I recently discovered cast iron cooking and am in love!  Looking for any recipes you've tried or tips and hints for using it.  I have a 12 inch skillet that takes both hands and a team of horses to haul out of the oven and also just purchased a 3-quart dutch oven.

ooh, thanks!

I LOVE my skillet.  I told hubby that I am going to be buying a complete set of cookware even if I have to do it piece by piece. 

I just won 3 sets of these on Ebay and I can't wait to get them: http://rvingoutpost.com/specs.php?prodnum=1918&title=Skookie%20Cast%20Iron%20Skillet  This site has a couple of recipes listed with the skillets.

I'm obsessed with them! LOL  Here is a YouTube video about using them: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=170162403674&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=007

Where did you find your dutch oven? 

Some of the ones I'm finding have those little feet so they'd only work for camping and not stovetop.  I'm wanting a larger soup pot one (12 inch diameter I think?)

check out amazon.com...they sell the brand "Lodge" which makes everything cast iron (and accessories)

Lodge is the brand of my skillet.  I got it at Walmart... I guess instead of browsing online, I could actually go to a couple of stores.  LOL

Oh oh oh!!!  WM.com has the Lodge one that I want!  Gee, you would think I would have looked there first since that's where hubby works.  LOL  Now I'll just have to run to the store tomorrow to see if they stock it before I buy from WM.com.

Oh and this is almost perfect: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=6005463  ROFL!

My favorite thing is a variation on tamale pie. I open a can of chili, dump  it in the cast iron skillet, add a layer of froxen corn, a layer of grated cheese, and Jiffy Cornbread muffin mix, prepared. Bake according to directions on the muffin mix or until golden brown all over. The cornbread soaks up the liquid from the chili and everything holds together really great, you can cut and serve it like you would cornbread. I've tried it in other types of cookware but the cast iron works soooooo much better!

Rachel that sounds good!  Have you added that to the PBS Cookbook?

Sarah, you can get lots of great cast iron cookware pieces in different sizes, shapes and colors and sets  at QVC.com. 

Sherry;

rec. to here.

c

I love the cast iron. Everyone tells me I'm crazy its so heavy. Well that it is but nothing cooks better you can find all of their things on their webb site.  the only other pans I use are aluminum. My old Club aluminum are great. The new ones all have ceramic outsids or something and that is just a pain. I don't know why they change something that was so good. I have a real old roaster from them that has cooked more than you would believe.  Don't even bother with all these high priced non stick pans theyare not gret don't last and certainly don' t cook like the old stand bys. If you treat the cast iron the way they tell you you will never have the problems with sticking and cleaning. Bobsy

oh bobsy, thank you for that!  i'd been seriously considering a le crueset set (enameled) and my MIL was looking to buy it for me for Christmas...

i'd heard mixed reviews on the enameled stuff and you just helped seal my decision.

I have found that Amazon.com has a great selection of Lodge and they put them way on sale plus free shipping over $25.00.

Check their Friday sales for the best deals.

Another place I have found cast iron is Lehmans. They specialize in non-electric items and amish made items. They are just a really neat store. Lehmans.com 

If you love what you've found so far with cast iron, hunt through the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores for the older stuff.  Look for the really smooth cast iron.  I've never found one I couldn't get back into cooking condition.  The smoother, the better.

Opallady

 Lodge is the best brand by far. I have problems keeping rust out, and keeping them non-stick, but that is my own doing, and DH, since he is good about dish-washing but not about separate treatments....my mom has Lodge stuff she has used for 40 years; it's better than Teflon. But you really do have to follow the "rules" for maintaining it. Plus, you get additional iron in your diet by cooking in them, I've always read......

I got a set of cast iron cookware years ago but never did seem to season it correctly.  The pots kept rusting up.  Not sure what I was doing wrong.  Maybe it was the grease I used.  Got Grandma's well seasoned set when she died.  If you don't mind a used set, check flea markets.  I'm always seeing cast iron cookware there for dirt cheap.

I grew up using cast iron.  Now, my husband loves it, too.  I found the BEST cast iron at yard sales--the really old ones.  Some people want to sell certain brands as collectables and try to raise the price.  But, if you can find a decent price, I feel the older ones are so much better--already well-seasoned.

Can't really help with the recipes, though.  I just cook with them--nothing special.

I have used cast iron for a really long time (not telling my age either!). What I've found best to do is to keep a little can of lard in the refrigerator for treating when necessary. Do not wash with soap and water, use just plain water and a scraper (little nylon thing) don't dry, but put back on the hot burner to dry and then coat with a layer of lard. Then store somewhere, but they say you shouldn't stack them, (I do). The old skillets I get at yard sales are by far the best, I have ordered new ones and bought new ones, and they just don't work as well (they tend to rust), no matter what you do. I have bought at yard sales, some skillets that are really rusted and ugly (I paid $2). I brought it home set it in a plastic bag (trash bags work) sprayed it with oven cleaner and cleaned the initial rust up with soap and water, washing very well. Then I made corn bread in it, something like 4 times (fed the birds), until you can't see the rust in the bread anymore. Then washed it up one more time, and then seasoned it. It's the best pan I've got and I've got about 6 of them that I use all the time. They really are worth all the effort, plus you just can't destroy these things. If the kids are learning to cook, they burn things, you just start all over with the seasoning, with the teflon or nonstick, they burn it, mostly it's destroyed. Cast iron is a wonder.

I have also heard if you put your cast iron skillet in a self cleaning oven it comes out like new, and then remember to reseason it from the beginning all over again.  I love my cast iron, love it, love it.  Hugs Pat

I've used lodge cast iron for years and love it. The lodge website http://www.lodgemfg.com/ has recipes as well as a cooking club where you can sign up to get a monthly newsletter which also contains recipes. A few years ago I purchased cast iron for dummies  and found many of the recipes in it to be very good. I'm not willing to part with my copy but you might find someone who is.

My mother only used cast iron...she would heat it and season it with bacon grease.  Best food in the world came out of those pans.

I have one, but don't use it like I should.

I have a sweet little cast iron frying pan I bought at the thrift shop for $2.  Love it, use it every day.  We just had fried eggs for breakfast and they were perfect!  It is my cheapest and most favorite piece of cookware.  It never goes in the cupboard but stays on the stove; I use it so often.

I use it all the time for cornbread - gives a crusty bottom and it is great for fried chicken and fried fish.  You can also locate them at hardware stores, camping supply stores and some farmer supply stores.  I keep mine in the oven all the time, except when baking.  Not sure why, except my Grandmother did also.  It is also good to roast pecans and other nuts - they won't burn as quickly.