A couple things....

[artiemom]

I had a phenomenal Le Creuset 4 quart dutch oven. Someone got it for me at their outlet. I absolutely loved it! I used it almost every week end. I will say the weight, with food in it was a bit much. I had to slide it from stove to counter.
When I moved, I had to donate it, because it was just too large for one person, even with a halved recipe. I really miss it.

 

[Winchester]

artiemom If there's anything you might want from Aldi, let me know. I will gladly get it for you and ship it! That's a shame about your dutch oven. Yeah, they can get darn heavy. Our appliance repairman was here, working on an old Kenmore Elite dishwasher (that's another story) and he told me to be leery of using anything cast iron or even the heavy enameled cast iron Dutch ovens and skillets. First, if you're not careful, they will scratch your glass top stove. Secondly, they are heavy. And, the weight of the oven, skillet, what-have-you along with the food in it can break through the glass. At that time, and this was quite a few moons ago, the cost to replace a glass top was over $800, plus the labor. I'm sure it's even more expensive now.

susanm9006 I found my Staub chicken on Ebay. Since Rick goes to public sales, he's always on the lookout for Griswold skillets. I will say that the little 2-quart Crofton from Aldi cooks beautifully and it was considerably cheaper.

 

[susanm9006]

I had a phenomenal Le Creuset 4 quart dutch oven. Someone got it for me at their outlet. I absolutely loved it! I used it almost every week end. I will say the weight, with food in it was a bit much. I had to slide it from stove to counter.
When I moved, I had to donate it, because it was just too large for one person, even with a halved recipe. I really miss it.

Weight is the reason I got rid of my Le Creuset. I bought one that felt okay when it was empty but filled with food I didn’t feel I could safely move it. And it was really just too big for one as well.

 

[maggie101]

Adding on to this old thread, i got a 3 quart enameled Dutch oven, nonstick

Amazon.com

No idea how to use it. I need recipes! For my crock pot,I made up my own recipe with one raw chicken breast,cut pepper,zuccinip, carrots, 15 oz can of beans, Rotella tomatos,petite diced tomatos,broth,and 2 bay leaves. Can I do the exact same thing but cook less in the oven,at what temp? Or is it required to cook the meat on the stove first. I saw a recipe for spaghetti where you don't have to cook the pasta in a separate bowl ! Just add it
I have tons of slow cooker recipes. Can I use those recipes for my Dutch oven?one I like is black beans,corn,and diced tomatos

 

[Winchester]

susanm9006 I would like to have a larger 8-9 quart Dutch oven. Why? Because while I largely cook for just Rick and me, there are times with family dinners that a 4-5 Quart Dutch oven just isn’t big enough. We are a family of larger eaters anyway. When my sister made pot pie for us, she also wanted enough for leftovers for Rick and me as well as them. We ended up using my stockpot. A larger Dutch oven would be perfect.

It doesn’t have to be Le Creuset. I’d be perfectly happy with something as long as it was nice and heavy and held up well, with an oven temp of at least 450 degrees. I’ve been looking.

 

[Winchester]

maggie101 I‘m at the hospital right now, but would love to give you my two cents for recipes when I get home. I’m sure we all have recipes for you!

 

[maggie101]

maggie101 I‘m at the hospital right now, but would love to give you my two cents for recipes when I get home. I’m sure we all have recipes for you!

What I bought also comes in 7 qt
Hope your ok Winchester

 

[Winchester]

maggie101 I am doing ok, thank you.

Here’s my two cents, but I hope others chip in, too. There are tons of recipes out there for Dutch ovens. Many will say to sear the meat first. Some will say not to. I always do.

You can absolutely use your Dutch oven for your recipe. Preheat oven to 325 to 350, I would sear the chicken, in your Dutch oven, in oil, about 3 minutes each side over medium to medium-high heat. Add remaining ingredients, place foil or parchment over the top, put the lid on over the paper, and cook until your chicken is done. Or omit the paper, just put the lid on and cook/simmer on the stove til done. You might need a bit more liquid; a slow cooker tends to make liquid as it cooks. Just keep an eye on it.

I use slow cooker recipes all the time in Dutch ovens. Use a slow simmer on the stove or 325 to 350 degrees in the oven. Keep an eye out as you may need more liquid.

Your recipe that tells you to add the spaghetti right to the pot already has enough liquid included in the recipe to actually cook the spaghetti, so the spaghetti can be cooked that way. No worries. Again, just check to make sure it’s ok.

I hope I made sense. And I hope others add their ideas for you, too!

I want to add that your Dutch oven is so pretty! I hope you enjoy it for a long time!

 

[maggie101]

My mom emailed sites with Dutch oven recipes. I am curious what everyone's fav recipe is for meals because there are so many to try



3 qt cast iron dutch oven recipes - Google Search

 

[Winchester]

maggie101 I love doing beef dishes, simply because the beef gets done so beautifully. I do chicken, too. But you can do pretty much anything in a Dutch oven. It's perfect to make sauces and stews, soups, etc.

 

[maggie101]

I am excited to start!