Dutch Oven Recipes from Jennifer’s Frugal Kitchen

One of the best wedding presents I got was a cast iron Dutch oven. It’s sturdy and easily moves from stove to oven to make delicious comfort foods. These are my favorite Dutch oven recipes, tried and true. I hope you love them as much as I do!

My Favorite Dutch Oven Recipes

No Knead Bread

from The New York Times

Not bad for the first attempt

This recipe made serious waves when it was first published, and rightly so. Even a completely inexperienced baker such as myself managed to turn out a perfect loaf of crusty bread on the first try.

Ingredients

3 cups bread flour
1 packet (1/4 ounce) instant yeast
1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 and 1/2 cups water
Oil as needed

Directions

Combine flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add water and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
Lightly oil a work surface and place dough on it; fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 30 minutes.
At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees F. Put a 6-to-8 quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic; I use my cast iron Dutch oven) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from the oven. Slide your hand under the dough and put it into the pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Caledonian Beef Stew

My mother made this often and served it with homemade biscuits. This is unbelievably easy to make, and tastes even better the day after it’s made. Nope, no idea why it’s called “Caledonian.”

Ingredients

1 pound chuck or stew beef, cut in cubes
Salt and pepper
2-3 tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
3-4 carrots, sliced
1 small turnip, diced (optional)
4 potatoes, peeled and cut in large dice
4 tbsps. oatmeal (any kind except those little microwaveable packets)
2 1/2 C. beef broth (or to cover)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Season the beef with salt and pepper.
Melt the butter in the Dutch oven on top of the stove, and brown the meat in the butter.
Once the meat is browned, add in the vegetables.
Cover with beef broth.
Bake for 3 hours.
Check broth level and add more if necessary.
Bake another hour, or until vegetables are soft.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

recipe from Bon Appetit

^{photo from Epicurious.com}

This is probably the best thing I’ve ever cooked in my life. I served it at a dinner for 4 and my husband and I still had plenty of leftovers. Spoon this over mashed potatoes on a cold night.

5 pound bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2″ pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
4 cups low-salt beef stock

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot.
Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes.
Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes.
Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes.
Add all herbs to pot along with garlic.
Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.
Cook until short ribs are tender, 2-2 1/2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.