Food Tips
Bloggers share their favourite one-pot recipes for fall
Image: Seasons and Suppers
Food Tips
Bloggers share their favourite one-pot recipes for fall
From spaghetti to toad in the hole, here’s what these three bloggers are cooking up in their Le Creuset kitchenware this season.
There’s nothing more satisfying than cooking up a big pot of something warm and nourishing in the fall. The chill air makes for inspired dishes — especially ones that simmer for hours, filling your home with delicious aromas.
As the days get shorter, dinner tends to sneak up on you unexpectedly, leaving you in the dark — literally — about what to make. That’s the beauty of the one-pot dish: it’s relatively quick, requires very little clean up and practically cooks itself. As the temperature drops, that French Oven is probably going to find a permanent home on your stovetop. If you’re seeking cookware that can withstand the test of time (and look amazing while doing it), look no further than the iconic kitchenware brand, Le Creuset.
Founded in 1925 in Fresnoy-le-Grand, France, Le Creuset is now sold in more than 60 countries across the globe. All Le Creuset cast iron cookware is cast in sand moulds that are used just once before being melted down and reshaped, resulting in a unique design for each piece. Additionally, each product passes through the hands of 15 skilled artisans who ensure that they’re of the highest quality possible before leaving the factory.
To give you a little seasonal inspiration, we asked three bloggers to share their favourite fall recipes with us, as well as their preferred Le Creuset pot to cook them in.
One-pot spaghetti and meat sauce
Image: The Recipe Rebel
Coming together in under half an hour, Ashley Fehr’s (The Recipe Rebel) family recipe for one-pot spaghetti is packed with vegetables like carrots and spinach, and amped up with a tomato vegetable juice. The beauty of this dish is in its endless versatility. As Fehr notes, you can mix up the veggies based on what you have on hand. Mushrooms, zucchini and bell peppers are great alternatives.
If you struggle with picky eaters, Fehr says the secret to sneaking in veggies “is to shred them, puree them or dice them up super small.” To make a lighter version, she recommends swapping out the ground beef for a lean ground chicken or turkey. A smattering of herbs like parsley and dried oregano, plus a pinch of red chili flakes for some heat, will make the dish savoury and flavourful.
Make sure your braiser is the right size to handle all that saucy goodness. Fehr uses her Le Creuset 3.5 L Braiser in the shade Caribbean. The shallow base and domed lid make it the ideal vessel for simmering meat and vegetables over a steady temperature. It can also be used on every kind of stove top, making it a seamless addition to any kitchen.
Marsala braised pork with carrots and potatoes
Image: Seasons and Suppers
Braised pork with tender roasted vegetables is the very definition of comfort food. A Le Creuset 4.7 L Oval French Oven is the perfect size of pot for a recipe like this, according to Jennifer Maloney of Seasons and Suppers, who owns the pot in sleek Licorice. The oval shape holds larger cuts of meat, while the deep dish and lid create an “oven” effect, trapping in moisture from the cooking process to ensure a perfectly tender result.
The pork is combined with marsala wine, a technique that’s known as “braising.” The idea is to cook something slowly at a low temperature, usually with a liquid, to create a tender and flavourful dish. Le Creuset’s cast iron products really shine with braised dishes, as they boast superior heat retention that locks in flavour.
Maloney recommends using a dry version of marsala, onions, carrots and potatoes for the perfect savoury balance. The cooking time will vary depending on the cut of your meat but allow at least two hours for the dish to reach maximum tenderness.
Toad in the hole
Image: Dinner With Julie
The ultimate comfort food is not only soothing, but easily shared as well — and this Toad in the Hole recipe hits all the right notes. Links of Italian sausage are browned and then an eggy batter is added to the pan, creating a fluffy yet crispy Yorkshire Pudding around the sausage. This dish can be reinterpreted depending on the time of day, what you’re craving and what’s in your fridge. Top the sausage with some fried eggs, add some grated sharp cheese to the batter or serve it alongside a bright green salad. No matter what, don’t forget a generous serving of grainy mustard.
Dinner With Julie’s Julie Van Rosendaal uses her Le Creuset 4.9 L Rectangular Roaster in Flame to create this customizable dish. The enamel coating means the roaster is easy to clean afterwards; plus, the classic Flame shade makes it beautiful enough to present at the table — no extra serving plate required. Van Rosendaal says that “after making it once, you won't even need to refer to the recipe. It's simple enough to just whisk and bake by heart.”
With nearly 100 years of tradition and craftsmanship behind them, Le Creuset will last through all your cooking experiments, present and future. Feeling inspired yet? Preheat your oven, pull out your favourite cast iron cookware and let these dishes warm your home and fill your stomach.
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