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A cast-iron skillet is essential in my kitchen. With just a little care, a well-loved cast-iron pan won’t just last a lifetime — it can last for generations, passing from kitchen to kitchen with its history cooked right into the surface.
And with a little bit of creativity, you and your skillet can make a wide range of flavorful dishes. The recipes here celebrate the versatility of this kitchen workhorse: a vegetarian dish with fibrous butter beans reminiscent of French onion soup; spicy tomato shrimp with the fruity, slow-building heat of Calabrian chili; and a protein-packed spin on shepherd’s pie.
There are a lot of misconceptions about cooking with cast iron, including the supposed damage caused by using such a skillet to cook tomatoes. While it’s true that tomatoes are acidic and can strip seasoning from cast iron over time, a short simmer in a well-seasoned pan is perfectly fine. (Get more tips for cast-iron care at “How to Care for a Cast-Iron Skillet.”)
An additional pleasure of these one-pan meals is in the ease of cleanup. When dinner is done, simply wash your skillet with hot water, scrub away any remaining bits of food with a stiff brush, and dry it completely. Finish with a thin layer of neutral oil rubbed across the surface while the pan is still warm, and your skillet is restored and ready for whatever comes next.
Skillet Butter Beans With Caramelized Onions
Makes 4 servings • Prep time 15 minutes • Cook time 80 minutes
- 1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbs. butter
- 2 large yellow onions, sliced
- 1½ tsp. sea salt, divided
- 8 oz. mixed mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tbs. fresh thyme
- 1 bunch lacinato (dinosaur) kale, stemmed and chopped
- 2 cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 4 oz. Gruyère (or other Swiss cheese), grated
- Toasted sourdough bread or brown rice, for serving
- Preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat, then add the oil and butter. Add the onions and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook until the onions are deeply caramelized, about 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the onions begin to burn, reduce the heat, and remove any crispy bits if desired. If the onions appear dry, add a splash of water or additional oil. (Note that the onions can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to a week.)
- Once the onions are caramelized, push them to one side of the skillet. Add the mushrooms and thyme and increase the heat to medium. Cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir the onions and mushrooms separately during this window to keep them from burning.
- Place an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the broiler.
- To the skillet, add the kale, beans, vegetable broth, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and cook until the kale is wilted, about five minutes.
- Uncover the skillet, top with freshly grated Gruyère, and place under the broiler. Broil for two to three minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Cool before serving.
- Serve with toasted sourdough or over a bed of brown rice.
Spicy Tomato Shrimp Skillet
Makes 4 servings • Prep time 15 minutes • Cook time 30 minutes
- 1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbs. butter
- 2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined and tails removed
- 1½ tsp. sea salt, divided
- 5 tomatoes on the vine, quartered
- 1 large shallot, sliced
- ½ tbs. chopped Calabrian chili peppers (or chili paste)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
- Couscous or pita, for serving
- Preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high, then add the oil and butter. Add the shrimp, season with ½ teaspoon of the salt, and cook until pink on both sides but not quite cooked through, about two minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the skillet and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium, then add the tomatoes and shallot and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about eight to 10 minutes. Push the tomatoes and shallot to one side of the skillet, then add the Calabrian chilies, garlic, oregano, and remaining teaspoon of salt. Cook until fragrant, about one minute, then stir to combine the chilies with the tomatoes and shallot.
- Stir the shrimp into the tomato mixture, then top the skillet with the crumbled feta. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for eight to 10 more minutes, or until the feta is softened and the shrimp is fully cooked through.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with pita or over a bed of couscous.
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Swedish Meatball Shepherd’s Pie
Makes 4 servings • Prep time 15 minutes • Cook time 90 minutes
- 1 small sweet potato
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tbs. Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
- ⅛ tsp. ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp. ground nutmeg
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 2 tbs. butter, divided
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. sea salt, divided
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 2 tbs. cornstarch
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Use a mandoline or a sharp kitchen knife to slice the sweet potato into disks ⅛ inch thick.
- Prepare the sauce. Add the cottage cheese, chicken broth, mustard, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Preheat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter, followed by the turkey, pepper, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook the turkey, breaking it up into small pieces, about 10 to 12 minutes or until browned. Remove the turkey from the skillet and set it aside.
- Place the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet, then add the onion, carrots, celery, and remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about eight to 10 minutes. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the vegetables and stir until they are evenly coated, then remove the skillet from the heat.
- Add the frozen peas, turkey, and cottage-cheese sauce to the skillet, and stir until combined. Top this mixture with a slightly overlapping layer of the thinly sliced sweet potatoes, cover the skillet with foil, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly and the sweet potatoes are tender and golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Gooey Pecan-Pie Bars
Makes 12 slices • Prep time 10 minutes • Cook time 55 minutes
Crust
- 2 cups fine ground almond flour
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 1 tbs. raw cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 tbs. coconut oil, melted
- 1 large egg
Filling
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 cup Medjool dates, pitted
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- 2½ cups raw pecans, divided
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare the crust. Combine the almond flour, ½ teaspoon salt, cane sugar, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, and 1 egg in a food processor and blend until a dough forms.
- Press the dough into the bottom and sides of a seasoned and greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet to make an even layer. Use a fork to poke holes across the surface of the crust, then bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees F.
- In a food processor, blend the maple syrup and dates to form a smooth paste. Add the remaining eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt, and blend until smooth. Roughly chop 2 cups of the pecans; leave the remaining ½ cup whole. Fold the chopped pecans into the date filling.
- Pour the filling over the crust. Arrange the remaining ½ cup of whole pecans on top of the filling, then bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is puffy and set. Cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
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