Filed under: bakeware, casserole pots, cast iron, cast iron cookware, cast iron pots, dutch oven, holiday cooking, skillet, skillets | Tags: caaserole pots, cast iron cookware, cast iron dutch ovens, cast iron skillets, cats iron casserole dish, christmas dinner, dutch ovens, family dinner, holiday, holiday dinner, pizza casserole
For many people, the holidays are a time of tradition. Whether it’s the opening of gifts around a beautifully lit tree, an evening at your local church or a festive party celebrating the Winter Solstice, every culture has their own traditions during this time of year. What many people don’t realize is that the traditions they engage in during this time of year are often borrowed from other cultures.
One of the most borrowed elements of the holiday season is the culinary fare that people enjoy as they sit around the dinner table and talk of the joys of their past and their hopes for the year to come. As you enjoy your holiday dinner this year, take a moment and you will probably be surprised by the cookware used to prepare some of your favorite holiday dishes. Cast iron cookware, including skillets, dutch ovens and bakeware has been a staple in kitchens around the world for hundreds of years, being passed down from mothers to daughters and fathers to sons. In fact, you may even have a piece of cast iron in your kitchen that once belonged to a great grandmother or uncle.
Cast iron is perfect for preparing delicious holiday fare. In fact, this year would be a great opportunity to start a new tradition and get away from the holiday standards. Following is a great recipes that will give you a chance to show off the versatility of your cast iron cookware and have your family’s mouths watering.
Pizza Casserole
This is a great recipe that can be prepared in a cast iron casserole dish, dutch oven or even your favorite cast iron skillet and will give your holiday dinner an Italian twist.
- Favorite Pasta (3 Cups Uncooked)
- Ground Italian Sausage (2 Pounds)
- Pepperoni (1 Package, Sliced)
- Tomato Paste (6 Ounce Can)
- Pizza Sauce (Two 14 Ounce Jars)
- Minced Chopped Onion (1 Medium)
- Garlic Clove (1 Small)
- Fresh Mushrooms (1 Pound)
- Oregano (1/2 Tablespoon)
- Mozzarella Cheese (3 Cups, Shredded)
- Parmesan Cheese (3/4 Cup, Grated)
Preheat oven to 350°. Begin by cooking the pasta until the pasta is tender while browning the Italian sausage with the onion and garlic over medium heat in your cast iron casserole pot. Once the Italian sausage is browned, drain and then add in the mushrooms, pizza sauce, tomato paste, oregano and let it simmer. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir it into the meat sauce. Remove the casserole pot from the heat, using oven mitts and place on a cast iron trivet to avoid burning your counter-top. Cover pasta completely with mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheeses and then place the pepperoni slices on top of the cheese.
Place the cast iron casserole dish or dutch oven in the oven and allow to bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the pizza casserole from oven and allow to cool. This Italian dish will serve 12-14, making it perfect for a holiday dinner side dish or even the main course. And stay tuned for more great dishes from your cast iron cookware experts at Iron Pots Depot.
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Filed under: bakeware, cast iron, cast iron cookware, cast iron pots, cookware, dutch oven, holiday cooking, skillet, skillets, thanksgiving, thanksgiving cooking | Tags: cast iron bakeware, cast iron baking, cast iron casserole dish, cast iron casserole pots, cast iron cooking, cast iron cookware, cast iron cornbread pan, cast iron cornbread pans, cast iron dutch oven, cast iron sillets, cast iron skillet, cooking with cast iorn, cooking with cast iron cookware, cornbread, cornbread pans, dutch oven, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day
In our second installment of creating the perfect Thanksgiving dinner with your cast iron cookware we are going to move past the desert table and focus on one of the most overlooked (and delicious) aspects of any Thanksgiving meal.
The cornbread.
Sweet, delectable cornbread. Cooked to perfection in a cast iron cornbread pan or even your trusty cast iron skillet.
Whether your Thanksgiving is centered around a turkey, ham or pizza, cornbread is the ideal side for your Thanksgiving feast. (Well, maybe not pizza, but who has pizza for Thanksgiving dinner?)
Cornbread in the united States is older than the first settlers, which may be why it has become a staple on so many Thanksgiving Day tables. Native Americans knew early how to dry and grind the corn, which as anyone who has driven across our country knows is very abundant, into corn meal. By adding eggs and flour, the basic cornbread could be made.
Fast forward to modern times.
Cornbread is still a very popular because of its versatility to go with almost any meal. It has become a staple at most major American holidays, including Thanksgiving. There are several recipes to make cornbread but we are going to focus on one that is truly simple and delicious.
Depending on how fancy you want your Thanksgiving feast to look, you may want to invest in some cast iron bakeware. You can even find cast iron cornbread pans that allow you to cook your cornbread in fun, corn ear shapes. However, you can bake your cornbread in basically any piece of cast iron cookware you own, such as a dutch oven, skillet or even a casserole dish.
No matter what piece of cast iron you use to cook the cornbread, it is sure to be one of the hits of your Thanksgiving Day table.
Cornbread Ingredients:
- Eggs – 2 (Beaten)
- Cornmeal – 1 1/2 Cups
- Milk – 1 1/4 Cup
- Flour – 1 Cup
- Vegetable oil – 1/2 Cu
- Salt – 1 1/4 Tsp
- Baking powder – 1 Tbsp
- Granulated Sugar – 2 Tsp
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix the milk and corn meal together an let sit for at least ten minutes. Combine the baking powder, salt flour and the sugar into one bowl and set it aside. Add the eggs, corn meal mix and oil into a large cast iron skillet and mix together on low heat. Pour the flour, salt and sugar mixture into the wet corn meal mixture and mix thoroughly until there is no trace of white powder. Finally pour the mixture into your cast iron cornbread pan (or leave it in the skillet if you are using that for baking) and place it in your preheated oven. Allow to bake for 25-30 minutes or until your cornbread is golden and has no trace of wet mixture when poked with a fork.
For best results, use plenty of butter and don’t worry about the calories.
It is Thanksgiving Day after all.
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