7 Recipes to Cook in the Same Carbon Steel Pan

Everyone knows a carbon steel pan can sear the perfect steak. But if there is a skillet that can do it all, the carbon steel pan just might take the cake because it can definitely bake one, in addition to handling loads of sweet and savory appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts. Sturdy enough to last your lifetime, a carbon steel skillet is versatile enough to cook almost anything.

Don't believe us? Check out these seven recipes that prove the carbon steel skillet can do it all.

1. Broccoli Frittata

Put your carbon steel skillet to work in the light of early dawn when you fry up this energy-packed breakfast to fuel the first part of your day. In this classic frittata, the heat of your skillet gently cooks broccoli and red onion to bring out their savory flavors. Accented with feta and black pepper for an extra punch, this frittata will slip out of your carbon steel skillet and right into your mouth.

2. One-Skillet Pasta

This simple, yet sumptuous, chicken alfredo recipe truly requires only one pan – your carbon steel skillet – to bake chicken to perfection, simmer a delightfully creamy sauce and to finish your pasta of choice. Divide into individual servings or enjoy the entire pasta straight from the pan.

3. Pan-Fried Salmon

Carbon steel combines a smooth cooking surface with exceptional heat retention, making it the perfect choice for pan-frying fish. This paired down recipe uses basic ingredients like wild caught salmon, fresh lemon wedges, coarse sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper to highlight and elevate a few simple flavors. When selecting an oil (for seasoning your pan or for any recipe) be sure to choose one with a high smoke point, as carbon steel will maintain a high temperature throughout cooking.

4. Roasted Vegetables

A carbon steel iron skillet fairs just as well inside your oven as out, which makes it the perfect vessel for roasting vegetables. This recipe creates a simple, yet flavorful medley of vegetables and herbs, which could be eaten as an entree or paired with your pan-fried salmon as a delightful side dish. Although this recipe suggests roasting butternut squash, peppers, and potatoes, you can combine any vegetables with any seasonings you like. Just remember to adjust your oven's roasting temperature and time when preparing more delicate selections.

5. Skillet Pizza

Did you ever imagine you could use your carbon steel skillet to bake a pizza? While this method will not achieve the perfectly thin and crisp crust that you would expect from traditional Italian-style pies, it will make a delightful deep dish, Chicago-style pan pizza. When your dough is ready, line the inside of your pan with it, spreading it all the way up the sides and crimping it over at the top. Follow by filling your skillet with pizza sauce and toppings of your choice.

6. All in One Chili and Cornbread

This two-in-one favorite delivers the ultimate in doubled up comfort foods: spoonfuls of savory, spicy chili topped with mouthfuls of sweet honey cornbread. This recipe begins with preparing and simmering the chili on the stove top. The skillet of chili is then topped with cornbread batter and popped inside the oven to finish off. Since the cornbread traps the chili's moisture, this meal turns out savory, sweet and soft every time.

7. Skillet-Baked Classic Apple Pie

We generally expect dessert to come from bundt pans and trifle bowls, but this American classic bakes in the same skillet you use for frying steak and eggs for breakfast. Baked in the oven, like a traditional apple pie, this recipe will taste as delicious as you and your guests remember, but the unexpected element of serving it from a skillet adds a touch of rustic charm that lends to a truly authentic apple pie experience.

Whether your meal bakes in the oven or sizzles on top of the stove, it will cook to perfection in a carbon steel skillet. To ensure the season of your carbon steel pan improves with age, be sure to care for it properly. Carbon steel must be washed by hand to preserve the material and the pan's well earned season. The good news is all of these recipes require only one skillet, which makes clean up (sans dishwasher) a breeze.