Some women like to collect pretty things, such as vases, flowers, figurines. Some, however, like to collect cast iron. Having multiple cast iron pans makes meal prep so much easier, as you can grab what you need and go from stove top to oven with ease.
Some advantages of cast iron cookware are it heats quickly, cooks food evenly, and can be used over the stove, campfire and more. There really is no limit to the recipes you can make with cast iron. From chicken and beef to pasta or desserts, a good cast iron pan can do it all.
Some of my favorite cast iron pieces that I use daily (you can find them at my affiliate partner’s site) are:
- 3 quart pot Perfect for veggies, soups, and making bread.
- Dutch oven Also great for bread, whole chickens, and deep dish meals.
- 10 inch skillet My go to for eggs, casseroles, and meatloaf.
- Pizza Pan Great not only for pizza, but for fajitas and large servings of bacon and eggs.
- waffle maker Our go to waffle maker.
- wedge pan Great for making cakes, cornbreads, and even cookies in easy serving sizes.
Cast iron is also great for cooking because it cleans up easily when it’s well seasoned. Simply wipe the food off, add a bit of oil and you’re good to go for the next recipe! Well seasoned cast iron has an excellent non stick coating, even better than teflon. If the seasoning is causing food to stick, simply clean well, and reason your cast iron.
See how to season your cast iron here.
Keep your cast iron pieces in great condition.
To keep cast iron seasoning at its best, try some of these tips:
- Don’t ever use soap to clean the pan.
- Don’t allow water to sit in pan for long periods of time (such as soaking)
- If food gets stuck, apply a thin coating of salt and rub food away.
- Don’t use metal utensils on the pan to avoid scratching the surface.
- Clean pan as quickly as possible after use.
- Add a bit of oil such as tallow or coconut oil after cleaning while pan is hot.
Some brands of cast iron to consider:
- Lodge-currently the most commonly found brand, it’s available even at Walmart or other large stores.
- Griswold-very vintage, and can be pricey or hard to find. (interested in vintage? Check out this site here)
- Le Cruset-very “French” and quite pricey, but gorgeous pieces to add to your collection.
If you are ready to cook with cast iron, but aren’t sure what to cook, these recipes are a great place to start!
Cast Iron Chicken Recipes
From whole chickens, to chicken pasta dishes, this is the way to cook poultry!
Asparagus Sweet Potato Chicken Skillet
Cast Iron Beef Recipes
Cast Iron Casseroles/Pizzas Recipes
Lemon Parmesean Chicken Alfredo
One Pan Crispy Potatoes with Eggs
Cast Iron Snack Recipes
Cast Iron Bread Recipes
No Knead Parmesean Rosemary Bread
Cast Iron Side Dish Recipes
Cast Iron Breakfast Recipes
Overnight Sourdough Cardamom Cinnamon Rolls
Cast Iron Dessert Recipes
What are your favorite cast iron pieces? How often do you use them? Be sure to pin this for later!
Heather’s homesteading journey started in 2006, with baby steps: first, she got a few raised beds, some chickens, and rabbits. Over the years, she amassed a wealth of homesteading knowledge, knowledge that you can find in the articles of this blog.