If you’re wondering what to do with those cast iron beauties haunting your kitchen–here’s your answer!  Cast iron can handle all your cooking needs.

Don’t be afraid to use your cast iron. It’s your kitchen work horse.  And what it wants (if it could talk, of course) is to be your go-to pan.  So whether it’s a cast iron skillet, griddle or dutch oven, pull it out of where ever you’re hiding it and put it to work.

Cast iron is the perfect pan for whatever you might be cooking.  And–if you want to know a secret about cast iron–the more you use it, the better it gets.

Unlike traditional pans, and especially teflon-type, non-stick pans, cast iron becomes more non-stick the more you use it.  The surface of the pan improves with each use because of continued seasoning.  So using your cast iron will help it last longer and disuse will, sadly, make it look unusable.  (I say look unusable because it’s practically impossible to destroy cast iron.  Even if neglected for many years, with a little attention, it comes roaring back to life, ready to be put to work.)

So use your cast iron for everything.  Put it on the stove, bake it in the oven, bring it to the table.  Cook anything in it: meat, vegetables, fish, fruit, main course, appetizer or dessert, breakfast, lunch and dinner –you name it, cast iron can cook it.  It is the very definition of all purpose.

But if you still don’t know where to start–even though I’ve said use your cast iron for everything— here are a few recipes to help get you started.

Go straight to the authority on all things delicious at Southern Living’s Cooking In Your Cast Iron Skillet or get a good all-around primer for the cast iron impaired at Food52, 13 Recipes Starring Your Cast Iron Skillet.

Now get cooking!