What can you make in your dutch oven?
It’s better to ask, “What CAN’T you make?” And considering what you can’t make in one, it’s too bad that more people aren’t aware of this amazing kitchen tool.
The folks at America’s Test Kitchen surveyed home cooks and learned 84% of you have a Dutch oven but only 30% use it at least once a week. In the test kitchen, their 69 Dutch ovens are in near-constant use.
In fact, the Test Kitchen researchers are such avid Dutch oven-users that they even created a cookbook to promote its use, COOK IT IN YOUR DUTCH OVEN. They say they’ve “…unlocked the full potential of this classic pot by creating recipes that not only can be made in a Dutch oven, but should be.”
When they talk on about why this is such a terrific cooking tool, they highlight its unique features, such as the heavy cast-iron construction, the enameled surface so many come with, the high sides, and the tight-fitting lid. Test Kitchen cooks say these are the things that make just about any recipe you cook in it foolproof.
Of course, our heros here at DVO and Cook’n have made Dutch oven cookbooks available as well. There are three from C.W. “Butch” Welch: GATHER ‘ROUND THE TABLE WITH CEE DUB DUTCH OVEN & CAMP COOKIN’, MORE CEE DUB’S DUTCH OVEN AND OTHER CAMP COOKKN’, and CEE DUB’S ETHNIC & REGIONAL DUTCH OVEN COOKIN’, whose recipes can be easily adapted from a campfire to your home oven.
And nowhere is the Dutch oven’s do-it-all power more apparent than in one-pot meals. Its capacity to hold large amounts of food, along with its ability to handle nearly any cooking method, makes it easy to transition from the stovetop to the oven and then to the table for serving—without reaching for another pan.
One dish we especially like making in our Dutch oven is a chicken pot pie with lots of vegetables. But I struggled to figure out how to do a top crust that didn’t turn out soggy underneath. Then I found a suggestion from the experts at the Test Kitchen. If you experience this same dilemma, you’ll love their tip. Besides suggesting you use a lattice crust, they say:
“Build your filling in the pot and then invert the lid and place your lattice crust on the well-greased upside-down lid so filling and crust bake together. The lid emulates a baking sheet, allowing the heat to circulate around the crust so it crisps evenly and doesn’t turn soggy, as it would if it were baked directly on top of the filling.” Once everything is baked well and you’re ready to serve it, you simply gently lift the crust off the lid and place it atop the filling. Voila! Chicken pot pie with a NO SOGGY lattice crust!
If you’re not real confident in making a lattice crust, here’s the Test Kitchen’s tutorial (shown on an inverted baking sheet). You’d apply this same technique to your inverted and greased Dutch oven lid. OR, you could do what they’ve done on the baking sheet and then transfer your lattice crust to the Dutch oven lid (via the parchment paper you lay your crust on while cutting).
Finally, to inspire more Dutch oven use, how about one of the best recipes ever for a chicken pot pie filling? I found this on a wonderful site, www.thewholesomedish.com, and it’s been a family favorite ever since. This filling is loaded with flavor. The buttery creamy chicken filling includes chicken breast, a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables, and a mix of dried and fresh herbs.
Substitute the frozen veggies and dried herbs for more of your garden fresh now, and then later on during the cold-weather months, go back to the frozen and dried. It’s just a versatile recipe that accommodates whatever season you’re in.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into small bite-size pieces
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons minced, fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
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The folks at America’s Test Kitchen surveyed home cooks and learned 84% of you have a Dutch oven but only 30% use it at least once a week. In the test kitchen, their 69 Dutch ovens are in near-constant use.
In fact, the Test Kitchen researchers are such avid Dutch oven-users that they even created a cookbook to promote its use, COOK IT IN YOUR DUTCH OVEN. They say they’ve “…unlocked the full potential of this classic pot by creating recipes that not only can be made in a Dutch oven, but should be.”
When they talk on about why this is such a terrific cooking tool, they highlight its unique features, such as the heavy cast-iron construction, the enameled surface so many come with, the high sides, and the tight-fitting lid. Test Kitchen cooks say these are the things that make just about any recipe you cook in it foolproof.
Of course, our heros here at DVO and Cook’n have made Dutch oven cookbooks available as well. There are three from C.W. “Butch” Welch: GATHER ‘ROUND THE TABLE WITH CEE DUB DUTCH OVEN & CAMP COOKIN’, MORE CEE DUB’S DUTCH OVEN AND OTHER CAMP COOKKN’, and CEE DUB’S ETHNIC & REGIONAL DUTCH OVEN COOKIN’, whose recipes can be easily adapted from a campfire to your home oven.
And nowhere is the Dutch oven’s do-it-all power more apparent than in one-pot meals. Its capacity to hold large amounts of food, along with its ability to handle nearly any cooking method, makes it easy to transition from the stovetop to the oven and then to the table for serving—without reaching for another pan.
One dish we especially like making in our Dutch oven is a chicken pot pie with lots of vegetables. But I struggled to figure out how to do a top crust that didn’t turn out soggy underneath. Then I found a suggestion from the experts at the Test Kitchen. If you experience this same dilemma, you’ll love their tip. Besides suggesting you use a lattice crust, they say:
“Build your filling in the pot and then invert the lid and place your lattice crust on the well-greased upside-down lid so filling and crust bake together. The lid emulates a baking sheet, allowing the heat to circulate around the crust so it crisps evenly and doesn’t turn soggy, as it would if it were baked directly on top of the filling.” Once everything is baked well and you’re ready to serve it, you simply gently lift the crust off the lid and place it atop the filling. Voila! Chicken pot pie with a NO SOGGY lattice crust!
If you’re not real confident in making a lattice crust, here’s the Test Kitchen’s tutorial (shown on an inverted baking sheet). You’d apply this same technique to your inverted and greased Dutch oven lid. OR, you could do what they’ve done on the baking sheet and then transfer your lattice crust to the Dutch oven lid (via the parchment paper you lay your crust on while cutting).
Finally, to inspire more Dutch oven use, how about one of the best recipes ever for a chicken pot pie filling? I found this on a wonderful site, www.thewholesomedish.com, and it’s been a family favorite ever since. This filling is loaded with flavor. The buttery creamy chicken filling includes chicken breast, a mix of fresh and frozen vegetables, and a mix of dried and fresh herbs.
Substitute the frozen veggies and dried herbs for more of your garden fresh now, and then later on during the cold-weather months, go back to the frozen and dried. It’s just a versatile recipe that accommodates whatever season you’re in.
Chicken Pot Pie Filling
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts cut into small bite-size pieces
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped yellow onions
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons minced, fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:
Make sure there is an oven rack on the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, salt, garlic powder, thyme leaves, and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, stirring often.
Add the flour. Stir well, until no dry flour remains. Slowly stir in the cream, then the chicken broth. Cook until bubbling and thick, stirring often, 3-4 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the peas and flat leaf parsley.
NOTES: If making a 2-crust pie, then let your filling cool before pouring hot filling into the unbaked pie crust (to avoid a soggy crust). You could also make the filling up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Also, the longer the pot pie can cool before slicing, the thicker/less runny the filling will be.
Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the chicken, carrots, celery, onion, salt, garlic powder, thyme leaves, and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, stirring often.
Add the flour. Stir well, until no dry flour remains. Slowly stir in the cream, then the chicken broth. Cook until bubbling and thick, stirring often, 3-4 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the peas and flat leaf parsley.
NOTES: If making a 2-crust pie, then let your filling cool before pouring hot filling into the unbaked pie crust (to avoid a soggy crust). You could also make the filling up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Also, the longer the pot pie can cool before slicing, the thicker/less runny the filling will be.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Sources:
- www.americastestkitchen.com
- www.hallmarkchannel.com
- www.dvo.com
- www.thewholesomedish.com
Alice Osborne
DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
