Recipe Station

So, if you're looking for an excuse to break out your cast iron skillet and whip up a culinary masterpiece, we have plenty of options to get your started. They all sound good, it's practically impossible to pick just one!

ONE-PAN CHICKEN, SAUSAGE, AND BRUSSELS SPROUTS
When I'm cooking on a busy weeknight, I want to end up with as few dishes as possible, and a cast iron skillet is my go-to for easy one-pan dishes. In this recipe, we cook chicken thighs, Italian sausage, Brussels sprouts, and shallots all in one skillet, and we amp up the flavor by rubbing the chicken with a savory paste made up of mustard, honey, and rosemary.

Pan-Roasted Chicken With Vegetables and Dijon Jus »
This recipe also pairs chicken with Brussels sprouts, along with potatoes and carrots for extra heft. It's not quite one-pan, though, since we use a saucepan to make a rich gravy flavored with lemon and Dijon mustard. By searing the chicken skin-side down before flipping the pieces over to cook through, the skin winds up wonderfully crisp.

Creamy Garlic Chicken Spanakopita Skillet »
This one-skillet meal is inspired by the Greek appetizer spanakopita. The filling is made with spinach, chicken, and a creamy garlic-feta sauce. After making the filling, we top it with phyllo dough and bake for about 20 minutes, until it's golden brown. The dish hits the same notes as spanakopita, but in a hearty, easy-to-make package.

Sweet and Savory Corn Casserole »
Different parts of the country make corn casserole different ways. We're not here to pick sides—this isn't a definitive recipe, it's just the way we like it. We start with onion, red bell pepper, and fresh sage sautéed in butter and flavored with paprika and cayenne, then we add the corn, cornmeal, and dairy. Corn is far out of season, but out-of-season fresh corn actually bakes up quite nicely (though frozen works, too).

Butter-Basted Pan-Seared Thick-Cut Steaks »
Cast iron is slower to heat up than steel, but once it gets hot it stays hot. That's ideal for cooking a steak, where you want super high heat to get a crust on the exterior without overcooking the center. Another trick to perfectly searing steaks? Despite what people might tell you, flipping your steaks more often actually helps them brown faster and cook more evenly.

Perfect Pan-Seared Pork Chops »
Cast iron is good for searing pork chops, too. But because most people cook their pork longer than they cook their beef, we recommend using the reverse-sear technique—cooking the chops slowly in the oven before finishing them in a hot skillet. Modern pork is very safe, though, so feel free to cook it to medium or even medium-rare.

Spanish-Style Blistered Padrón Peppers (Pimientos de Padrón) »
This ultra-simple tapa is made by charring green Padrón peppers in a blisteringly hot cast iron skillet. We sear the peppers in neutral oil and finish them with extra-virgin olive oil—while olive oil is safe to use at high temperatures, it takes on a strong flavor that overwhelms the peppers. Beyond the olive oil, all the Padróns need is a little coarse sea salt.

Wow! Don't all of these recipes sound delicious? Do you have a favorite recipe you like to use your cast iron skillet for? If so, share your thoughts in the comment section below; we'd love to hear from you!

Article Source: Serious Eats