17 Reasons a Cast-Iron Skillet Is Your New Best Friend

Adorable mini cast-iron skillets are the secret to pulling off our sweet and juicy blackberry treats. The irresistible baked French desserts are a hit for both brunch and dessert—simply sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with a warm crème fraîche. If you serve these cast-iron desserts in the skillets they're cooked in, you have an instant win for presentation, too.

Buy It: Lodge 5-inch Cast Iron Skillet, $8.99, Walmart

When you think of a classic Italian calzone, most likely a cast-iron skillet isn't in the picture. This hearty cast-iron skillet recipe is ready to change that, thanks to the veggies, meat, and cheese filling in this family-style casserole. Once it's done, it can satisfy six hungry dinner guests—minus the work of forming six individual calzones.

Use a combination of fresh and dried fruits (cranberries, cherries, and plums) to fill this stunning cast-iron cobbler. Instead of completely covering the dish with dough, top it with small biscuits to let the colors of the fruit shine through and make this cast-iron skillet dessert look just like a classic cobbler recipe.

Buy It: Lodge 10.5-inch Seasoned Square Cast Iron Skillet, $23.98, Walmart

Hearty pizza made in a skillet, who knew? To get the restaurant-style thick, crispy crust you love, a cast-iron skillet is the way to go. Our pizza features loads of fresh spinach, Italian sausage, and mozzarella cheese, but you can top off this cast-iron skillet pizza recipe any way you like.

Death by chocolate doesn't seem that bad when we're talking about warm and gooey brownies topped with hot fudge sauce and rocky road ice cream. Use individual-size cast-iron skillets to present each dinner guest with their own dish of pure indulgence. Then everyone can load up their cast-iron skillet recipe with as much extra chocolate and topping as they need to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Warm and gooey spinach-artichoke dip is one of those always-delicious recipes that never goes out of style. And thanks to the use of a cast-iron skillet, you can bake the entire thing in one pan—then take it right over to the table to serve. With the fluffy dinner rolls on top for dipping, we'd definitely declare this one of our best cast-iron skillet recipes.

Need a hearty veggie side dish to go with dinner? Your cast-iron skillet is perfect for roasting Brussels sprouts until they're tender and slightly brown. Tossing bacon into the skillet, too, makes this easy cast-iron skillet recipe one that your family will request again and again.

Your favorite holiday cookies get a year-round makeover thanks to our topping of pineapple, caramel, and ice cream. We didn't just choose plain vanilla for this cast-iron skillet recipe, though—a dessert this decadent calls for either cinnamon or butter pecan ice cream. The lightly spiced treats are oversized, compared to the traditional holiday dessert, so you can share.

Apple cider and ground cinnamon both help flavor the juicy pork chops in this cast-iron skillet dinner, filling each bite with fall-inspired flavors. But rather than traditional apple slices, we put a twist on the usual pork chop pairings by using pears and fennel instead. All combined, these cast-iron skillet pork chops are a comforting blend of familiar flavors with a slight twist.

If you love fried chicken, you'll fall for our version seasoned with sour cream, chile peppers, and hot sauce. Pro tip: Marinate overnight and fry the chicken in your cast-iron skillet the next day. More time marinating means more flavor in every bite of this cast-iron skillet chicken recipe.

Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries—our cast-iron skillet crisp has it all! With a crunchy amaretto cookie crumble and our cinnamon-tapioca berry blend, we've finally found the perfect crisp recipe. For the most irresistible fruit crisp recipe, make this cast-iron skillet dessert in the summer with freshly picked berries (but we'd argue it's perfect in any season).

Learn how to make corn bread in your skillet four different ways! We offer variations for cheesy chipotle bread, sweet corn and herb bread, bacon-green onion bread, and cranberry-tangerine bread. Each one is just as yummy as the last, so choose whichever cast-iron recipe will best complement your dinner.

Buy It: Lodge 12-inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet, $19.92, Walmart

Cheesy pasta, eggs, and bacon? Count us in! While your pasta is cooking, use your cast-iron skillet to start crisping the bacon. Then, once the components are ready, you can finish this yummy cast-iron skillet dinner in the oven to bake the eggs in a nest of bucatini and bacon.

Yep, your cast-iron skillet can handle appetizers like chicken wings, too. Because we know appetizers should be easy, we kept this one super simple—all you need besides the wings is vegetable oil and your favorite sauce. Our picks for this cast-iron chicken recipe? Zingy Asian Ginger and Soy Sauce or slightly sweet Pineapple Teriyaki Sauce.

Sweet, juicy plums find a home alongside cornmeal polenta in our fluffy cast-iron skillet dessert. The truly impressive part of this recipe is that it cooks on your grill, giving it a touch of smoky flavor. Homemade whipped cream adds even more indulgence to every serving.

You can never go wrong serving warm and hearty chicken pot pie for dinner, and our cast-iron skillet recipe is no exception. Sweet peppers, onion, celery, peas, and carrots find a home alongside the chicken in this delicious family-friendly dinner. Every step of this recipe takes place in your skillet, meaning this one-pan dinner will save you on cleanup, too.

Buy It: Ozark Trail 3-piece Cast Iron Skillet Set, $19.99, Walmart

Dinner (or breakfast) can be on the table in just 15 minutes when you make this cast-iron skillet recipe. One of the things we like most about the combo of eggs, ham, leeks, and cheese is that it can fit pretty much any meal of the day. Send everyone out the door with a quick and hearty breakfast, or enjoy a speedy breakfast-for-dinner dish—it's delicious any time of day.