There are many benefits of cooking with a cast iron skillet. From the gooey goodness that it creates when baking a dessert, to the perfectly seasoned baked chicken; your crafty cooking potentials are endless. If you were lucky enough to receive one of these puppies over the holidays, you may be curious as to where the boundaries lie with cooking in a cast iron skillet, and what to make.
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The beauty of a cast iron skillet is that you can throw it in the oven or on the stove for whichever dish you desire to make. The possibilities for your culinary ingenuity are endless. From breakfast to dinner and even dessert; you can do it all. Sure, staring at this skillet may be intimidating, but we've got 15 recipes for you to take on a spin at any time.
1. Snickerdoodle Skillet Cake
Everything you've loved about Friday afternoons and snickerdoodle cookies exists in this recipe, only it's in cake form. Top it off with a scoop - or three - of ice cream, and you've got a Friday afternoon treat that you deserve.
Get the recipe here.
2. One Skillet Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan can be a tricky and messy meal to nail, but with your new skillet, your mess is kept into one pan. Why is this a selling point?
It makes clean up a heck of a lot easier, and you can even serve it directly from the skillet itself. Then again, we probably had you at easy cleanup.
Get the recipe here.
3. Bubble Pizza
You don't need to go far to indulge in the pizza of your dreams. With your newest addition in the kitchen and a few of your favorite toppings, you can make whatever pizza your current heart desires whenever it beckons for cheesy scrumptiousness.
Get the recipe here.
4. Scalloped Potatoes
If you need the perfect side dish to your church pot luck, or family dinner night, these scalloped potatoes are perfect for you. Crispy, soft and elegantly (in the culinary world) served in the skillet itself, you're sure to create a new crowd favorite.
Get the recipe here.
5. Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread
What meal isn't made better with bread? Not one that we can think of, and surely you're in the same boat, as well. No need for a bread-maker here, just your new handy, dandy cast iron skillet, some rosemary, and an appreciative sense of smell for when this puppy begins to fluff up.
Get the recipe here.
6. Single Serve Skillet Blondie
Sometimes it's okay to not share your baking delights with the rest of the world. With the introduction of various cast iron skillets to your pan collection, you can now make a blonde for yourself, and yourself only. Two words: treat yourself.
Get the recipe here.
7. Indoor S'mores
If you're not in the mood to go all out and splurge on a single-serve cookie, but still have a sweet tooth, this is the dish for you. Regardless of the weather, this cast iron s'mores recipe will have you feeling like you're sitting fireside in the woods, nestled under a blanket and experiencing a taste sensation unlike any other.
Get the recipe here.
8. Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs
Everyone needs a simply yet outrageously decadent-tasting chicken thigh recipe in their book, and this is sure to be your new go-to. With the skillet allowing the skin to crisp up and absorb the flavors of the seasoning, your Monday night dinner tradition starts here.
Get the recipe here.
9. 4-Layer Breakfast Bake
Four. Whole. Layers? Yep. Four whole layers of protein and cheese-packed goodness. This is the perfect dish for your new years morning, or any lazy Sunday that comes with a bit of a chill.
Get the recipe here.
10. Cast Iron Skillet Cinnamon Roll
We know - simply looking at this bad boy is enough to make you salivate with desire and intrigue. Sugar monster aside, this cinnamon roll is perfect for a lazy weekend morning, or one of those necessary "sick" days you know we all take.
Get the recipe here.
11. No-Bake Skillet Lasagna
A lasagna that doesn't require the process of pre-heating an oven—and your entire kitchen? Count us in! This dish doesn't skimp on the cheese, sauce or flavor, and can all be done from scratch within a reasonable time frame.
Invite some friends over and rock their socks off with your newest addition to the skillet cookbook of your life. Get the recipe here.
12. Sweet Cornbread
Just like the chicken thigh recipe, everyone needs a go-to for cornbread. Whether you prefer yours loaded with jalapeños or doused in chili is your call, but when it comes to simple and sweet, this is the recipe for you.
Get the recipe here.
13. Cast Iron Grilled Green Beans
The perfect side to those chicken thighs we raved about above, these green beans will give you everything you need in a side dish. Perfectly balanced in your diet and grilled to perfection, there is no wrong match up to pair this side with.
Get the recipe here.
14. Skillet Brownies
So you say you like chocolate, and have no brownie pan. Don't you hate when that happens? However, you're lucking out because you received the gift of a lifetime for christmas—a cast iron skillet.
Mix up the batter, pour into the skillet(s), and there you have it: brownies without a pan. And for this reason, they're that much better.
Get the recipe here.
15. Parmesan Pesto Skillet Rolls
We never get sick of bread, and if there are multiple ways to indulge in those carb-bombs, we're so down. This recipe calls for an enchanting combination of pesto and parmesan, and you only need your skillet to create these rolls of pure and true joy.
Get the recipe here.
