s grandmother, now ninety-seven years old, has eaten hoe cakes all her life. While she has a limited diet, she still prefers to eat one a day, stating they’re easier on the stomach than other breads. Her late husband preferred his crumbled in buttermilk, which is also supposed to aid digestion.
Traditional hoe cakes are too bland for most of us. However, if you add a bit of bacon grease and salt, you no longer have a traditional hoe cake—instead, you’ve made yourself what many call corn pone. Not just a Southern thing, corn pone was a noted staple of both the Confederate and Union armies, which had little else to eat.
And then there are johnnycakes, also known as journey cakes. In the North, these were essentially hoe cakes made with cornmeal, salt, and hot water or milk. Sometimes they were sweetened or served with molasses, maple syrup, gravy, or baked beans. Here in the South, johnnycakes were supposedly made with flour instead of cornmeal, differentiating them from the traditional hoe cakes.
The following are the basic recipes for hoe cakes and corn pone if you’re interested in trying these old-time favorites. However, if you’re looking for something a bit more … tasty … skip over to Cornbread, Cornsticks, and Corn Muffins.
Hoe Cake
1.Place a skillet over medium heat.
2.Place the cornmeal in a bowl, and add the water a little bit at a time while stirring. The consistency should be rather thick. Patty out the cornmeal into small pancakes.
3.Add the hoe cakes to the skillet (without oil). Cook the cakes until crispy, flipping periodically. Serve hot.
1 cup cornmeal
⅓–½ cup water
Corn Pone
1.Start with the recipe for Hoe Cakes, and add 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of bacon grease to the mix. Patty into pancakes and panfry with oil until crispy.
2.Another option is to pour the batter into a greased skillet and bake at 450°F for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
CORNBREAD, CORNSTICKS, AND CORN MUFFINS
No family or church dinner is served in the South without a side of hot cornbread baked in a cast-iron skillet … not without raising some eyebrows, anyway.
A big step up from corn pone, cornbread includes eggs and milk but omits the bacon grease. Traditionally, Southern cornbread used white cornmeal, while other parts of the country preferred yellow cornmeal and added sugar and flour. Here in the South, we still prefer our cornbread straight up, but the sweetened variety can add a nice touch to spicy dinners or serve as a not-too-sweet dessert, especially if served as corn muffins.
While cornbread is usually baked in a cast-iron skillet, cornstick pans form the bread into corn-on-the-cob shapes, which are lots of fun for kids and adults alike. Both Robby’s and my grandparents used to dip cornsticks in buttermilk or sweet milk for a late-night snack that was easy on the stomach. You can enjoy them with butter, though, if you prefer.
Southern Cornbread
1.Preheat oven to 450°F. Place a large skillet in the oven for 3 minutes to preheat. Then remove the pan from the oven and add a light coating of oil, using tongs to protect your fingers.
2.In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal and egg. Stir in the buttermilk a little at a time until the batter is very thin.
3.Pour batter into the greased skillet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
½ Tbsp. oil (for the pan)
1 cup white self-rising cornmeal
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
1.Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a large skillet in the oven for 3 minutes to preheat. Remove the pan and add a light coating of oil, using tongs to protect your fingers.
2.In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients and egg with a fork. Add milk and blend until smooth.
3.Pour batter into the greased skillet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
½ Tbsp. oil (for the pan)
1 ⅔ cup self-rising cornmeal (white or yellow)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 ¼ cups milk
CORNSTICKS AND CORN MUFFINS
You can make cornsticks using either of the recipes above, but they must be baked in a cast-iron cornstick pan. For Corn Muffins, use the Sweetened Cornbread recipe and bake in a cast-iron muffin pan.
Because the molds in both pans are shallow, you’ll need to take care not to burn the cornbread: skip the preheating step, oil the pan thoroughly, and reduce the cooking time as needed. Carefully remove the baked cornbread and serve hot with butter.
Appetizers are a great way to keep your guests or family content while they’re waiting for the main dish. Since apps are usually pretty quick and easy to make, they’re also ideal for potlucks and parties or just a Friday evening at home watching the TV.
Most appetizers are best served hot, and nothing keeps food hot like cast iron. In this section, I’ve included two recipes to give you an idea of how to use the same skillet to cook and serve appetizers. After you’ve tried these, pull out your favorite appetizer recipes and make them in your cast-iron pan. Who knows? Maybe you’ll even get a bite before it’s all gone.
TACO SEASONING
Those taco seasoning packets are tasty and relatively inexpensive, but you can make a healthier version at home with less salt and no preservatives. This homemade version is also easy to modify, allowing you to make spicier or milder dishes as needed.
As for the cost, you probably have these ingredients on hand already, which will save you a little money. If you do need to buy a spice, though, check out the Mexican or international aisle in your supermarket. The spices there are often significantly cheaper than the name-brand versions in the spice aisle.
COMBINE:
2 tsp. chili powder
1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour as thickener (optional)
You just can’t go wrong with nachos. But in this recipe, they’re taken to the next level by layering hearty beef and cheese with tortilla chips and then baking in the goodness. Use a deep skillet for this if you have one, and be sure to serve the nachos in the skillet so they stay hot.
1.Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2.Place a large skillet over medium heat. Brown beef with the onion and taco seasoning until done. Turn off the heat and drain any excess grease.
3.Scoop out the beef and place in a bowl. Mix in 1 cup of shredded cheese.
4.Add a layer of tortilla chips to the hot skillet. Then spoon on a layer of the beef and cheese mixture. Add one or two more layers, alternating between tortilla chips and the beef and cheese mixture. Top with a layer of shredded cheese and jalapeños.
5.Bake the nachos for 10–15 minutes, until the cheese melts and begins to brown.
6.Top with fresh tomatoes and scallions. Serve in the pan with sides of fresh salsa, sour cream, and extra cheese.
½ lb. ground beef
¼ onion, chopped
1 packet of taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, sharp cheddar, or a mixture)
1 bag tortilla chips (flour or corn)
1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
1 small tomato, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
Fresh salsa and sour cream for serving
My mom and I aren’t big fans of spinach, so when she made this spinach casserole for a family dinner, I knew it had to be something special—and it is! The combination of cream of mushroom soup and cream cheese takes away the bitterness of the spinach, while the French-fried onions give it flavor and a satisfying crunch that’ll make you want to eat the whole pan. Serve this in the hot skillet to keep it warm or enjoy leftovers right out of the fridge.
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Thaw and drain the spinach. Use paper towels or a cotton cloth to wring the spinach and remove the remaining moisture.
3.Mix together the soup and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave 1 ½ minutes or until warm. Combine the soup and cream cheese mixture with the spinach and stir in 1 cup of the onions.
4.Place the mixture in a small skillet, and top with the remaining ½ cup of onions. Bake for 20 minutes.
5.Serve hot with crackers.
1 10-oz. package chopped spinach, frozen
1 10.5-oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1 ½ cups French-fried onions
Side items are taken to a whole new level here in the South. In fact, with sides like macaroni and cheese, field peas, and collard greens, you may decide to skip the main dish altogether.
In this section, you’ll learn how to cook these classics and more using such basics as bacon, chicken broth, and beef consommé. If you’re low on broth or consommé, or you want to make the flavor even richer, try my secret ingredients: Better than Bouillon Beef Base and Chicken Base. These jars of condensed bouillon have a bolder taste than the dried cubes and contain less salt. I always keep a jar of each in the fridge.
Not every side has to be savory, though. If you’re looking for something to cure your sweet tooth, check out the recipes for Papa’s Sweet Potato Casserole and Maduros. They might have you skipping dessert as well as dinner.
DEGLAZING
You know those little bits of food that stick to the bottom of the skillet or Dutch oven when you sauté or roast meat? Those are actually caramelized drippings from the juices of the meat, known as fond. To release their flavor, simply add a bit of liquid to the pan while it’s being heated. Then scrape the bottom with a spatula for a few seconds until the crusty bits are dissolved into the liquid. This process, called deglazing, is a great way to maximize flavor in your dish or to start a gravy.
No Southern gathering is complete without a side of greens. Since collard greens have a milder flavor than turnip greens, they’re the favorite among my family. Greens are often cooked with ham hocks, but I find it easier—and just as delicious—to use bacon. I also appreciate that bacon contains less salt than ham hocks.
Grocery stores sell fresh, chopped collard greens by the bag, but these tend to have a lot of stem pieces. The frozen packages are fine in a pinch, but the texture and flavor are never as good as fresh greens. If you have the time, buy a mess (that’s Southern for “a bunch” or “a bundle”) of fresh leafy collards, and clean and cut them yourself.
When cooking greens, keep in mind that the liquid in the pot is just as important as the greens themselves. Called potlicker (also spelled pot licker, pot lickr, pot likker, and pot liquor), this broth is either served up in a bowl with the greens or by itself as an appetizer. It is always served with Southern cornbread, which is used to soak up every drop of potlicker.
1.Place a large Dutch oven over low-medium heat.
2.Render the bacon in the Dutch oven until it’s crispy. Add the chicken broth, and deglaze the Dutch oven.
3.Add the collard greens, followed by enough water to cover the greens. Season and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until tender.
4.Serve steaming hot in a bowl with lots of potlicker, a side of fresh Cornbread, and a bottle of Crystal brand hot sauce.
3–4 pieces bacon, regular flavor
1 14.5-oz. can chicken broth
1 mess fresh collard greens, cleaned and cut into pieces
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, garlic powder)
Not all lima beans are created equal. If you’ve ever had the large ones and didn’t care for them, try this recipe for baby limas. Also known as green limas, these have a milder flavor than the larger variety and are sure to win over even the pickiest eater.
The following recipe came from my sister Madeline, who is quite the cook. She helped me realize the importance of each ingredient and step. For example, if you don’t render the bacon until it’s crispy, you’ll end up boiling it in the broth, which doesn’t provide as much flavor. You’ll have the same problem if you dilute the chicken broth with water. And the seasoning? I’ve listed my favorites, but you can substitute as needed. Just don’t add a lot of salt, because chicken broth tends to be salty.
1.Place a large Dutch oven over low-medium heat.
2.Render the bacon in the Dutch oven, cooking it until it becomes crispy. Add chicken broth, and use it to deglaze the Dutch oven. Add the lima beans, and season well.
3.Simmer at least 1 hour or until tender. Serve hot, preferably with cornbread.
4 strips bacon, regular flavor
2 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth
1 32-oz. bag baby lima beans, frozen
Seasoning to taste (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper)
You’ve probably had black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, but what about zipper, purple hull, crowder, or iron clay peas? All of these are unique varieties of what are commonly called field peas. Sometimes they’re simply labeled “field peas,” but you may find specific varieties in your local farmer’s market or supermarket. Taste for yourself, and make a note of which kinds you like the most so you can search for them next time they’re in season.
The following is a basic recipe that will allow you to prepare any variety of field pea, whether they’re fresh, frozen, or dried. If you use fresh peas, feel free to leave in some of the softer pea pods, called snaps. If you use dried peas, don’t worry about soaking them overnight; one of the nice things about field peas is that they’re softer than other legumes, so soaking is unnecessary.
1.Place a large Dutch oven over low-medium heat. Render the bacon in the Dutch oven until it’s crispy. Add 1 can of chicken broth, and use it to deglaze the Dutch oven.
2.Add field peas. If making a large amount, you may want to add the second can of chicken broth. Top with enough water to cover the peas. Season and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on whether the peas were fresh, frozen, or dried.
2–4 strips bacon, regular flavor
1–2 14.5-oz. cans chicken broth
1 mess field peas, rinsed
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, garlic powder, black pepper)
One of my favorite foods as a child was Ginger’s (my sister’s grandmother) homemade macaroni and cheese, but when I set out to make it in a Dutch oven, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off.
For one thing, Ginger cooks everything she can in cast iron—but she’s always made her macaroni and cheese in a glass baking dish. I wasn’t sure how the change in cookware would affect the final result. I ended up selecting an enameled Dutch oven, and I’m glad I did. Although the gooey cheese stuck to the side of the pot, we were able to soak it overnight (something you can’t do with bare cast iron). If you don’t have an enameled Dutch oven, you can use a regular Dutch oven or even a deep skillet; just be sure to oil it well before adding the macaroni.
Ginger also used a high-quality red rind (hoop) cheese, which provided a strong, rich flavor and melted down nicely. Since this is hard to find today, I substituted freshly shredded mild cheddar and Colby-jack, which worked great.
I wasn’t sure I could reinvent Ginger’s macaroni and cheese, but with a little experimentation, I think I nailed it.
1.Preheat oven to 375°F.
2.Use paper towels to oil the inside of a large enameled Dutch oven.
3.Boil the macaroni in a separate pot. Meanwhile, mix the eggs, milk, cream, and cheese in a large bowl. Stir in the cooked macaroni, salt, and most of the pepper. The consistency will be soupy.
4.Pour the macaroni mixture into the Dutch oven, and top with a liberal amount of ground pepper. Bake uncovered for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the macaroni is set and no longer runny.
2 tsp oil
1 12-oz. box elbow macaroni, cooked
5 eggs
2 12-oz. cans evaporated milk
¾ cup cream or regular milk
2 lbs. cheese (red rind/hoop, mild cheddar, and/or Colby-jack), shredded
½ Tbsp. salt
½ Tbsp. freshly-ground pepper
I’ve never met a potato I didn’t like, especially one covered in garlic. But if you want your taters to have the perfect texture—firm on the outside, soft on the inside—then you have to bake them in cast iron.
In the following recipe, I use yellow Yukon potatoes, which are soft and buttery. However, you can use any variety of potato you prefer. I use a small 2-quart Dutch oven for this, but you can use a bigger one or even a deep-dish skillet.
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Use paper towels to oil the inside of a Dutch oven.
3.In a large bowl, toss potatoes, onion, and garlic in the olive oil. Season to taste. Place the potatoes in the Dutch oven, and bake uncovered for 50 minutes or until tender.
½ Tbsp. oil (for the Dutch oven)
1 lb. yellow Yukon potatoes, cubed
1 sweet onion, cubed
3 or more garlic cloves, cut in half
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Seasoning to taste (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, garlic powder, ground pepper)
BACON AND CHEESE POTATOES
Like your taters with bacon and cheese? Prepare the potatoes as noted above, but add fresh bacon bits and sliced cheese during the last 20–30 minutes of cook time. Top with chives, and serve with sour cream. (The fresh garlic is optional but always delicious.)
Not every dish needs to be steeped with bacon grease or fried to be delicious. In fact, Robby and I often enjoy a side of sautéed vegetables, using whatever is in season at the time. Growing up, my go-to veggies were squash and zucchini. I always thought asparagus was soft and bitter (like the stuff in the can) until Robby made it for me using the simple recipe below. By sautéing the asparagus in oil and spices, the acidity is removed, and the natural flavor is enhanced. This makes a delicious side to any beef, chicken, fish, or pasta dish.
Virtually any vegetable can be sautéed in a cast-iron skillet or grill. The key is to keep the heat low so you don’t burn the food. With a low cooking temperature, you can also use light olive oil, which complements most veggies. And don’t forget to season it to your taste and cook it until you’re satisfied with the texture. (I prefer mine a little overdone by restaurant standards.)
The following recipe shows how easy it is to sauté veggies in cast iron. Once you’ve tried the asparagus, adapt the recipe to your favorites, from squash and zucchini to peppers and onions.
1.Place a small skillet over low-medium heat.
2.Add olive oil and asparagus to the pan. Season to taste. Turn periodically while cooking. The asparagus is done when it’s the consistency you prefer.
½ Tbsp. olive oil
1 bundle fresh asparagus, cleaned with thick ends removed
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, ground pepper)
When I was young, my grandmother would let me set the menu for my birthday dinner. It never crossed my mind to request pizza, hamburgers, or hot dogs. Instead, I wanted the good stuff—the home-cooked meals that were usually reserved for family gatherings. One of the sides I requested often was Shirley’s rice. I never knew who Shirley was, but her rice continues to be legendary in my family for its rich aroma and robust flavor.
This recipe calls for chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper. To ensure the veggies are chopped fine enough, and to save time, I recommend using a food processor. (I picked mine up for about twenty dollars.) You can chop the veggies by hand if you need to, just make sure the pieces are small so they don’t overwhelm the dish. When the rice is done, the veggies should be nearly invisible.
A small 2-quart Dutch oven is perfect for this dish, but you can use a bigger one or a deep-dish skillet.
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Place a small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter, onion, celery, and bell pepper, and simmer until the onions are transparent. Add the mushrooms, consommé, and water and increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Then add the rice and stir until combined.
3.Place the rice in the oven, and bake for 1 hour or until done.
¼ cup butter
½ small onion, chopped
1–2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 4-oz. can mushroom pieces, drained and chopped
1 10.5-oz. can beef consommé
½ cup water
1 cup white rice, uncooked
Every Thanksgiving, my grandfather contributes to the family meal by bringing a big sweet potato casserole. Topped with mini marshmallows, this sweet side has always been one of my favorites. When I realized how simple this dish is to make, I decided it should no longer be relegated to the holidays. While Papa’s version is baked in a glass casserole dish, I found that cast iron heats it up nicely and keeps it warm longer.
This recipe calls for a can of sweet potatoes, which is easy to keep on hand for a weeknight meal. We like Bruce’s brand, but you can use whatever you prefer. Just be sure to use plain sweet potatoes, not pie filling. Oh and one other thing: don’t forget the marshmallows!
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.In a large bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon into the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes in a large skillet, and bake for 15 minutes. Top the sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and broil until the marshmallows begin to melt. Be sure to watch the sweet potatoes while they broil so you don’t burn the marshmallows.
3.Serve hot or cold. And don’t be surprised if your family requests this for dessert.
½ Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 29-oz. can baked sweet potatoes
1 bag mini marshmallows
My mother used to live in Tampa, and it was there that she discovered a love for Cuban cooking, which she later instilled in us kids. My favorite Cuban side item is maduros, or fried sweet plantains. Plantains look like large bananas, but their orangeish flesh fries up to a sticky delicacy that has me craving them for dessert. While restaurants often deep-fry their maduros, I’ve found panfrying works just as well. When choosing your plantains, look for ones that are beginning to turn black and soften; they’ll make the sweetest maduros.
This side is the perfect complement to Chicken & Yellow Rice. Find that recipe under Family Dinners in this chapter.
1.Place a skillet on low-medium heat.
2.Add oil and a single layer of plantains to the pan.
3.Heat the plantains about 5–10 minutes, turning occasionally. When the plantains are blackened on both sides, they’re done—and now called maduros.
½ Tbsp. olive oil
1–2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces
Want to make something easy that’s also hearty, inexpensive, and will give you plenty of leftovers? Then make a big pot of soup. Nothing goes so far with so little time and few ingredients—and it all cooks up in one pot!
In this section, I share family favorites from my mom and mother-in-law. All of the recipes make a large quantity of soup, so you’ll want to use a sizable Dutch oven, about six quarts or larger. I like to use my enameled Dutch oven for these, but you can use bare cast iron, especially since the soups cook up rather quickly.
While hot soup is a great meal in the fall and winter, you don’t have to wait for cold weather to enjoy them. The next time you have family or company over for dinner, take out your Dutch oven and make a meal worth sharing.
SAVE MONEY ON BEEF
Looking for ways to save money on your food budget? Most beef-based recipes—like the soups in this section—call for a pound of beef. However, you can often use as little as ½ or ¼ pound and still have a hearty meal, especially if you add more vegetables or potatoes.
You may also want to experiment with more budget-friendly meats like ground turkey or a mixture of ground beef and pork. And when you find ground beef on sale, stock up and freeze it in small batches in freezer bags. Just be sure to label the bags so you know what’s in it and when you purchased it.
When I was in school, I loved it when the lunchroom served beef and veggie soup because it was always accompanied by a PB&K sandwich—peanut butter mixed with light Karo syrup. To this day, I crave a PB&K every time I make beef and veggie soup.
In the following soup recipe, I recommend using a hearty vegetable mix that includes tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, green beans, lima beans, and okra. I like to add a little extra potato and carrot, as well. Although this is a beef soup, I prefer using chicken broth instead of beef broth, which gives it a milder flavor. If you’re looking for something more robust, use beef broth instead.
1.Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the ground beef with the onion and seasoning. Drain any excess grease and return to heat.
2.Add broth, tomato paste, vegetables, and Worcestershire sauce to the Dutch oven. Add water as desired. Let the ingredients simmer for 30 minutes or until the flavors are combined.
3.Serve hot (preferably with a PB&K sandwich).
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
Seasoning to taste (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, garlic powder)
1 14.5-oz. can chicken broth
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 15-oz. bag vegetable soup mix
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1–2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
As soon as the temperature outside drops below 60 degrees, I make a big pot of taco soup using the following recipe from my mother-in-law. This soup is just as hearty as traditional chili, but it has a more robust flavor and is fun to eat piled high with shredded cheese, corn chips, and sour cream. Leftovers are even more flavorful the next night.
1.Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion, along with half of the taco and ranch seasoning packets. Brown the beef, and drain any excess grease.
2.Add the remaining ingredients to the Dutch oven, including the rest of the taco and ranch seasoning packets. Add water to bring it to a desired consistency (somewhere between soup and chili). Let the ingredients simmer for 30 minutes or until the flavors are combined.
3.Serve with shredded cheese, corn chips (like Fritos), and sour cream.
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1 packet Hidden Valley’s The Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1 15.5-oz. can pinto beans
1 15-oz. can Ranch Style brand flavored pinto beans
1 15-oz. can whole-kernel corn
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 10-oz. can mild Ro*Tel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
Shredded cheese, corn chips, and sour cream for serving
When I get a hankering for something other than chicken or beef, I reach in the freezer for a package of kielbasa. I like to keep this Polish sausage on hand because its mild flavor works well in so many dishes, especially this recipe for Bean & Sausage Soup.
While you can use any type or brand of sausage for this recipe, I prefer Hillshire Farm’s Polska Kielbasa, which is fully cooked. I’ve used the beef, turkey, and regular polska (made with pork, turkey, and beef) varieties, and they all work well in this soup. However, I recommend the turkey sausage because it has the mildest flavor.
As for the beans, I like to use pinto and great northern beans, but navy or red beans would work well, too.
1.Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the kielbasa with the onion until done.
2.Add chicken broth, and use it to deglaze the Dutch oven.
3.Add the carrots, potatoes, beans, and seasoning, and enough water to reach the desired consistency. Let the soup simmer until carrots are soft, at least 30 minutes.
4.Add the kale, and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.
5.Serve hot with Buttermilk Pour Biscuits.
1 14-oz. package polska kielbasa sausage, cut into 1-inch thick diagonal pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 14.5-oz. can chicken broth
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1–2 potatoes, diced
1 15.5-oz. can pinto beans, drained
1 15.5-oz. can great northern beans, drained
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, ground pepper)
3 leaves kale, torn into bite-size pieces
Since I work from home, I usually eat a simple sandwich for lunch. When it’s cold out, though, I prefer a hot meal. But who has time to cook on a lunch break?
The sandwiches in this section are a great compromise because they’re filling, they’re served hot, and they’re quick and easy to make. They’re also delicious, which is why it’s not unusual for me to make these as an easy weeknight dinner.
Try the following two recipes, and then use your skillet to take your favorite sandwiches up a notch.
Grown-Up Grilled Ham & Cheese
A regular grilled cheese sandwich, made with just bread and cheese, can make a good side for a bowl of soup. However, this recipe for Grown-Up Grilled Ham & Cheese is hearty enough to serve by itself for lunch or dinner.
I’ve experimented with this simple recipe over the years, and while the ingredients can be changed to suit your taste, it’s the cooking method that’s key to the perfect grilled cheese. Instead of coating the bread with butter like most people recommend, put the butter in the pan and spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the bread. The mayonnaise will spread more evenly and allow the bread to grill to a golden brown. Also, to ensure the cheese is properly melted, place a cookie sheet on the skillet while grilling. You could use a cast-iron or glass lid, but that would trap in moisture as well as heat, which would make the sandwich soggy. So pull out your cookie sheet for this recipe—just remember to use a pot holder because it’ll get hot sitting on the skillet.
1.Place a small skillet on low heat.
2.Make a sandwich using all the ingredients listed above, making sure to spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on both the inside and outside of each piece of bread.
3.Melt a small pat of butter in the skillet. Place the sandwich in the skillet, and grill the bread until golden brown, flipping occasionally. Place a cookie sheet over the skillet while cooking to melt the cheese.
2 slices bread
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Cheddar or Colby-jack cheese, sliced
2 slices ham
3–5 dill pickle slices
1 pat butter
GRILLED ROAST BEEF SANDWICH WITH SMOKED CHEDDAR CHEESE
Make a sandwich using mayonnaise, mustard, roast beef, smoked cheddar cheese, tomato, and onion. Grill the sandwich as noted above.
Sloppy joes are one of those meals we loved as children but forgot about as adults. I recently saw a packet of sloppy joe mix in the supermarket and developed a craving for it. (In my defense, I was seven months pregnant at the time and craving everything in sight.) Since I didn’t want to pay more than two dollars for the little seasoning packet, I went home and made my own version from scratch. It was so good, and so much healthier than the store-bought stuff, that I added it to our family’s weeknight menu. With a recipe this simple, you’ll enjoy bringing back this childhood fave.
1.Place a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the ground beef with the onion and a few shakes of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt. Drain any excess grease, and return to heat.
2.In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, and remaining seasonings. Taste the mixture and add more seasoning as desired. Add the sauce to the meat, and lightly simmer until it cooks down.
3.Spread butter on the buns, and toast them in a toaster oven or in a separate skillet. Spread mayonnaise on the toasted buns, and top with the Sloppy Joe mixture. Serve hot with a fork and extra napkins.
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
Seasoning to taste (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt)
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 ½ Tbsp. white distilled vinegar
½ Tbsp. sugar
¼ tsp. each garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, onion powder
Hamburger buns
1 pat butter
Mayonnaise to taste
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a business professional, weeknights are always busy. No matter how much prep work you do on the weekends, it seems there’s never enough time to prepare a homemade meal. But before you order pizza (again!), try one of the following recipes. They’re sized just right for two people, and most of the ingredients can be stored in the pantry, fridge, or freezer for when you need them. Even better, all of these meals can be made in about 30 minutes.
COLESLAW
Sweet coleslaw makes a cool side item for hot fried foods like Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders or Salmon Cakes. And since it’s made with cabbage and carrots, you can use your leftover veggies from the Cabbage Boil.
1.Place the shredded cabbage and carrot in a large bowl.
2.In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Adjust the ingredients to taste. (You want it to be sweet with a slight tang.) Stir in the salt and pepper.
3.Add the mayonnaise mixture to the shredded cabbage and carrot, and mix well.
4.Serve immediately or cool in the refrigerator first.
¼–½head of cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
3–4 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1–2 Tbsp. white distilled vinegar
1–2 Tbsp. sugar
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders
This dish is a bit funky, but if you’re into healthy alternatives (especially gluten-free ones), you just might like these crispy-but-not-fried chicken tenders. That crispy coating comes from shredded coconut. Although it’s unsweetened, it does add a tropical flair to the chicken. Feel free to temper that with seasonings like sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I like to dip mine in mild BBQ sauce.
To make, choose a skillet or grill large enough to hold the chicken tenders without overlapping. I suggest adding a bit of cooking oil to keep the chicken from sticking, but don’t overdo it; this dish is baked, not fried.
1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Use paper towels to oil the skillet.
2.Place the flour, eggs, and coconut in three separate bowls. Season the chicken tenders, and dip them in the flour, eggs, and coconut (in that order). Press the coconut into the chicken to create a nice coating.
3.Place chicken in the skillet, and bake for 16 minutes, turning halfway through the cook time. Then broil the chicken for 3–5 minutes or until the coconut coating is evenly browned. (Be careful not to burn the coconut.) Serve with your favorite dip and a side of Coleslaw.
½ Tbsp. olive oil (for the pan)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, whisked together
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 lb. chicken tenders
Seasoning to taste (Nature’s Seasons blend, ground pepper, garlic powder)
BAKED CHICKEN TENDERS
Not into coconut? Use panko or seasoned bread crumbs instead. You could even add some shredded Parmesan if you’re feeling a bit cheesy.
Steakhouses often advertise the biggest, thickest steaks, but in our house, we prefer the simple rib eye. It’s usually more tender and flavorful than other cuts, and its thinner size makes it easier to cook at home. Still, there’s a knack to cooking steak: it’s all about the sear. In this recipe, I explain how to sear the steak and then finish cooking it in the oven. If your steak is thin, or you prefer it rare, you can avoid baking it by simply searing it for a longer time on the stove. Either way, the next time you’re craving a juicy steak, stay at home and make one for less than half the price those restaurants charge.
For this recipe, a regular skillet works fine, but if you have a grill pan, use it to create those mouthwatering, seared-in grill lines. Since you’ll be using a higher temperature to sear the steak, use avocado oil or another oil with a high smoke point. For a richer steak, top with a pat of butter while cooking.
1.Preheat oven to 450°F.
2.Let the steaks rest on the counter for several minutes until they reach room temperature.
3.Place a skillet over medium-high heat.
4.Blot the steaks with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture, and then season the meat. Add oil to the skillet. Flick a few drops of water into the skillet; if it sizzles and evaporates, the oil is hot enough. Add the steaks to the hot pan, and let them cook uninterrupted for 2 minutes. Flip the steaks to sear the other side for 2 minutes. The steaks will stick to the pan a bit while they sear and will release when browned.
5.Place the skillet in the oven, and bake for about 10 minutes or until the steaks are as done as you like. (For medium, a meat thermometer should register 145°F.) Remove the steaks and let them rest on a plate for 10 minutes to finish cooking. During this time, the temperature will rise another 5 degrees, and the juices will settle back into the meat. Avoid cutting the steaks until the 10 minutes is over.
6.Serve hot, preferably with Garlic Potatoes and Sautéed Asparagus.
2 thin rib eye steaks
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼–½ Tbsp. avocado oil
Love Mexican night? Switch it up by substituting those tacos with steaming fajitas.
Flank steak is traditionally used in fajitas, but it tends to be tough (which is why it’s usually marinated). Instead, a thin rib eye steak with a good marbling of fat will make the most tender fajitas you’ve ever had. You can even use leftover steak and reheat it in a hot skillet (not the microwave, or it’ll get tough).
There are lots of seasoning options in your local supermarket, from seasoning packets to sauce mixes, most of which feature cumin and chili powder. Though normally used in Italian dishes, a dash of oregano will make the other flavors stand out. I also like to use Worcestershire sauce, which adds a richness to the meat.
A lot of fajitas recipes will have you cook the steak whole and then slice it, but I like to slice it first and then cook it. Since the pieces are smaller, the steak cooks up faster, and I know it’s cooked thoroughly. Meat and vegetables cook at different rates, so I recommend cooking them separately.
This entire meal can be prepared using two skillets, but you could use a griddle for the steak or a grill pan for the tortillas. Fajitas are usually prepared with flour tortillas, but I use soft corn tortillas instead (which taste just as good!).
Serve the steak, peppers, and tortillas in the hot skillets and let everyone make their own fajitas at the table. This keeps the ingredients warm and makes dinner a fun make-your-own experience.
1.Let the steak pieces rest on the counter for several minutes until they reach room temperature.
2.Place a skillet over medium heat.
3.Blot the steak pieces with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture and then season the meat with salt and pepper. Add oil to the skillet and brown the steak. Then add the fajita seasoning and cook for 3–4 minutes.
4.Remove the steak and sauté the onions, bell peppers, and jalapeño peppers in the same skillet. When they soften a bit and peppers develop brown spots, they’re done.
5.Place the steak back in the skillet with the peppers, and add the Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat and cook for 2–3 minutes.
6.Warm the tortillas in a separate skillet.
7.Serve hot in the skillets with sides of lime slices, cilantro, sour cream, and salsa.
1 thin rib eye steak, cut into long, thin pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 fajita seasoning packet (or a mixture of cumin, chili powder, and oregano)
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
2 jalapeño peppers (optional)
½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 package soft tortillas (flour or corn)
Lime slices, cilantro, sour cream, and salsa for serving
SAUCY FAJITAS
Even tasty fajitas can turn out dry. Combat this by making a light sauce for the steak.
1.Use the recipe for Fajitas. After cooking the steak and peppers, remove them from the skillet and add ½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1–2 Tbsp. water, ¼ cup beef broth, and 1 tsp. corn starch to thicken it a bit.
2.Let simmer for 3–5 minutes, then add the meat and peppers back to the skillet. Reduce heat and cook for 2–3 minutes before serving.
Beef Stroganoff is a simple, satisfying meal that makes a pound of beef go a long way. Stew beef is typically used, but that cut of meat can be quite tough. Instead, I prefer a chuck roast cut into 2-inch cubes.
You can prepare this dish in a large skillet or Dutch oven. You’ll also need a pot to boil the noodles. And if you’d like to try a different kind of pasta, go for it. I’ve found that gluten-free spirals work just as well as egg noodles.
1.Let the steak pieces rest on the counter for several minutes until they reach room temperature.
2.Boil noodles in a pot.
3.Place a large skillet over medium heat and add oil.
4.Blot the steak pieces with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Season the meat, and then coat it with flour. Add the steak pieces to the hot skillet and cook thoroughly, flipping periodically. Once cooked, remove the steak from the pan.
5.Add onions and mushrooms to the hot pan and simmer until the onions are transparent. Add the beef consommé, and use it to deglaze the pan. Add the cream of mushroom soup and the cooked steak pieces.
6.Add the cooked noodles to the skillet. Stir all ingredients until combined and simmer 5 minutes.
1 lb. chuck roast cut into 2-inch cubes
1 12-oz. package egg noodles
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Seasoning to taste (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, ground pepper)
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 4-oz. can mushroom pieces, drained and chopped
1 10.5-oz. can beef consommé
1 10.5-oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF
Instead of using (and paying for) steak, make the Beef Stroganoff recipe using a pound of ground beef. It’s like a healthier, homemade version of Hamburger Helper.
I never liked Alfredo dishes until my mother gave me her recipe for Alfredo sauce. Made with real cream and Parmesan cheese—not the fake stuff found in the bottle—this sauce makes a decadent meal when paired with your favorite meat and pasta.
The flavor of this sauce relies on the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese (definitely not diet-friendly fare!). A pinch of chili powder enhances the flavor, but don’t overdo it. Since this is a creamy sauce, you’ll need to stir it continuously while cooking, so have all your ingredients prepared and ready to add to the pan.
1.Place a small skillet on low-medium heat, and melt the butter. Pour cream in the skillet, and add the salt. Heat the cream for 2–3 minutes while stirring.
2.Add the cheese slowly while stirring to keep it from clumping together. Continue to cook while stirring for 3–5 minutes or until Alfredo sauce reaches the desired consistency. Stir in the chili powder.
3.Pour the Alfredo sauce over your favorite pasta.
2 Tbsp. butter
1 16-oz. carton heavy whipping cream
Pinch of salt
½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
Pinch of chili powder
CREAMED SPINACH
Looking for ways to increase your veggie intake? Make some creamed spinach everyone will enjoy. Simply prepare a skillet of homemade Alfredo Sauce, then add a 10-oz. box of frozen spinach, remembering to thaw and drain the spinach before adding it to the skillet. Simmer until done, then top with extra Parmesan cheese.
The homemade Alfredo Sauce makes this dish nice and creamy, while the capers give it a robust flavor. I make this a lot with polska or turkey kielbasa, but you can use other meats such as grilled chicken, shrimp, or scallops. As for the pasta, I prefer rotini or penne, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
1.Boil pasta in a pot.
2.Place a large skillet on medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, then remove it from the pan. Reduce heat and make homemade Alfredo Sauce in the same skillet. Deglaze the pan with a spatula. Add the capers, including some of the juice from the jar.
3.Add the cooked sausage and pasta to the skillet, combining all the ingredients. Stir in the tomatoes, and top with extra Parmesan cheese.
1 package pasta
1 14-oz. package polska kielbasa sausage, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
2 Tbsp. capers
1 small tomato, diced
½ Tbsp. Parmesan cheese
I usually don’t eat seafood at home because I don’t like to smell it cooking. The exception to that rule is salmon because it doesn’t have the same fishy smell as other seafood. Plus, I can make a delicious salmon dinner for a quarter of what I would pay in a restaurant.
This recipe for pan-seared salmon with artichokes and capers is truly delicious. You can certainly use fresh salmon for this, but I buy packs of frozen, individually sealed fillets from the grocery store, which allows me to keep a few on hand for quick weeknight meals. The fillets can be defrosted in about five minutes in a bowl of warm water, and the entire dish takes only about ten minutes to cook. You can’t beat that!
Always select wild caught, Alaskan salmon, which has less mercury than farmed salmon. The artichokes and capers add a robust, earthy flavor, while the lemon juice cuts the fishiness. If you’re not familiar with artichokes and capers, they can usually be found on the same aisle as pickles, and they last a long time in the fridge once they’re opened. Artichokes are fibrous, so I recommend using a pair of kitchen scissors to cut them into smaller pieces. To maximize the flavor of the capers, include some of the liquid from the jar.
Salmon is often served rare, but I prefer it cooked to medium. For that reason, this recipe calls for pan-searing the bottom (skin-side) of the salmon and then baking it until it’s done. If you prefer your salmon rare, you may just want to pan-sear the bottom and skip the oven. However, if you like it a bit crispy, you could pan-sear both sides. Experiment to see how you like it best.
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Place a skillet over medium heat and add the ghee. Place the salmon in the skillet skin-side down (if the skin is still intact) and season it. Sear the salmon for 3–4 minutes and turn off the heat. Add artichokes and capers and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice.
3.Bake the salmon for 7 minutes or until done. Serve hot with a side of Sautéed Asparagus or on a bed of salad or pasta.
½ Tbsp. ghee or oil
2 salmon fillets
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, ground pepper)
¼ cup artichoke pieces
2 Tbsp. capers
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
A tasty twist on traditional crab cakes, salmon cakes are easy and economical to make. Although you can serve them as appetizers, I like to make them as a special treat for lunch.
If you have leftover salmon, use it to make your salmon cakes. If not, choose high-quality canned Alaskan salmon. Also, take the time to sauté the onion, as this adds a sweetness to the salmon cakes. If you want a more zesty flavor, use Italian bread crumbs.
1.Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1–2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and sauté the onions until they’re transparent. Remove the pan from the heat and place the onions in a large bowl.
2.Add the egg to the onions and whisk together. Add the salmon, using a fork to break up any large pieces. Add half the bread crumbs, lemon juice, and seasoning, combining all ingredients together. Slowly add more bread crumbs until the mixture is firm enough to form 4 or 5 patties the size of the palm of your hand.
3.Reheat the skillet on medium-high and add enough oil to cover the bottom and sides of the salmon cakes. Add the salmon cakes to the skillet, and panfry, flipping the cakes over when the bottoms are golden brown.
4.Serve with a bottle of Crystal brand hot sauce and a side of Coleslaw.
¼–1 cup avocado oil (or another oil with a high smoke point)
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg
1 7.5-oz. can cooked salmon
¾ cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. lemon juice
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, ground pepper, garlic powder)
Crystal brand hot sauce for serving
I love the flavor of eggplant Parmesan, but I never order it in restaurants. That’s because most restaurants cut the eggplant into thick pieces, resulting in a soggy dish. To me, the key to perfect eggplant Parm is to slice the eggplant thin (about half an inch) and panfry each piece to a crisp before topping it with the marinara sauce and cheese and baking it. A large cast-iron skillet is ideal for this, but you can also use a grill or griddle.
1.Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil.
2.Place egg whites and bread crumbs in separate bowls. Season each slice of eggplant on both sides. Dip the eggplant in the egg whites and then the bread crumbs.
3.Place the eggplant slices in the hot skillet and panfry for 3–4 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown.
4.Flip the eggplant over, and spoon a dollop of marinara sauce onto each slice. Be careful not to pour the sauce into the skillet or it will burn. Top each slice with Parmesan cheese.
5.Place the skillet in the oven, and bake for 5–7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve hot with pasta.
1–2 Tbsp. avocado oil (or another oil with a high smoke point)
2 egg whites
¾ cup bread crumbs
1 large eggplant, sliced into medallions ½-inch thick
Seasoning to taste (Italian seasoning, salt)
1 jar marinara sauce
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Cooking for the whole family shouldn’t take the whole day or cost a whole paycheck. In this section, I provide several recipes that feed four or more people but take less than an hour to prepare and cook, all the while using ingredients that are simple and inexpensive. Whether you’re cooking for small kids or elderly parents, everyone will agree these dishes are nothing short of good ol’ fashioned comfort food.
So get cooking, and then get comfortable around the table.
Southern Fried Chicken
I still remember Great-Grandma serving delicious homemade fried chicken at a family get-together, even though I couldn’t have been more than three years old at the time. My grandmother, who was a wonderful cook, tried the same recipe, but her fried chicken never turned out as crispy as Great-Grandma’s.
If you talk to folks about fried chicken, you’ll hear two things: it’s a true Southern delicacy worthy of the finest restaurant, and it takes a special talent to get it right. Unfortunately, I lack that talent. I’ve tried—trust me, I’ve tried—but I just can’t fry chicken like Great-Grandma did.
And while I’m being really honest here, it scares me a bit to handle a large skillet or Dutch oven full of hot oil. I also don’t like the idea of using—and consuming—so much grease.
Nevertheless, this is a book about cast iron, and it wouldn’t be complete without a recipe for traditional Southern Fried Chicken. I hope you can use it to develop a talent that will wow your family for generations.
To start with, you’ll need to purchase a pound or more of lard (pork fat). You can still get this at most supermarkets next to the vegetable shortening. You’ll also need some buttermilk—not regular (or “sweet”) milk, which doesn’t have the same acidity or flavor. I recommend using chicken legs and thighs since they’re smaller than breasts and easier to cook thoroughly.
As for frying the chicken, you’ll need a deep skillet or Dutch oven large enough to hold the chicken and the oil it’s immersed in with at least a couple inches to spare. To reduce the amount of oil needed, you can use a smaller skillet or Dutch oven, though you may need to fry the chicken in batches.
You’ll also need a couple accessories, including a cooking thermometer that clasps onto the side of the skillet or Dutch oven, and a sturdy pair of tongs. If you have a fry basket and splatter screen, use those as well.
Good luck!
1.Clip a cooking thermometer on the inside of the deep skillet. Heat the skillet on medium-high and add the lard. Adjust the cooking temperature until the lard stabilizes between 350–375°F.
2.Place the buttermilk and flour in separate bowls. Season the chicken, then dip each piece in the buttermilk and then in the flour.
3.Using metal tongs, carefully place each piece of chicken in the skillet, and fry until done. (A meat thermometer should register 175°F.) After placing the chicken in the skillet, you may need to add more lard to cover the chicken completely. You may also need to adjust the heat to keep the lard at the right temperature.
4.Once the chicken is cooked thoroughly, use the tongs to place each piece on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil.
5.Serve hot or cold, and don’t forget the biscuits.
Lard (enough to completely cover the chicken)
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste
1–2 lb. chicken legs and/or thighs (with the bone and skin intact)
PANFRIED CHICKEN
One of the hardest parts about frying chicken is cooking the meat thoroughly while keeping the coating from burning. In this variation of the traditional recipe, you’ll crisp the outside of the chicken by panfrying it one side at a time, and then finish cooking it in the oven. You’ll still get the crispy fried chicken you know and love, but you’ll be sure it’s cooked all the way through—and you’ll use less oil in the process. When I want fried chicken, this is how I make it.
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Prepare the chicken as noted in the Southern Fried Chicken recipe. Heat the skillet and add lard until it measures about ¾ inch deep (enough to cover the bottom and sides of the chicken). Place the chicken in the skillet. (If you’re cooking a chicken breast or thigh, place it in the skillet skin-side down.) Add more lard to the skillet if necessary, and adjust the heat as needed to keep the lard between 350–375°F. Fry until golden brown, about 6 minutes, flipping halfway through.
3.Once the coating is crispy, you can place the chicken in the oven to finish cooking. However, you don’t want to bake the chicken in the pan because it has a lot of grease in it, and that would make the chicken soggy. Instead of removing the chicken, pouring out the hot grease, and then returning the chicken to the pan, simply place the chicken on a cookie sheet. Then bake until the chicken is done, about 12–18 minutes. If you have a wire rack that fits in your cookie sheet, use it to promote air circulation and avoid burn spots.
There are a lot of baked chicken recipes out there, but most of them result in chicken that’s either too rubbery or too bland. This recipe from my Aunt Sandie is totally different. By searing the chicken skin-side down before baking it, you create a crispy coating and lock in the juices and flavors. I recommend using legs or thighs for this recipe because they cook up faster than breasts and tend to have more flavor.
Remember that you’re baking the chicken, though, not frying it. That’s why only a tablespoon or less of vegetable shortening is needed. As soon as the skin is crispy, flip the chicken over and place it in the oven to finish cooking.
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Place a large skillet on medium heat, and add the vegetable shortening.
3.Season the chicken and place each piece in the skillet. For chicken thighs, place them skin side down. Sear the chicken until crispy, about 3–5 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over, and turn off the heat.
4.Bake for 30–45 minutes or until done. (A meat thermometer should register 175°F.)
5.Serve hot, preferably with a side of Collard Greens.
1 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
1 lb. chicken legs and/or thighs (with the bone and skin intact)
Seasoning to taste (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, ground pepper, garlic powder)
Chicken and rice is a staple no matter what part of the country you live in, but in our family, we prefer it made with yellow rice. This mouth-watering rice gets its color and flavor from the spice saffron. Variations of this dish are common in Spanish and Cuban cuisine, which heavily influence our palate here in Florida.
This recipe calls for a rotisserie chicken, but you can certainly use leftover meat from the Baked Chicken dish. We prefer Vigo Yellow Rice, but any brand of saffron yellow rice should do.
1.Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Prepare a packet of rice, following the directions on the bag. For extra flavor, substitute a cup of water with 1 ¼ cups of chicken broth.
2.Once the rice is cooked, stir in the chicken and reduce heat to low. Cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring periodically.
3.Serve topped with black beans and a side of Maduros.
1 10-oz. package of Vigo Yellow Rice
1 ¼ cups chicken broth (optional)
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned
1 15-oz. can black beans for serving
One of my all-time favorite meals is Mom’s Chicken Pot Pie. Rich and creamy with a crispy crust, this dish has everything.
This recipe makes a large pot pie, but it’s topped with a 9-inch pie crust. A small Dutch oven works well, but you could us a larger Dutch oven or a deep skillet. Another option is to make two chicken pot pies using 9-inch skillets. Just remember to buy more pie crusts if you use a larger pan or multiple pans.
This recipe calls for four types of canned condensed soups, but only a few tablespoons are needed of the potato and chicken and herb soups. I recommend freezing the excess in ice cube trays, then transferring the cubes to freezer bags for later use. (Trust me, you’ll want to make this again real soon.)
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Use paper towels to oil the inside of a Dutch oven.
3.Place the soups, creams, and vegetables in a large bowl. Mix in the chicken pieces, and season to taste. If the mixture appears too thick, stir in some of the chicken broth.
4.Line the bottom of the Dutch oven with a pie crust. Add the chicken mixture, and top with the second pie crust. Bake for 40–50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
½ Tbsp. oil (for Dutch oven)
1 10.5-oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 10.5-oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
3 Tbsp. condensed chicken and herb soup
4 Tbsp. condensed cream of potato soup
¼ cup cream
1 dollop sour cream
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables including peas, carrots, and corn (defrosted)
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning blend, ground pepper, garlic powder)
¼–½ cup chicken broth (optional)
2 frozen deep-dish pie crusts (defrosted)
If you’re running low on ingredients or time, try this super-simple version of chicken pot pie.
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.Use paper towels to oil the inside of a Dutch oven.
3.Mix soup and vegetables in a bowl, and add in chicken pieces and season to taste. Place in the Dutch oven and bake for 15 minutes or until ingredients begin to bubble. Place biscuit dough on top, and bake for an additional 13–17 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.
1 10.5-oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables including peas, carrots, and corn (defrosted)
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning blend, ground pepper, garlic powder)
1 16-oz. can refrigerated biscuits
I used to think the only way to make a good pot roast was to cook it for hours in a Crock-Pot. However, cooking meat low and slow can make it tough and flavorless. On the other hand, Dutch ovens are ideal for cooking pot roasts because their heavy lids trap in moisture and heat, leaving the meat tender and juicy. As a bonus, a roast prepared in a Dutch oven can be cooked in less than half the time of one cooked in a Crock-Pot (just don’t leave the oven unattended).
In the following recipe, I recommend using a large Dutch oven to first brown the meat and then bake it until done. By using the same Dutch oven for both browning and baking, you’ll be able to make the most of the meat drippings, maximizing the flavor of the dish. Adding the vegetables partway through the cooking time will help you avoid soggy veggies. And the flavor? Well, this is the best pot roast I’ve ever had. I think you’ll agree.
1.Preheat oven to 375°F.
2.Let the roast rest on the counter for several minutes until it reaches room temperature.
3.Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add oil.
4.Blot the roast with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture, and then season the meat.
5.Once the oil is hot enough, sear the meat on both sides until brown. Reduce the heat and add the chicken broth. Deglaze the Dutch oven using a spatula and then add half the onions. Place a lid on the Dutch oven and bake for 1 ½ hours.
6.Reduce heat to 350°F. Add 3–4 cups of water to keep the roast moist and bake an additional hour. Then add the rest of the onions, carrots, potatoes, and more water (if needed), and bake an additional 45 minutes to an hour or until meat is tender and veggies are soft.
7.Serve with hot Mayonnaise Biscuits.
2 lb. chuck roast
½ Tbsp. avocado oil (or another oil with a high smoke point)
Seasoning to taste (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning, ground pepper)
1 14.5-oz. can chicken broth
1 sweet onion, sliced
3–4 cups water
4 carrots, peeled and cut to 1-inch pieces
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut to 1-inch pieces
CREAMY POT ROAST
My mother-in-law makes a delicious pot roast with the veggies on the side. Here’s how.
1.Start with the recipe for Beef Pot Roast.
2.Season the meat with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, ground pepper, and a quarter of a pack of Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Recipe Soup & Dip Mix.
3.Mix a 10.5-oz. can of condensed cream of mushroom soup with the rest of the onion mix, and use it in place of the veggies.
4.Sear and bake the roast as noted above.
With little more than a pound of ground beef, you can make a tasty meatloaf for the whole family. Leftovers can be turned into meatloaf sandwiches the next day or frozen for another night.
Many recipes call for bread crumbs, but that tends to produce a drier meatloaf. Instead, I recommend starting with two slices of bread dipped in milk. If the meat mixture is too runny to bind together well, you can then add bread crumbs until you’re able to form a solid meatloaf.
Meatloaf undoubtedly gets its humble name from the fact that it’s a baked loaf of meat. You can create that loaf shape by pressing the meat into a cast-iron loaf pan. However, since the meat touches the sides of the pan, only the top of the loaf will brown. Instead, I suggest using your hands to mold the meat into a loaf shape and then placing it in a large cast-iron skillet, leaving at least a half an inch in between the meat and the sides of the pan for air to circulate. This will allow both the top and the sides of the loaf to brown nicely.
1.Preheat oven to 360°F.
2.Rub oil into a large skillet.
3.Place the ground beef in a large bowl and mix in the onion, sauces, eggs, and half of the ketchup. Stir in the seasoning.
4.In a separate bowl, place the bread pieces in the milk, allowing them to soak up the liquid. Add the bread to the meat mixture and combine well. Using your hands, mold the meat into the shape of a loaf and place it in the skillet. If the mixture is too soft to form a loaf, slowly add the bread crumbs until the consistency is firm enough.
5.Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven, and top the meatloaf with remaining ketchup. Continue baking for 15–30 minutes or until done.
½ Tbsp. oil (for the pan)
1 lb. ground beef
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. BBQ sauce
½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs, whisked together
⅓ cup ketchup
Seasoning to taste (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, ground pepper)
2 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
¼ cup milk
¼–½ cup bread crumbs
MINI MEATLOAVES
Instead of one big meatloaf, you can make several Mini Meatloaves, which are more fun to eat and are easier to freeze and reheat later.
To make, use the Meatloaf recipe but form smaller loaves the size of the palm of your hand. Place these in multiple skillets or on a long grill or griddle so that they’re not touching each other. Bake as directed above, but keep an eye on the meatloaves to avoid burning. The overall cooking time will be a few minutes less than with a single large meatloaf.
Looking for comfort food that you can make for the whole family on a busy weeknight? This recipe for Shepherd’s Pie is made even easier by using premade mashed potatoes. You can use dehydrated or refrigerated mashed potatoes, but I prefer the frozen medallions at Trader Joe’s; they’re the closest thing I’ve found to the real thing but with less sodium than other premade potatoes.
Whether you make your potatoes from scratch or get a little help, this dish will have you reaching for seconds.
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Place a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the ground beef with the onion, seasoning, Better than Bouillon Beef Base, and Worcestershire sauce. Drain off any excess grease.
3.Layer the mixed vegetables on top of the beef, followed by a layer of the mashed potatoes. Top with the cheddar cheese. Bake for 30–40 minutes.
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
Seasoning to taste (Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, ground pepper)
½ Tbsp. Better than Bouillon Beef Base
½ Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
⅔ cup frozen mixed vegetables including peas, carrots, and corn (defrosted)
3–4 cups prepared mashed potatoes
½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
TATER TOT SHEPHERD’S PIE
Start with the Shepherd’s Pie recipe but, instead of mashed potatoes, use frozen tater tots. Their crispy texture and light seasoning gives a fun but tasty twist to this grown-up dish.
Not a fan of bitter cabbage? Me either. But in this dish, mild kielbasa, potatoes, and carrots work together to bring out the natural sweetness of the cabbage. Trust me, this dish is worth trying.
In this recipe, I recommend browning the sausage first so you can deglaze the pot and use the drippings to season the cabbage. However, you don’t want to boil or steam the sausage after it’s browned, so you’ll need to remove the sausage and then add it back after the cabbage has cooked down. This extra step will give you the best texture and flavor. While it doesn’t take long to prep or cook this dish, it does make a lot of servings, so it’s perfect for a family dinner.
1.Place a large Dutch oven on medium heat and add the bacon grease. Brown the sausage and then remove it from the Dutch oven.
2.Add ½ cup of water and use it to deglaze the Dutch oven. Add the cabbage and carrots and enough water to cover the bottom of the pot. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
3.Add the potatoes, browned sausage, and seasoning. Replace the lid and continue cooking until done, about 20 minutes.
4.Serve hot with Mayonnaise Biscuits.
2 Tbsp. bacon grease
1 14-oz. package polska kielbasa sausage, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
3 cups room-temperature water, divided
1 head cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Seasoning to taste (Morton’s Nature’s Seasons Seasoning Blend, ground pepper, garlic powder)
You’ve seen how to make an entire dinner in cast iron. But what about dessert?
It may surprise you, but the same qualities that make cast iron the perfect baking pan for cornbread also make it ideal for cobblers, pies, crisps, brownies, and cookies. You can even bake a cake in cast-iron loaf pans or fluted pans. The cast iron’s ability to retain and transfer heat ensures these desserts are baked evenly and, if desired, have a nice crispy edge.
There are plenty of cast-iron pans available to help you make the dessert of your dreams, but all of the recipes in this section can be baked in small (8- or 9-inch) or large (10- or 12-inch) skillets. One thing to keep in mind when baking in cast iron is that you can’t store leftovers in the pan. So if you can’t eat that last slice of Skillet Cookie Cake, be sure to store it in something else. You may even want to freeze it in a freezer-safe bag for the next time you get a cookie craving.
FREEZING BLUEBERRIES
I never know when I’m going to crave blueberry cobbler or want to make a compote for breakfast, so I keep a few cups of blueberries in the freezer at all times. Fortunately, we have blueberry bushes in our yard, so I stock up every summer (for free!).
You can stock up on berries, too, if you buy them in season at your local farmer’s market. Don’t just stick them in the freezer, though, or they’ll freeze into one hard lump. Instead, rinse them in a colander and lay them out on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels to dry. Then remove the paper towels and place the cookie sheet in the freezer. This will allow each berry to freeze individually. The next day, transfer the berries to freezer-safe bags and place them back in the freezer for those early-morning baking emergencies.
Flour is such a common ingredient in most desserts that it deserves special mention, especially if you’re like me and most of your baking experience involves opening a box of Duncan Hines.
When baking, you need to make sure you’re using the right kind, of flour, whether it’s all-purpose or self-rising. (If it doesn’t say self-rising on the bag, then assume it’s not.)
As its name implies, all-purpose flour can be used to cook everything from gravy to brownies. However, when baking desserts that are supposed to rise—like cakes—you’ll need some help to leaven it or fluff it up. Some recipes call for self-rising flour, which contains baking powder and salt in just the right amounts to make the dessert rise (without you needing to add yeast). Other recipes call for all-purpose flour, but then have you add the leavening ingredients separately. In either case, just follow the recipe as written, and it’ll turn out fine.
It’s a good idea to keep both all-purpose and self-rising flour on hand. If you run out of self-rising flour, however, or you can’t find it in a gluten-free variety, you can easily transform your all-purpose flour into self-rising flour. Here’s how.
For every 1 cup of all-purpose flour required, add the following.
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
Mix ingredients thoroughly with a fork. You may also need to adjust the recipe somewhat by decreasing the total amount of flour by 2 teaspoons per cup (which is replaced with the baking powder and salt).
That’s it! Now don’t you-feel like a baking pro?
My favorite dessert is my mother-in-law’s blueberry cobbler. It’s sweet without being too sweet, and it has the perfect bread-to-fruit ratio that makes this dessert a true comfort food.
When I make this cobbler, I use a gluten-free flour mix and substitute the sugar with ½ cup of honey. It’s delicious either way.
1.Preheat oven to 375°F.
2.Rub oil into a small skillet.
3.In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, milk, and butter. Pour the batter into the skillet. Add the blueberries on top. (The batter will rise through the blueberries while baking.)
4.Bake for 40 minutes or until cobbler is golden brown. Serve hot with a cup of tea or coffee.
2 tsp. oil (for the pan)
1 cup self-rising flour
¾ cup sugar
1 cup milk
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups frozen blueberries
HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM
Make your dessert extra special by topping it with homemade whipped cream.
1 16-oz. carton heavy whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Beat on high using a hand mixer until peaks form. Apply liberally to all desserts.
Nothing says Americana like a good ol’ fashioned apple pie—but who has time to make it from scratch? Instead, make yours semi-homemade by using store-bought crusts and apple pie filling. You’ll enjoy the smell of it baking in the oven, and it’ll taste just as good as if you spent hours in the kitchen.
Store-bought crusts are usually 9 inches in diameter, so a small, 9-inch skillet would work best. If you need to use a larger skillet, though, buy an extra pie crust and use it to fill in the gaps on the top and bottom crusts.
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.
2.Rub oil into a small skillet. Place one pie shell in the skillet.
3.In a large bowl, stir the cinnamon and nutmeg into the apple pie filling if desired. Add the pie filling to the skillet.
4.Cut slits into the second pie shell and place it on top of apple pie filling. (The slits ensure the heat can escape without causing the filling to bubble over.) Brush the egg white onto the pie shell so it can bake to a beautiful golden brown.
5.Bake 40 minutes or until crust is nice and golden.
2 tsp. oil (for the pan)
2 frozen pie crusts (defrosted)
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
2 21-oz. cans apple pie filling
1 egg white
If you like the flavor of apple pie but want to make a healthier, gluten-free version, try this recipe for Apple Crisp. Although some crisp recipes call for tart apples, I recommend using sweet ones because you won’t need to use as much sugar. You can also mix things up a bit by using different varieties of apples or by cutting the apples into different size chunks instead of thin slices.
1.Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.Rub oil into a large skillet and add the sliced apples.
3.In a small bowl, whisk together the honey and apple juice until combined. Stir in the lemon juice, cornstarch, cinnamon, and allspice. Pour the mixture in the skillet, tossing the apples to coat them thoroughly. Bake for 20 minutes.
4.Meanwhile, prepare the crisp topping. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, pecans, sugar, and salt. Add the melted butter and yogurt and stir the mixture until it’s moistened throughout.
5.After the apples have baked for 20 minutes, give them a stir. Add the crisp topping to the skillet by spooning dollops of the mixture over the apples. Bake for an additional 25–30 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
6.Let the crisp rest for 5–10 minutes. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.
APPLE FILLING
½ Tbsp. oil (for the pan)
2 lb. apples (5–7 apples), peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup apple juice
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground allspice
CRISP TOPPING
1 cup old-fashioned oats
½ cup almond flour
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
⅓ cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup plain yogurt
I don’t know anyone who makes brownies from scratch. There are just too many delicious easy-to-make mixes out there to choose from, including organic, vegan, and gluten-free options. But if you’re still making your brownies in a square baking pan, you’re missing out on the crispy-edge goodness that comes with baking in cast iron.
Instead of giving you a complicated brownie recipe, I recommend using your favorite store-bought mix and simply baking it in a cast-iron skillet. The heavy pan will give you nice, crispy edges while keeping the inside perfectly gooey. Just remember that cast iron retains heat more than traditional brownie pans, so you may need to lower the baking temperature by a few degrees or reduce the cook time. Most mixes list various temperatures and cook times on the back of the box; go with the ones recommended for darker pans. However, since the brownies will continue to cook for a few minutes after you remove the skillet from the oven, you may want to reduce your cook time by an additional 3–5 minutes. For an extra crispy bottom, preheat the skillet before adding the brownie mix.
To give your brownies some homemade flair, add chopped nuts and serve with vanilla ice cream. And, of course, serve the brownies in the hot skillet. Everyone will enjoy the fun dessert, and no one will care that it didn’t take you all day to make it.
When I was little, my family owned a cookie store in our local mall. For years, my birthday cakes were giant chocolate chip cookies with “Happy Birthday” written in colored icing. To this day, I love giant cookies (or cookies of any size, really).
If you like cookies as much as I do, you’ll love this Skillet Cookie Cake. It’s the perfect crossover between flat, crispy cookies and tall, fluffy cakes. You can still use icing to write “Happy Birthday” on it, but a generous portion of vanilla ice cream will do nicely. Candles are optional.
1.Preheat oven to 375°F. Place a large skillet in the oven to preheat.
2.Pour melted butter into a bowl. Add the sugars, salt, and vanilla, and whisk together. Add the eggs, and whisk again until the mixture is smooth.
3.In a separate bowl, mix together the flour and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and stir until combined. Then stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
4.Remove the skillet from the oven, and rub oil into it using tongs and paper towels. Pour batter into the hot skillet, using a spatula to even it out.
5.Bake the cookie for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let the skillet sit for 15 minutes. Serve warm in the skillet with vanilla ice cream.
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
½ cup sugar
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, chopped (optional)
½ Tbsp. oil (for the pan)
