Most households have a cast iron skillet, but what you can do with it might surprise you.
Becky Low shares how to use this tool to it’s full potential.
Beef Pot Pie
1 pound ground or chopped beef
½ medium onion, chopped
3 medium potatoes
1 can (8-oz) sliced mushrooms
2-3 cups water
2-3 packages Brown gravy mix
1 unbaked pie crust (1-crust)
Milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, brown beef with onion and until beef is cooked and onion is tender .Season to taste with salt and pepper or other seasonings of choice (I like a steak seasoning).
Peel and dice potatoes. Add potatoes and undrained mushrooms to beef. Cover and simmer until potatoes are almost done.Add additional water to create desired gravy. Thicken with gravy mix or cornstarch (1-tablespoon cornstarch or 1 package mix to every 1-cup water). Bring mixture to a boil. Cool slightly.
Place one pie crust on top of filling, flute or crimp edges to add a decorative edge. Cut a vent intop. Brush top lightly with milk. Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown and flakey.
Serve with a salad and tall glass of milk.
Notes:
Pot pie is an easy one dish dinner. The ingredients above are a guidelines – substitute your own favorite vegetables or meat. Gravy may be thick or thin, depending on preference. Makes one pie,serves 6.
Variation: Divide filling between 6 mini cast iron pans.Use 2-crust pastry. Roll each crust thin
enough to cut 3 circles (about the size of cast iron pan). Top each pie pan with crust, flute and ventas directed above.
Rosemary Skillet Bread
¼ cup warm wate
1 tablespoon yeast (substitute 1 packet)
2 cups warm milk
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Rosemary, divided
4 ½ cups flour
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon oil
Stir yeast into warm water to soften.
Combine yeast, warm milk, 2-tablespoons melted butter, sugar, salt, 1-tablespoon Rosemary and 3-cups flour. Beat well with a spoon, until smooth and elastic. Stir in remaining flour and 2-tablespoons Parmesan cheese (dough will be sticky). Cover, set in a warm place to raise for about 1-hour, or until double in bulk.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Oil bottom and sides of 10-12 inch cast iron skillet. Stir bread dough down and place in prepared skillet. Brush and drizzle with remaining butter, sprinkle with remaining Rosemary and Parmesan cheese. Allow to raise 30 minutes. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and hollow sounding when thumped on top. Remove from pan (sweating bread will cause cast iron to rust if left too long.)
Notes:
Wonderfully easy no-knead bread recipe, baked in a cast iron skillet, ready in 2 hours!
Hasselback Skillet Potatoes
6 medium potatoes
¼ cup butter
Garlic salt (or other seasoning)
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (more or less)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Generously butter 10-12 inch cast iron skillet.
Scrub potato skins. Evenly slice potatoes into ¼-inch thick slices. Keep potato together and fan out slices, brush butter between slices, sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Continue with all potatoes. Nestle all potatoes into prepared skillet. Drizzle remaining butter over top of potatoes, sprinkle remaining cheese on top and sprinkle with additional garlic salt to taste. Bake, uncovered, 30-45 minutes or until crusty and golden on top and tender when pricked with a fork.
Notes:
Love the crispy flavor of this baked potato. Serves 6.
Becky Low represents The Dairy Council of Utah/Nevada. For delicious dairy recipes and nutrition information go to www.dairycouncilutnv.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/DairyUTNV. For nutrition research go to www.nationaldairycouncil.org.
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