(CNN)Kitchens are packed with all kinds of cookware in the rafters. As a professional recipe developer and food him writer, I can swear it's a job. But my cast iron skillet is the one I use more often than any other skillet. and unlike most electronic kitchen essentials, it will last for generations. (I'm looking at you, air fryer.)
I like cast iron for stove-to-oven use because it can withstand high temperatures and retain heat well. It's great for scrambled eggs, stir-frying veggies, cooking homemade tortillas, and even grilling fruit cobblers, as well as steaks and chicken breasts.
As you may have heard, cast iron skillets are very easy to maintain. You don't need much more than hot water to clean them, along with a little kosher salt to scrub stubborn areas.What about sustainability?
Frustrated cooks often ask me what to do with a scratched nonstick pan. We wholeheartedly recommend cast iron as a durable alternative. Unlike coated nonstick pans, the finish of cast iron pans does not degrade over time. In fact, the oil used for cooking becomes part of the pan itself, so the non-stick properties of cast iron improve with repeated use.
One caveat: Do not cook highly acidic foods such as tomatoes, vinegar, wine, or citrus in the pot until the pot seasoning is ready. A well-seasoned pot will simmer easily with these ingredients, although the acid may dissolve in the finish. Use enamelled cast-iron parts such as ovens.)
What to cook in a cast-iron skillet
The 10-inch high-sided cast iron skillet is a frying pan you'll want to grab again and again. Once you start using it, you'll find yourself heading to the stove (or oven) for many meals, but here are some suggestions. }
Macaroni and Cheese
Roast chicken and vegetables
Roast While whole chicken is always a comfort food winner. Bone-in chicken breasts and thighs are best served in a cast-iron skillet because the skin on the cut is crispy and easy.
The easiest way is: Grill chicken skin side down in oil or butter over medium-high heat (takes about 3-4 minutes). Return the chicken, skin side up, to the pan and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until the chicken reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
Pan Pizza
If you want a thick, chewy crust for family pizza night, ditch the baking stone and use a cast iron skillet instead please. Preheating a skillet in the oven will sizzle the surface of the dough, causing the pizza to rise to a pillow-like height.
Dutch Baby
For a weekend breakfast, or a weekday dinner breakfast, crack open a cast iron skillet to create an impressive Dutch baby. These family-sized pancakes rise and deflate in the oven to create a bowl-shaped pastry. Try the
Cornbread
Sweetened with sugar or honey, stuffed with fresh corn or jalapeño peppers, buttered and baked in a cast iron skillet. Cornbread is even better for a crisp brown crust. water droplets, etc.). Sized for a 9-inch baking dish, this cornbread recipe also works in a skillet.Try this crispy version made with both polenta and millet.