A Dutch oven can be used for not just your one-pot meals but for so many culinary wonders. Slow-cooking, braising, frying and searing are just a few of its skills. If you’ve been trying to walk that tight rope between work and home while struggling to cook a nutritious and sumptuous meal for your family, then what you need is some easy Dutch oven cookware. These recipes are simple yet wholesome meals with easily available ingredients, most being the staples you already use.
So, let’s get you started on your culinary journey with three Dutch oven recipes.
1. Leg of lamb braised in red wine
Prep time: 12 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
5-pound leg of lamb (bone-in or out)
4 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 small 6-ounce can of tomato paste
3/4 cup golden raisins
2 cups dry red wine
3 sprigs of fresh oregano
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
5 peeled garlic cloves
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
1 tsp kosher salt
For garnish: Herbs, golden raisins, and toasted pine nuts
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and season the leg of lamb with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in the Dutch oven on high until it smokes.
- Place the seasoned lamb in the pot and sear from each side for about 3 minutes, until it turns dark brown.
- Once the lamb has browned, turn off the heat and add the tomato paste, tomatoes, raisins, wine, garlic cloves, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Cover the pot and cook the lamb in the oven for 1 hour at 325°F.
- Then lower the temperature to 275°F and braise for another 3 hours.
- Once cooked, transfer the lamb to a plate and cover it with foil.
- Strain the leftover ingredients from the stock that is poured back into the pot for a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the Dutch oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the stock is reduced by half.
- Add butter and mix it well. The lamb will be cooked tender enough to fall off the bone.
- Garnish it with raisins and serve with sauce.
Serving suggestion: You can serve mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, polenta, couscous, or risotto as sides.
2. Pot Roast
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 4 hours
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
3-pound chuck shoulder roast
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef broth
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp grapeseed or canola oil
2 garlic cloves
3 carrots
1 onion
3 large new potatoes
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Peel the garlic and chop the potatoes and onion in quarters.
- Peel the carrots and remove their tops.
- Rub the chuck roast on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Dust the roast with the flour until it is evenly coated on all sides.
- Heat the oil on medium-high in the Dutch oven.
- Place the seasoned roast in the pot and sear it for about 3 minutes on all sides until brown.
- Deglaze the pot by adding the broth and wine.
- Add the vegetables around the roast and turn off the heat.
- Cover the pot and place it in the oven for braising.
- Lower the temperature to 275°F after 30 minutes and continue cooking the roast for 3 hours until it is tender and falls apart.
- Serve the roast and vegetables with the broth
Serving suggestion: Serve your pot roast with warm and crusty bread and butter
3. Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 cup long-grain rice
2 cup chicken broth
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and cropped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of milk (10 oz)
1 can cream of chicken soup (10 oz)
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup diced onion
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Boil the chicken broth and add the uncooked rice to it.
- Let the rice simmer covered on low/medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Keep stirring occasionally.
- Microwave the broccoli florets with 1″ of water for about 3 minutes or until they are tender. Saute the diced onions and mushrooms in butter till they tender in a medium skillet for about 10 minutes.
- Mix them with the broccoli, cooked rice, cream of chicken soup, milk, salt, and pepper in the Dutch oven.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Serving suggestion: Serve your casserole with a simple arugula salad and crusty bread.
The best thing is that these recipes are not just soul-satisfying but will also reduce the number of dishes you’ve got to clean after a great meal. How great is that!
So the next time you want to treat your family and friends to a scrumptious meal, put your Dutch oven to good use with the aforementioned recipes!
