Suppose you’re coming up short on new ideas of what to cook for your next family dinner. If that’s the case, we’ll share a few Dutch oven recipes with you.
If you don’t know what a Dutch oven is, this is a wide, heavy, and relatively shallow pot with a tight-fitting lid. They are usually made of cast iron covered with enamel.
These are fantastic cooking tools because you can use them on any stovetop type and then put them in the oven. They help make cooking much faster and easier. That said, you have to know what to put inside of them. So let’s get to it and look at 8 of the best Dutch oven recipes you and your family will love.
The 8 Best Dutch Oven Recipes
Our criteria are fast and easy-to-make meals that are also healthy. However, we also want these recipes to be child-friendly because getting your child to eat healthily can be challenging.
1. Root Vegetable Pork Stew
If you want to make something really hearty for dinner—some authentic soul food—a root vegetable pork stew is always a great option. You can choose any cut of pork, although something lean is recommended. Don’t overcook the pork because lean pork will quickly dry out.
You can use any root vegetable, along with other things. Carrots, potatoes, celery, leeks, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, turnips, tomatoes, cabbage, squash, zucchini, corn, yams, and even rutabaga can all go into the pot.
Brown the pork, add the spices, broth, and vegetables, and let it cook. It’s not the least labor-intensive meal out there, but it is tasty. It has meat, vegetables, and a broth-like gravy. What’s not to love?
2. Tortellini Soup
A Dutch oven is great for making a variety of soups. This recipe is for a healthy and easy tortellini soup. You can make tortellini from scratch, but let’s face it, it’s too labor-intensive. Therefore, we recommend purchasing your tortellini of choice from your local supermarket.
In addition to the tortellini, you will need onion, garlic, carrots, fennel, fresh thyme, diced tomatoes, a bit of balsamic vinegar, kale, and some red pepper flakes.
We recommend adding a good bit of kale as it has many vitamins. Moreover, when mixed with the soup, your kids will barely know it’s there.
This is especially beneficial if you have kids that don’t like eating vegetables. You more or less just have to throw everything into the Dutch oven along with some broth and then let it simmer.
3. Broccoli Cheese Casserole
This is one of those fantastic dishes for meal prepping for the week to come. This is a wonderful meal if you are a busy parent or have a busy life.
Moreover, you can prepare it days before, pop in the freezer, and take it out as needed. We like making a few big batches and then freezing them.
Moreover, this is also an easy recipe to make. You’ll need rice, chicken broth, broccoli, cheddar cheese, cream of chicken soup, milk, onion, butter, and salt and pepper.
Add the ingredients to your Dutch oven, and then bake for around 35 minutes. It takes under an hour to prepare, and it can last for days. Also, it’s got some carbs, plenty of vitamins, and tasty cheddar cheese.
4. Butternut Squash Soup
If you want to make a meal without meat, this butternut squash soup is tasty, filling, and healthy. Butternut squash is a root vegetable with many vitamins and minerals. This soup also has onion, garlic, rosemary, sage, ginger, etc.
We like the addition of ginger, rosemary, and sage, as they add a whole different level of flavor.
Moreover, the soup is easy to make. Start by cutting the butternut squash into cubes, boil it, and then blend it with water. Then, gradually add the other ingredients, blend again, and you’re good to go.
This soup should take under 40 minutes to make; it’s healthy, and kids usually love it. On a side note, some may brown ground beef in a skillet and add it to the soup for added protein.
5. Guinness Beef Stew
This beef stew is a fantastic meal if you want a good Irish stew and love Guinness beer. What’s nice about this stew is that you don’t need many ingredients.
You just need beef cubes, flour, garlic, beef stock, Guinness beer, tomato paste, and a few spices and tomatoes.
Begin by dredging the beef in the flour and then brown it in the pot. Next, add the onion, garlic, and the other ingredients, and slowly simmer it. Then, place it in the oven for around 2 hours until the meat is tender, and you’re good to go.
If you like a stew with more vegetables, you can always add more carrots, green beans, peas, and anything you want. If you serve it to children, no worries—the alcohol will cook off as this soup cooks.
6. Potato & Leek Soup
Try this potato and leek soup if you want a rich and thick soup, something perfect for a cold winter night. Although it’s rich and seems somewhat heavy, it’s actually made with healthy ingredients.
The starch from the potatoes helps to thicken this soup. Some may use just potato and leeks, but others also use white beans. White beans will add some protein and minerals and help make the soup creamier.
You’ll need potatoes, white beans, leeks, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, and vegetable broth. Moreover, you simply throw everything in the same pot, let it boil, and then blend it together.
7. Sweet Potato Pork Stew
This delicious pork and sweet potato stew is sweet, spicy, and savory at the same time. This recipe contains pork, red onion, celery, garlic, sweet potatoes, black beans, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, chicken stock, and other spices.
This recipe may have many ingredients, but it’s not very difficult to make. You’ll gradually add all the ingredients and simmer them until they form a stew. It’s a rich and hearty meal perfect for a cold winter night.
8. Cabbage Soup
If you are looking for a fast and easy healthy meal, this cabbage soup is simple and delicious. You need cabbage, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, potatoes, white beans, tomatoes, etc. What’s also nice about this meal is that it is entirely vegan.
Moreover, this soup will keep for up to four days in the fridge, and you can freeze it for up to three months. It is fantastic for meal prepping because you can make it ahead of time and heat it up when needed. This is hands down one of the healthiest Dutch oven recipes on our list in terms of vitamin and mineral content,
Conclusion
We’ve only hit the tip of the iceberg because Dutch ovens are incredibly versatile. You can make hundreds, if not thousands, of recipes in them. Now it’s up to you to find the ones you like.
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