The winter holiday season is rapidly approaching, and for us here at Consiglio’s that raises one very important question - what will we be cooking up this year for our friends, families, and loved ones? In brainstorming everything from the “main event” show stoppers to sides, appetizers and even what to do for breakfast the day of, an important question came up: would it be possible to plan an entire day-long holiday menu using solely cast iron cookware? Turns out, the answer is a resounding YES!

Winter Holiday Recipes for Le Creuset and Staub Cookware

We’ve long held that cast iron cookware - be it enamelled, such as Le Creuset and Staub, or traditional cast iron such as Lodge - is the true workhorse of any kitchen; it’s even what we turn to ourselves for many of the recipes you see here on our Consiglio’s blog! So, to celebrate our love of cast iron and great food, we decided to ring in this holiday season by bringing together a list of some of our favourite cast iron recipes.  

Winter Holiday Recipes for Cast Iron Dutch Ovens

Arguably the most diverse and wide-ranging category of cast iron on the market today, there are a lot of options to choose from when picking out a dutch oven. Will it be a small but stunning 24cm Staub round oven? A massive Le Creuset Goose Pot fit to feed a crowd? Or even, an unadorned Lodge 5qt dutch oven, beautiful in its versatility and simplicity? Regardless of your dutch oven of choice, it should be your go-to cookware when dreaming up everything from bread, to breakfast to turkey for your holiday meal plan!

Bread:

 

Aged Cheddar and Bacon or Olive & Rosemary Bread from Le Creuset (shown above) , or Spelt Wholemeal Bread from Staub for something a little bit more fancy.

Cookware recommendations:

• Staub 30cm Round Dutch Oven
• Le Creuest 30m Flame Orange Dutch Oven
• Lodge 5qt. Dutch Oven

Breakfast: 

For my family, Christmas is one of the few times throughout the year that we’re all able to assemble under one roof - it’s a beautiful time, but as the holiday meal planner of the bunch it raises the question of how, exactly, to feed upwards of a dozen hungry people in the morning quickly and easily without having to wake up hours before the rest. The answer - breakfast for a crowd in dutch oven! Not only does it remove the need for me to stand over the stove while everyone is enjoying their morning coffee, these breakfast ideas can often be assembled and prepared using just the dutch oven, cutting down on the volume of post-meal dishes. When thinking up what breakfast meals will work best, I normally consider making Eggs in Purgatory for a crowd, a french toast casserole or even simple hash brown casserole as a side - all require minimal prep time before baking off in the oven, and are versatile enough that they can be adjusted for dietary restrictions of a crowd be it a lactose intorlerance or vegetarian in the group.

Cookware recommendations: 

• Staub 29cm Oval Dutch Oven
• Le Creuset 29cm Oval Dutch Oven or Le Creuset 31cm Dutch Oven 
  
  

Though the selctions above are for Staub and Le Creuset oval dutch ovens, breakfast casseroles will work equally round in a round dutch oven as well! 

Holiday Season Classics and Mains:

One of my favourite staples of holiday meals is turkey - it’s the main (food) event of the holiday season that I’ll find myself counting down to in anticipation! Whether you prefer turkey, or have a tradition of roast goose for the holiday season, an oval dutch oven such as the Le Creuset Goose Pot is an easy and hassle-free way to get your bird cooked to perfection! If, like me, you prefer to spatchcock your bird for roasting, you’ll need a way to cook up your stuffing on the side - my go-to the past couple years has been a Staub round dutch oven - I can cook my sausage, onions, celery and carrots in the oven on the stove top, deglaze, add my toasted bread, apples, cranberries, walnuts and “secret blend of herbs” (rosemary, sage, and a touch of savoury), top off with stock and simply toss it in the oven - no mess, no fuss.

If roast bird is not part of your holiday tradition, or you’re simply looking for a meal to feed a crowd leading up to the main-event, we recommend taking a look at this Christmas Eve Beef Stew from Le Creuset, or Oven Beef Stew from Lodge.

Cookware recommendations:

• Le Creuset Goose Pot 
• Le Creuset Flame Orange 35cm Oval Dutch Oven
• Large Staub Round Dutch Oven  
• Lodge 7qt Dutch Oven

Risotto:

Whether it be as a side or as a stand-alone main or lunch idea, risotto is a hearty classic, making it a perfect fit for for the winter holiday season. Staub has a great collection of Risotto recipes, including Spring Vegetable, Italian Cheese, Mussels in Lemon and an intriguing Risotto with Strawberries, or you can try our very own Mushroom Risotto recipe from Chef Angela Consiglio.

These risotto recipes work well in a round dutch oven, as shown in the Staub recipes above; alternatively, they can also be done in a brasier such as the Le Creuset 30cm or 32 cm braiser, or the Staub Chistera braiser.

Cookware recommendations:

• Staub or Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven
• Staub 28 cm Chistera Braiser or Le Creuset 30cm Braiser

Side Dishes:

The potato casserole could work just as well in a braiser, and although the recipe for the greens was designed with the Le Creuset Saucier in mind, it  could also be done in a small dutch oven. The Le Creuset Sweet Potato Casserole is designed to be used in the Le Creuset Pumpkin Casserole, but recipe would work equally well in a small dutch oven!

Cookware recommendations:

• Le Creuset Pumpkin Casserole
• Le Creuest Saucier
• Staub or Le Creuset Braiser

As a bonus, if you’re looking for a hearty soup to keep you warm throughout the winter months a dutch oven is a great choice for a classic chicken noodle soup, and is what we use in our very own Roasted Maple Cinnamon Squash Soup recipe! Not to mention, a dutch oven can quickly turn any leftover turkey or chicken you make have into an excellent white chili.

Winter Holiday Recipes for Cast Iron Skillets

Breakfast:  

Cast iron skillets are a natural choice when looking to prepare fast but tasty breakfast. For something easy, filling, and a touch of pizzaz, I normally turn to whipping up a Frittata - the Tomato Basil Caprese Frittata or Leafy Greens Frittata from Lodge are a great place to get some inspiration. Lodge also has a great recipe for Skillet French Toast that makes use of their 12 inch cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets are great for high-temperature frying, meaning that they can also be used to whip up incredible potato latkes. If you prefer small, individual-sized breakfast meals, the smaller 8 inch Lodge cast iron skillets are incredible for Yorkshire Pudding! If pancakes or bacon and eggs are more your style, both Le Creuset and Lodge offer large reversible griddles perfect for breakfast time.

• Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet
• Staub Cast Iron Skillet
• Lodge 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet
• Lodge 8 inch Cast Iron Skillet
• Lodge or Le Creuset Reversible Grill

Side Dishes:

As mentioned above, side dishes are an imperative part of the holiday meal experience. My hands-down favourite side dish to make in a cast iron skillet has to be brussel sprouts - the high-temperature cooking ability of cast iron allows you to get an incredible char on the brussel sprouts without the risk of overdoing them. My preparation is brussel sprouts with bacon, though you could just as well do a charred brussel sprout in sweet balsamic glaze for a vegetarian version! Other side ideas include the Braised Kale with Bacon and Onions recipe from Lodge, or skillet scalloped potatoes or cauliflower gratin. It’s even possible to do your stuffing/dressing in a skillet (see this Rosemary Thyme recipe from Lodge to see their take on making this holiday classic in a skillet)!

• Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet  
• Staub Cast Iron Skillet
• Lodge 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet
• Lodge 15 inch Cast Iron Skillet for large sides

Dessert:

One thing some people are surprised to learn is that cast iron skillets are great desserts and pies. The Cranberry Apple Pie or Berry Skillet Galet recipes from Lodge, or Peach Clafoutis from Le Creuset are a great place to start looking for inspiration.

 

Cookware recommendations:

• Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet  
• Staub Cast Iron Skillet
• Lodge 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet

Alternate Mains:

For those more carnivorous eaters, cast iron grill pans and skillets are second to none when it comes to preparing steak indoors - you can look to this Flank Steak Roulade recipe from Lodge for a fancier preparation, or use a grill pan to get a perfectly prepared steak and serve it with a simple compound butter.

Cookware recommendations:

• Lodge 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet
• Staub 30cm Cherry Red American Grill Pan
• Le Creuset 26cm Square Grill Pan
• Ilsa Bistecchiera Grill Pan in 24 cm or 30 cm
• Lodge 12 inch Cast Iron Grill Pan

Dips:

 Cookware recommendations:

• Lodge 36 oz. Oval Serving Dish
• Lodge 12 oz. Mini Serving Bowl
• Lodge 10.25 inch skillet
• Staub 16cm Round Dutch Oven

Not only is it possible to plan and entire day-long winter holiday menu soely using cast iron cookware, your options for putting together a cast iron feast for you and your loved ones is limited only by your creativity (and, maybe picky eaters). 

If I had my way, my choices would be eggs in purgatory for lunch, a fast skillet pizza for a quick lunch, chicken liver mousse dip with olive and rosemary dutch oven bread for an appetizer, then a roast turkey, stuffing, and charred brussel sprouts for the main event.