Cast-Iron Recipes

These delicious cast-iron recipes range from cobbler and cakes to burgers and steaks. All delectable and amazing, you’ll be wondering why you neglected your cast-iron cookware for so long.

First up is Chimichurri Mac and Cheese. Chimichurri–the South American herb sauce typically served with meat–revs up basic mac and cheese with tangy flavors. You can also serve this in individual ramekins or small serving skillets.

This one-dish pork tenderloin entree is perfect for fall.  Sweet spices coat lean pork tenderloin, while apples get a savory treatment with shallots and thyme. Serve with a spinach salad.

Zing goes the chile, pop goes the fresh, sweet corn; this corn bread recipe is perfect for those who like their corn bread loaded with flavor.

Full of flavor and ready in just 10 minutes, this omelet is the perfect, healthy breakfast option for even the busiest of weekday mornings.

We pair simply seasoned beef tenderloin with a flavorful sauté of fresh green beans, onions, shallots, garlic, and balsamic vinegar—all for under 250 calories per serving.

A little butter adds richness and keeps leaner-than-usual beef moist without adding much total fat. This recipe is smoky, so keep an exhaust fan on high or cook in a skillet on a hot outdoor grill.

For a full-flavor, comfort food side dish, try this recipe for potatoes, ready in less than 40 minutes and only 132 calories per serving.

Farmed char is widely available and has a mild flavor and a great texture. It's similar to salmon but not quite as rich and fatty. Wild arctic char from the northern seas is available only for a few weeks in late summer. It is a sought-after delicacy, and one that will cost you. If you find fresh, it's well worth the splurge.

Full of flavor, ready in 30 minutes, and only 424 calories per serving, what’s not to love about this hearty steak pizza?

Make food truck-style fish tacos at home using fresh tilapia, avocado, cilantro and corn tortillas and topping with a creamy onion-jalapeño mixture for amazing flavor.

Italian flavors abound in this vegetarian one-dish meal of Asparagus, Tomato, and Onion Farinata. Farinata is a thin cake made with chickpea flour. The chickpea flour makes this crispy crust high in fiber and gluten-free.

The tangy, herby yogurt sauce (raita) stands in for mayonnaise on this blended burger. For more spicy kick, leave the seeds in the serrano chile.

The key to a successful stir-fry is the level of heat. Use a cast-iron skillet to ensure the dish is hot enough during cooking and this Asian style stir-fry will be ready to devour in no time.

Incorporate more fish into your healthy diet with this easy-to-make trout recipe. Enjoy an extra kick of flavor from the smoked salsa that serves as an elegant garnish for this fish-based main dish.

Serve these garlicky, spicy meatballs with steamed sugar snap peas and two cups cooked rice tossed with 1 tablespoon chile paste—you'll find it on the ethnic aisle of most supermarkets or at Asian grocers.

Worthy of a special occasion, this recipe for chicken tostadas uses a cast-iron skillet to brown the tortillas for the perfect sear.

This simple skillet supper uses shredded potatoes as a base. The potato mixture cooks on the stove top first to get it browned and crisp on the bottom.

For the best results, pat your scallops dry with paper towels, and sear them in a superhot cast-iron skillet.

Sweet potatoes and sliced mushrooms add an interesting twist to this familiar comfort food. Although the pork takes a while to cook, the simmering is hands off.

A screaming-hot skillet and baking sheet yield fantastic seared scallops and quick-roasted veggies. The luxurious sauce is little more than butter emulsified into reduced white wine--keep the butter cold and whisk it in gradually for the creamiest sauce.

Although it is one of the most popular species, tuna is tricky when it comes to sustainability. To make sure you're making a sustainable choice for this delicious tuna dish, buy U.S.-caught fresh or frozen Pacific albacore tuna.

Serve this savory caramelized onion, Gruyère, and bacon spread with crackers or bread slices. If you can't find Gruyère, substitute raclette, fontina, or Swiss cheese.

If you like your beef more rare, keep the steak whole and rub with seasonings; grill about 3 minutes on each side. Let steak stand 5 minutes; cut across grain into thin slices for the tacos. If you'd like something richer than sour cream, try crema Mexicana, usually located with the Mexican cheeses.

Make your apple cobbler better than ever by baking this recipe in a cast-iron skillet. It will provide a perfect sear and is still ready in an hour.

Nut meals can replace up to one-fourth the all-purpose flour in baked goods. Almond meal's hearty texture works well in this corn bread.

Take advantage of this opportunity to use your cast-iron skillet in a conventional way. This upside down cake tastes delightful and is ready in less than an hour.

Serve this vegetable medley with simple grilled pork, chicken, or fish. Add the vegetables to a hot cast-iron skillet, cover, and cook 5 minutes without stirring so the natural sugars caramelize and add flavor.

You can make the onion mixture for this dish up to two days ahead of time. Refrigerate it in an airtight container, then bring the mixture to room temperature before assembling the frittata. Serve with cut-up fruit and toasted bagels with cream cheese.

Chermoula is a versatile North African herb-and-spice sauce that works beautifully with this dish. Use a cast-iron grill pan for this dish, as a nonstick grill pan can't handle high heat.

A Dutch baby is a puffy, baked pancake. A preheated cast-iron skillet enables the batter to start cooking immediately and causes it to puff. Cook the bananas while the Dutch baby is in the oven, so they'll be done at the same time.

Upside-down cakes are classically made in a cast-iron skillet because it gives the cake a crisp edge, cooks it evenly, and keeps it moist.

These top-rated cast-iron burgers prove that you don't have to own a grill to enjoy juicy, amazingly flavorful hamburgers.

You can prepare these in muffin tins, but the cast-iron cornstick pan yields a crisper crust and even richer taste.

The combination of cumin, coriander, and ground red pepper create a tasty rub for the beef. Brown sugar aids caramelization. Heating the cast-iron skillet results in a flavorful seared crust on the sirloin steak without having to first brown the meat on the stovetop.

Lo mein, a popular Chinese dish, is often a go-to choice when dining out. But making lo mein at home not only keeps calories in check, it boosts the flavor and gives you limitless variety.

An earthy red, such as pinot noir, is the wine traditionally used in Burgundy, where the classic time-consuming stew was born. Serve the dish with mashed potatoes, as the recipe directs, or opt for pappardelle pasta, if you prefer.

Fun for the whole family, this recipe for corn bread in the shape of breadsticks works well as a side to a variety of weeknight dishes.

A small amount of truffle oil infuses the whole dish with loads of earthy essence. If you don't have truffle oil, you can use olive oil for a more subtle flavor. Use a mandoline for quick, easy, uniform potato slices.

This sandwich packs in gooey cheese, smoky spices, and chunks of chicken for a comforting family-friendly dinner.

Spicy, herby chutney complements the delicately seasoned vegetable samosas.

Dish up a company-worthy dish that calls for only four ingredients, plus salt and pepper. Choose roasted asparagus as a bright, fresh partner for this main dish.

This iconic dessert was allegedly created by the Tatin sisters of France's Loire Valley. Legend is that while trying to repair a baking error, they ended up with this upside-down dessert of flaky pastry and apples bathed in caramel.

The inspiration for this dish is a Creole classic, grillades and grits. Look for Berkshire, Duroc, and other heritage pork at specialty markets.

Quick-cooking red lentils don't need to be pureed since they break down as they cook. Lentils are a great source of protein, as well as fiber. This recipe gives 20 percent of your daily fiber goal. Serve over brown rice with a side of broccoli for a vegetarian meal.

The combination of sweet corn and smoky bacon gives this uncomplicated dish sublime flavor. It's a delicious way to put fresh end-of-summer corn to use.

Roasting shrimp atop a bed of hot rock salt cooks the shrimp evenly and helps hold in moisture. Because the shrimp are cooked unpeeled, the salt does not permeate, and the results are tender and juicy.