Healthy Recipes for Cast-Iron Skillets

Updated March 04, 2021
Have a cast-iron skillet you've been wanting to use? Look no further than these easy cast-iron skillet recipes. These delicious recipes, like our Spinach & Cheese Breakfast Skillet and Loaded Sweet Potato Nacho Fries, will turn your cast-iron skillet into the kitchen tool you don't want to live without (if it isn't already!)  Watch Video
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Apple Puffed Oven Pancake

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Apple pie spice is a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves or ginger. If you don't have any on hand, you can substitute cinnamon and a dash of cloves in the recipe.

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Fireside Fajitas

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With some foil and a cast-iron skillet, this Tex-Mex favorite cooks up easily on your next camping trip. Simply pack the seasoned chicken (Step 2) and prepped peppers and onions in sealed bags in the cooler.

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Breakfast Skillet Hash

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Cooked over a campfire or in your kitchen, this breakfast hash with sweet potatoes, turkey sausage, eggs, spinach, and shredded is a complete meal.

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Middle Eastern Chicken & Chickpea Stew

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This quick, protein-rich chicken stew recipe gets great flavor from cumin, lemon juice and garlic. Make a double batch and freeze it for a quick healthy dinner. Serve the stew with couscous and steamed broccoli.

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Cornbread-Topped Chili Casserole

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In this healthy casserole recipe--sometimes called tamale pie--the cornbread gets crusty at the edges, thanks to a cast-iron skillet. For the best texture, use yellow cornmeal with a medium grind. Serve with lime wedges for a little extra tang.

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Spinach & Cheese Breakfast Skillet

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Eating a big healthy breakfast‚ like this 700-calorie hash-and-egg recipe‚ may help lower your levels of ghrelin, a hormone that signals hunger, and reduce snack cravings later in the day. Plus, research shows eating the bulk of your daily calories earlier in the day could help you lose weight. If you're looking for a lighter breakfast, this recipe can serve two.

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Dukkah-Spiced Carrots

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Pan-roasted carrots become an exotic winter side when topped with dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend, in this healthy vegetable recipe. Dukkah plays nicely with other vegetables too. Try it on steamed asparagus in the spring, grilled eggplant in summer and broiled romanesco or cauliflower steaks in the fall.

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Skillet Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

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Fresh strawberries and rhubarb meld together under a crisp oat crumble in this gluten-free dessert recipe made in just one skillet. If you're not gluten-sensitive, regular rolled oats will work too. Top with a dollop of whipped cream for an extra-special treat.

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Steak with Glazed Carrots & Turnips

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This cast-iron steak recipe has what it takes to transform beef and vegetables from basic to brilliant--a pop of rosemary on the steak, an intense sear in a hot skillet and a sweet-and-sour glaze on the vegetables. Serve with sautéed spinach and a glass of red wine.

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Moroccan Skirt Steak with Roasted Pepper Couscous

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Thin cuts of beef, such as skirt steak or sirloin steak, cook very quickly when seared in a hot skillet--just right for a busy weeknight. We love how the spicy Moroccan flavors on the steak complement the sweet, roasted pepper-studded couscous. Serve with: Arugula salad and a glass of Pinot Noir.

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Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

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This is a healthier version of a traditional cobbler, with canola oil in place of some of the butter and whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour. Unlike more classic biscuit-topped cobblers, the peaches and blueberries are nestled into a tender batter that swells around the fruit as it bakes. Other fruits may be substituted. It's especially beautiful when baked in and served right from a cast-iron skillet.

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Apple, Sauerkraut & Cheddar Quesadillas

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This combination may seem unusual--until you try it. The sweet-tartness of the apple, creaminess of the cheese and bite of the sauerkraut work together beautifully in this easy hot sandwich. Serve with oven-roasted potatoes or a green salad.

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Crispy Potatoes with Green Beans & Eggs

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This is a one-skillet meal, reminiscent of diner fare at roadside restaurants across the U.S. It can be made with either leftover or raw potatoes. Even while making dinner in a hurry, don't rush this dish: you want to cook the potato cubes until they are crispy outside but still creamy inside.

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Wok-Seared Chicken & Vegetables (Kadhai murghi)

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This colorful stir-fry combines green bell pepper, orange carrots and red onion along with spice-coated chicken for a delicious result. The cooking happens quickly, so it's a good idea to measure out and prepare all the ingredients in the recipe before you fire up the wok. Enjoy the smoky aromas that emanate from the pan and the combination of spices that titillate the taste buds.

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One-Skillet Bean & Broccoli Rabe Supper

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If beans and greens are not a part of your regular menu, this one-pot dish will change your mind. Sausage and garlic flavor the broccoli rabe and beans while the big, rustic croutons soak up the broth.

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Socca

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Socca (pronounced SO-kah) is a thin chickpea crêpe popular in Italian and French towns along the Ligurian Sea (it's called farinata in Italy). Though it's typically cooked in a woodburning oven in a copper pan, this easy recipe gets you close to the same results in your home kitchen. You can eat it unadorned or use it as a sort of pizza crust and garnish it with your favorite toppings.

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Mushroom & Wild Rice Frittata

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Packed with a flavorful medley of chewy wild rice and three kinds of mushrooms, this satisfying frittata is perfect for Sunday brunch. Don't worry if you can only find one kind of mushroom--the richly aromatic top of baked Parmesan and crisp prosciutto will make up for it.

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Corned Beef Latkes

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Crispy latkes become the main event with the addition of deli corned beef in this healthy dinner recipe. Or make them smaller and serve as an easy appetizer. Serve latkes with applesauce or dill sour cream and roasted green beans.

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Cauliflower & Kale Frittata

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Inspired by traditional Spanish tortillas made with potatoes, this healthy frittata recipe swaps potatoes for low-carb cauliflower. Serve it along with kale (or your favorite greens) for brunch or an easy breakfast-for-dinner.

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Potato-Rosemary Skillet Flatbreads

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This satisfying skillet flatbread recipe is wonderfully soft thanks to the inclusion of mashed potato. The addition of Manchego, a Spanish sheep's-milk cheese, gives the flatbreads a subtle, salty tang, though you could substitute freshly grated Parmesan or another dry grated cheese. For gluten-free skillet breads, use a gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.

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Chicken & Asparagus Skillet Pasta with Pesto Chicken & Asparagus Skillet Pasta with Pesto

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Fresh lemon juice, tangy sun-dried tomatoes and zippy pesto tie together the flavors in this quick and easy skillet meal. The 30-minute dinner is so versatile—you can use any quick-cooking protein or vegetable you have on hand and still have a delicious meal on busy weeknights.

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Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale

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You can make these three-ingredient tomato-simmered eggs with things you probably already have on hand in your freezer and pantry. To make these baked eggs more like eggs in purgatory, look for a spicy tomato sauce and don't forget some whole-wheat bread for dipping.

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Skillet Lemon Chicken & Potatoes with Kale

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This easy one-pan skillet-roasted lemon chicken is perfect for weeknight dinners. Juicy chicken thighs are cooked in the same pan as baby potatoes and kale for a satisfying meal with the added bonus of minimal cleanup.

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Summer Skillet Vegetable & Egg Scramble

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Don't toss out those almost-past-their-prime vegetables and fresh herbs. Toss them into this skillet egg scramble for a quick vegetarian meal. Nearly any vegetable will work in this easy skillet recipe, so choose your favorites or use what you have on hand.

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Skillet Ravioli Lasagna

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This easy inside-out ravioli lasagna is the ultimate weeknight comfort food—no layering or mixing bowls required. Feel free to swap in ground turkey for the beef. Look for fresh mozzarella balls (also called "pearls") in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store.

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Skillet Chicken Potpie

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A store-bought pie crust, frozen veggies and precooked chicken simplify the prep for this easy potpie. This healthy dinner recipe is comfort food at its best.

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Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

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Put down that cookie scoop! Baking one giant cookie in a skillet saves time and produces craveable results: a cookie that's crispy on the edges and oh-so-soft on the inside. This easy dessert is sure to please your family and friends.

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Seared Arctic Char with Bacon-Leek Chard

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A cousin of salmon and trout with a milder flavor, Arctic char-both farmed and wild—is recommended as a Best Choice by Seafood Watch. It's low in mercury and has almost the same amount of omega-3s per serving as salmon. Try it in this healthy fish recipe with dark leafy greens.

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Loaded Sweet Potato Nacho Fries

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Bump up the vitamin A and fiber when you swap tortilla chips for sweet potatoes in this healthy recipe. Serve as an appetizer at your next party or turn it into dinner by adding chicken, tofu, shrimp or more beans for protein.

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Chard & Chorizo Frittata

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We love frittata recipes for weeknights because they are the ultimate no-fuss healthy dinners. In this gorgeous, healthy chard and chorizo frittata recipe, we add convenient shredded frozen hash browns to keep it hearty. Finish cooking the eggs under the broiler to turn the top of the frittata a lovely golden brown.

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Cast-Iron Skillet Pizza with Sausage & Kale

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A piping-hot cast-iron skillet turns pizza dough into a puffy, crisp-bottomed crust (similar to focaccia). If you have children, let them help make this easy pizza recipe: While you cook the sausage, have the kids tear up the kale—no knife required!

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Strip Steaks with Smoky Cilantro Sauce & Roasted Vegetables

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In this healthy dinner recipe, a cast-iron pan does double duty by searing the steaks and roasting the vegetables. Not a fan of cilantro? The sauce is great with parsley instead.

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