• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Instant Pot Recipe Guide! download now!

FREE 5 Instant Pot Meals in 5 Minutes E Course!


Thank you for subscribing!


Formerly Your Homebased Mom

  • About
  • Latest
  • Contact
NEW! Watch on youtube!

Your Homebased Mom

Leigh Anne Wilkes

  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Appetizers
      • Beverages
      • Bread
      • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Dessert
        • Bars and Brownies
        • Cake
        • Candy and Treats
        • Cookies
        • Ice Cream
        • Pie
      • Main Dishes
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches and Burgers
      • Sauces and Dressings
      • Side Dishes
      • Soup
    • Cooking Method
      • Crock Pot
      • Grilling
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pan
      • Oven
      • Quick and Easy
      • Recipes for Two
    • Ingredients
      • Beef
      • Eggs
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Poultry
        • Chicken
        • Turkey
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
      • Gluten Free
    • Cuisine
      • American
      • Asian
      • European
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
    • Holiday
      • New Year’s Eve
      • Valentine’s Day
      • St. Patrick’s Day
      • Easter
      • 4th of July
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Christmas
  • Travel
    • Europe
    • United States
      • New York City
      • Portland
    • What To Wear
  • Life
    • Home
    • Party Ideas
    • Empty Nesters
    • Church
      • Activity Day
      • Relief Society
    • Organizational Tips
    • Recommended Reads
  • New? Start Here
  • Subscribe for weekly recipes

    FREE 5 Instant Pot Meals in 5 Minutes E Course!


    Thank you for subscribing!


Recipe Finder

  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Dessert
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches and Burgers
    • Sauces and Dressings
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
  • Cooking Method
    • Oven
    • Crock Pot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • One Pan
    • Quick and Easy
  • Ingredients
    • Beef
    • Eggs
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Poultry
    • Seafood
    • Vegetarian
    • Gluten Free
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • European
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
  • Holiday
    • New Year’s Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
Home / Latest Posts / Recipes / How to Cook with Cast Iron

How to Cook with Cast Iron

Share
Share on:
By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 7/26/19Updated: 3/09/23

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

two cast iron pans and a towel

Sharing all the how to cook with cast iron tips and tricks you need to know.  We’ll talk about how to cook with it, season it and clean it.

cast iron skillet

Cast iron pans have been around for generations and you may even be lucky enough to have inherited your grandmother’s cast iron skillet!  The ones I use in my kitchen today are the ones my husband used when he was a Scoutmaster so they are well used and have been seasoned over many campfires.

If you haven’t inherited one or your husband wasn’t a camper you can purchase one on Amazon for not a lot of money.  The great thing about cast iron skillets is you only need to purchase it once, if you take care of it, it will last you forever!  I would recommend a 9-10″ size skillet.

Two cast iron skillets

How to Season Cast Iron

The first thing you will need to do with a new cast iron skillet is season it.

Start with a clean pan.  Apply a thin layer of oil such as vegetable oil or canola oil all over the pan’s interior and exterior.  Place the man in a 350 degree F oven with a sheet pan or foil underneath it to catch drips.  Turn the pan upside down and let it “bake” for one hour.  Leave the pan in the oven until completely cool.  If you pan needs to be reseasoned follow the same directions.

seasoning a cast iron pan

How to Clean Cast Iron After Cooking

  • Use Soap Lightly.  Tradition says that you should not use soap on cast iron but soap can be used lightly.  Studies have shown that a little soap won’t hurt, just don’t let it soak in a sink full of soapy water.
  • Avoid using a scouring pad while cleaning.  They can scratch and damage the surface and remove the layer of seasoning you have worked so hard to get.
  • Cook stuck on food off.  Fill your pan with hot water and let the pan cook for a while with the water in it.  The stuck on food should easily come off.  Don’t use anything metal or sharp to scrape with as you will scratch the surface.  Use a plastic spatula or some type of plastic scrapper.  You can also rub the pan with kosher salt and some paper towels while the pan is still warm to remove baked on food.
  • Always dry your pan. Be sure and dry your pan well after washing it or it will rust.  Apply a nice thin layer of oil over the pan after washing and drying.
Two cast iron skillets

Tips

One of the most important things to remember is cast iron gets hot and that includes the handle.  Protect your hands.  Use a towel or hot pot holder when handling the cast iron pan.

Your cast iron skillet can be used on the stove top and in the oven.  Cast iron distributes the heat nice and evenly so it is the perfect thing to bake in, in the oven.

I like this cast iron pan available on Amazon.

Breakfast Ideas:

dutch baby with apples in pan

Apple Dutch Baby

Sweet Orange Petal Roll

Green Chili Egg Casserole

Migas

Skillet Potatoes

Lemon Pull Apart Rolls

Cast Iron Skillet Biscuits

Sweet Petal Cinnamon Roll

Main Dish Ideas:

One Skillet Lasagna
  • One Skillet Lasagna
  • Street Enchiladas
  • Flat Iron Steak Fajitas
  • Beef Fajitas
  • Shepherd’s Pie
  • Steak Bites
  • Sweet and Spicy Chicken
  • 30 Minute Crispy Chicken
  • Tamale Pie
  • Chile Con Queso
  • 60 Minute Focaccia Bread
  • Skillet Cornbread

 Skillet Desserts:

S'mores Skillet

Chocolate, Nutella and Toffee Skillet

Skillet S’mores

Cast Iron Skillet Apple Pie

Skillet Carrot Cake

Easy Peach Crisp

two cast iron pans and a towel

Previous Post
Blueberry Crumble Bars
Next Post
Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:




Primary Sidebar

Seasonal Posts

small batch carrot cake sliced

Small Batch Carrot Cake

hamsteak on a plate

Glazed Ham Steak

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

broken pieces of easter bark

Easter Bark

Most Popular Posts

Herb Rice

Crock Pot 5 ingredient Pork Roast sliced

Crock Pot Pork Roast

chicken cooked in the microwave

How to Cook Chicken in the Microwave

texas sheet cake for two in a baking pan

Chocolate Sheet Cake for Two {Texas Sheet Cake}

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Trending Now

overhead shot of cinnamon rolls

One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

plate of smashed potatoes and a fork

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

overhead shot of bowl of almond chicken

Almond Chicken

baked riblets

Easy Oven Baked Riblets

No knead bread in a pan

Instant Pot Bread

Tomato tart pieces

Easy Tomato Tart

spoon full of mac and cheese

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Almond Torte

  • Crock Pot
  • Instant Pot
  • Chicken
  • Breakfast
  • Appetizers
  • Bread
  • Salad
  • Dessert

Order my Cookbook, Holiday Slow Cooker!

Buy Now!
Back to Top
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Contact
© 2013–2023 Leigh Anne Wilkes Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled