Cooking with cast iron in everyday life: 10 dishes that also work indoors

Does cast iron belong outside? Only to a limited extent. Sure, Dutch Ovens, embers and campfires are firmly anchored in Petromax's DNA - but once you start cooking with cast iron in everyday life, you quickly realize: The Dutch Oven also feels amazingly at home on the stove at home. And not just for stews at the weekend, but for honest, aromatic home cooking during the week.

This article is an invitation to get the Dutch oven out of the cupboard - not just when the weather is good, but whenever good food is needed. We show you 10 selected dishes that are perfect for indoor Dutch ovens, skillets or cast iron pots. Hearty, uncomplicated, with depth.

Indoor tip for all recipes: If the original recipe uses briquettes, you can either sear most dishes indoors on the stove and then finish braising/baking them in the oven at 160-180 °C (top/bottom heat) - or cook them completely on a low to medium heat setting.

Table of contents

Why cast iron simply makes sense in everyday life
10 dishes that show how suitable cast iron really is for everyday use
1) Beef roulades from the Dutch oven
2) Beer goulash from the Dutch Oven
3) Cheese soup with minced meat and leek
4) Beef stew from the Dutch Oven
5) Chili con carne in the Dutch Oven
6) Potato soup with bacon croutons
7) Minced pasta casserole in the Petromax Dutch Oven
8) Rustic potato gratin
9) Kaiserschmarrn
10) Apple pie in the Dutch Oven
Indoor instead of outdoor - but with the same soul

Why cast iron simply makes sense in everyday life

Everyday cast iron cooking is all about control rather than fuss. The material stores heat reliably, distributes it evenly and does not forgive impatience - but rewards you with depth of flavor. Roasted aromas develop where they should. Sauces are given time. Meat becomes tender without becoming dry.

Whether cast iron on the ceramic hob, induction or in the oven: one Dutch oven replaces several pots at the same time. Searing, braising, gratinating - all in one pot. Less washing up, more flavor. And best of all: many classic Dutch oven recipes work even better indoors than over an open flame.

And perhaps the most important thing: cast iron slows you down. It doesn't force you to pay constant attention, but lets you cook while everyday life goes on. That's exactly why the Dutch oven feels so right indoors.

10 dishes that show how suitable cast iron really is for everyday use

1) Beef roulades from the Dutch oven

Roulades are soul food with tradition - and in the Dutch oven they are exactly as they should be: tender as butter, aromatic and with a sauce that calls out for "another spoonful". Perfect if you're in the mood for campfire cooking indoors.

Ingredients (4 portions)

• 4 beef roulades (200 g each)
• 4 slices of bacon
• 4 gherkins
• 5 onions (medium size)
• 1 leek
• 50 g celery
• 1 carrot
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 3 tbsp clarified butter
• 500 ml red wine
• 500 ml beef stock
• 200 ml cream
• mustard
• smoked paprika powder
• pepper, salt, nutmeg, allspice, sugar

Preparation

1. Roughly dice the carrot, celery and 4 onions. Cut the leek into rings and mix everything together in a bowl. Finely dice 1 onion (for the filling).
2. Coat the roulades with mustard, season with paprika, salt and pepper. Place the bacon and finely diced onion on top, roll up the cucumber, fold in the sides and secure.
3. Heat the clarified butter in the Dutch oven, fry the roulades all over, remove.
4. Sauté the vegetables and tomato purée, deglaze with a dash of red wine. Gradually add the red wine and reduce.
5. Pour in the beef stock, return the roulades to the pan and simmer for 2.5-3 hours over a gentle heat with the lid on (check the liquid, add stock if necessary).
6. Remove the roulades. Puree the stock, add the cream, season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, paprika and a little sugar.
7. Return the roulades to the sauce and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

To the original recipe

2) Beer goulash from the Dutch oven

When the air gets cold outside, it gets really good in the pot. Beer goulash combines roasted aromas, malty sweetness and depth - a dish that tastes like a hut and the end of the day as it cooks.

Ingredients (8 portions)

• 2 kg beef goulash
• 750 g vegetable onions
• 750 ml Th. König Zwickl Kellerbier
• 750 ml beef stock
• 350 g brown mushrooms
• 4 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp 9 pepper symphony
• 2 tsp sweet paprika powder
• optional: starch / sauce thickener

Preparation

1. Cut the meat into approx. 3 × 3 cm cubes. Clean the mushrooms. Cut the onions into strips.
2. Heat the clarified butter in the Dutch oven. Sear the meat in portions (roast aromas!), remove.
3. Fry the onions and tomato purée in the pan, return the meat. Stir in the herbs, spices and mushrooms.
4. Pour in the beef stock and beer, close the lid and simmer for 90-120 minutes. Stir occasionally.
5. If the sauce is too thin: thicken with starch/sauce thickener and bring to the boil briefly.

To the original recipe

3) Cheese soup with minced meat and leek

Creamy, hearty, uncomplicated: This soup is like a warm jacket for the day. And it shows why cast iron is so much fun in everyday life - once it's started, the rest almost takes care of itself.

Ingredients (4 portions)

• 1000 ml vegetable stock
• 500 g mixed minced meat
• 200 g processed cheese
• 200 g processed cheese with herbs
• 150 g cheddar, grated
• 150 g crème fraîche
• 100 g bacon
• 3-4 leek stalks
• 1 onion
• salt, pepper, nutmeg

Preparation

1. Finely dice the onion, cut the leek into rings, cut the bacon into small pieces.
2. Fry the bacon in the Dutch oven until crispy, remove.
3. Fry the mince with the onions in the bacon fat, add the leek and sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Deglaze with vegetable stock and simmer for approx. 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the processed cheese, crème fraîche and cheddar, simmer for a further 5-10 minutes until everything is creamy.
6. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg, top with bacon.

To the original recipe

4) Beef stew from the Dutch oven

Beef stew is the kind of dish that makes the room quieter: everyone eats, nobody talks - because it's just too good. Cast iron ensures gentle braising and that "everything is one" taste that only time can create.

Ingredients (4 portions)

• 1 kg boiled beef
• 1 liter beef stock
• 500 g potatoes
• 250 ml red wine
• 50 g peas (frozen)
• 1 stalk of leek
• 1/4 tuber celery
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots
• 1 red onion
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp 9 Pepper Symphony

Preparation

1. Trim the boiled beef and cut into 2-3 cm cubes. Slice the carrots, roughly dice the onion, dice the celery, slice the leek into rings and chop the garlic.
2. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven, brown the meat all over for approx. 8 minutes, remove.
3. Briefly fry the vegetables and tomato purée. Return the meat.
4. Pour in the red wine and beef stock. Add the spices, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf, close the lid.
5. Simmerfor approx. 2.5 hours (check the liquid, stir regularly).
6. Cut the potatoes into pieces. After 2.5 hours, stir in the potatoes and peas and simmer for a further 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.

To the original recipe

5) Chili con carne in the Dutch oven

Chili is a campfire classic - even if the fire is just the stove. This recipe adds a deep, rounded twist with dark chocolate. Hot, strong and perfect for meal prep.

Ingredients (4-6 portions)

• 1.2 kg beef
• 400 g minced meat (pork)
• 400 g chorizo
• 3 onions (medium size)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 chili peppers
• 200 g tomato purée
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 3/4 tsp tarragon (ground)
• 3/4 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tbsp salt
• 3/4 tbsp pepper
• 1.5 tbsp oregano (grated)
• 2.5 tbsp spice mix (chili powder)
• 2.5 tbsp parsley (chopped)
• 3/4 tbsp Worcester sauce
• 3/4 tbsp vinegar
• 120 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 500 ml beer
• 300 ml malt beer
• 3 tins of red beans

Preparation

1. Finely chop the onions, garlic and chillies. Dice the beef, slice the chorizo.
2. Sear the beef in the hot Dutch oven, remove.
3. Fry the mince with the onions and garlic.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients (except the parsley) to the Dutch oven together with the seared beef, cover.
5. Simmerfor about 120 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the parsley just before serving.

To the original recipe

6) Potato soup with bacon croutons

One pot, one spoon, a little peace and quiet. Potato soup is proof that just a few ingredients are enough if the technique is right - and cast iron makes it easy for you because the heat simply works cleanly.

Ingredients (4 portions)

• 1 kg potatoes (floury)
• 125 g bacon cubes
• 3 slices of toast
• 2 carrots
• 2 onions
• 200 g celery root
• 1/4 bunch parsley
• 1 l vegetable stock
• 200 ml cream
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Preparation

1. Peel and dice the potatoes, carrots and celery. Finely dice the onions. Cut the toast into cubes.
2. Fry the bacon without fat until crispy, add the toast cubes and fry. Set aside.
3. Fry the onions in butter in the Dutch oven until translucent. Add the rest of the vegetables and sauté briefly.
4. Pour in the vegetable stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Add the cream and stir. Strain the soup (or leave as a stew).
6. Season to taste, serve with bacon croutons and parsley.

To the original recipe

7) Minced pasta casserole in the Petromax Dutch Oven

When things have to be quick in everyday life, but still taste like a vacation: Kritharaki, Mediterranean herbs, creamy sauce - and this hearty finish on top. An all-rounder for family, friends, "one more left to eat".

Ingredients (4 portions)

• 600 g mixed minced meat
• 375 g Kritharaki noodles
• 1 l vegetable stock
• 200 g feta cheese
• 150 g crème fraîche
• 150 ml milk
• 1 tin of cherry tomatoes (400 g)
• 2.5 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 onions (medium size)
• 30 g barbecue spice
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp thyme
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

1. Finely chop the garlic and finely dice the onions. Mix the mince with the barbecue seasoning and knead.
2. Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven and fry the mince until crumbly. Add the onions and garlic, fry until translucent. Stir in the tomato purée and fry briefly.
3. Add the cherry tomatoes, crème fraîche, milk and vegetable stock, mix well.
4. Stir in the pasta and herbs, cover and simmer for approx. 25 minutes.
5. Crumble 150 g feta, stir in, cook for a further 5 minutes without the lid (stir).
6. Sprinkle with the remaining feta before serving.

To the original recipe

8) Rustic potato gratin

Potatoes, bacon, cream - sometimes that's all you need. This gratin is not a side dish, it's a statement. And in cast iron (or in a loaf tin), it turns golden on the outside and really juicy on the inside.

Ingredients (10 portions)

• 1.3 kg potatoes (waxy)
• 125 g diced bacon
• 1 onion (large)
• 120 g bacon (sliced)
• 400 ml cream
• 200 ml milk
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 pinches of salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp spice mix for potato gratin
• 250 g mixed, grated cheese (mozzarella and cheddar)

Preparation

1. Peel the potatoes and cut into thin slices.
2. Dice the onion and fry in a pan with the diced bacon.
3. Add the cream, milk and spices, bring to the boil gently, season to taste.
4. Add the potato slices and cook gently for approx. 10 minutes.
5. Line the loaf tin completely with bacon slices. Pour in the potato and cream mixture, sprinkle the surface with cheese.
6. Cookfor approx. 60 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.

To the original recipe

9) Kaiserschmarrn

Sometimes everyday life needs something that tastes like a mountain hut, sunshine and a good mood. Kaiserschmarrn from the lid is just that: quick, warm and, with the right degree of browning, simply unbeatable.

Ingredients (2 portions)

• 200 g flour
• 6 eggs (large)
• 50 g sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
• 350 ml milk
• 40 g butter

Preparation

1. Separate the eggs, beat the egg whites until stiff.
2. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla sugar and milk until frothy, fold in the flour and beaten egg whites.
3. Melt the butter in the lid, pour in half of the mixture and allow to set until the underside is brown (do not turn).
4. Divide into large pieces and leave briefly in the lid.
5. Prepare the second half in the same way.

To the original recipe

10) Apple pie in the Dutch oven

Baking in a cast iron is like a little leap back in time: rustic, uncomplicated, somehow "like in the old days". This apple pie is fluffy, cinnamon-y and just right if you're in the mood for an outdoor feeling indoors.

Ingredients (6 portions)

• 150 g yoghurt (0.1%-1.5% fat)
• 2 tsp oil
• 2 eggs
• 70 g sugar
• 1/2 packet vanilla pudding powder
• 250 g spelt flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 pinch of baking soda
• 4 apples
• cinnamon
• Raisins as required

Preparation

1. Mix the yogurt, oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla pudding powder, flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.
2. Peel the apples: dice 2 apples (approx. 1.5 cm), cut 2 apples into thin slices.
3. Mix the diced apples, cinnamon (and optional raisins) into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the Dutch oven, arrange the apple slices on top.
5. Bake/cook until the cake is cooked through (outdoor: briquette distribution as in the original).

To the original recipe

Indoors instead of outdoors - but with the same soul

Just because the Dutch oven is on the stove today, it loses nothing of its origins. On the contrary: cast iron in everyday life shows that good cooking does not depend on the place, but on the attitude.

Whether it's roulades, chili or apple pie - many classic Dutch oven recipes are even particularly consistent indoors. The heat can be controlled precisely, cooking times remain stable and flavors develop in a controlled manner. The result does not taste of compromise, but of conviction.

Petromax has always stood for durable products that accompany you - indoors and outdoors. A Dutch Oven is not a seasonal item, but a tool for people who like to cook themselves, who like to know what is happening in the pot and who value honest results.

Once you've started making Dutch Oven recipes indoors, you'll soon realize: The step outside is optional. The taste is not.

Fancy more cast iron?

If you don't just want to use your Dutch Oven at the weekend or on your next outdoor trip, then stay tuned. In our newsletter you will regularly find new Dutch Oven indoor recipes, inspiration for everyday cast iron, tips for use and ideas that start outside and continue inside.

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Cast iron is not an object for special occasions.
It is made for everyday use.