Casseroles

A kitchen is hardly complete without a casserole pot. Whether you are planning to prepare stews, goulash or vegan chilly, a casserole proves out to be a perfect cookware cum serving dish. Let us explore some important details about this cookware to make you want it in your collection the next moment.

It is versatile kitchenware for slow but ideal cooking. It is primarily an oven-safe dish that you can find in a range of depths. Some can be of metal such as cast iron, aluminium or copper, whereas others come with glass, ceramic and even clay bodies, apt for freezer or microwave. If you want to buy a casserole pan online in the UAE, you must know the wide varieties they come in. Do not confuse casseroles with other similar looking dishes such as coquelles, cocottes, and dutch ovens as they are different. Now that you have understood it will be a ride full of dilemmas let us explore the important details about casseroles that would help you understand it better and ultimately find the best one.

Things to know about casserole pans

It has originated from French cooking. It is usually a large pot with a wide base and medium wall suitable for hob or oven. They come in a range of sizes, materials and styles based on the type of cooking you like to do. Moreover, you can find some very expensive to cheap casserole pans as per our budget. You will mostly find casseroles in enamelled cast iron material that retains heat for even browning and cooking. It locks the moisture inside, and hence the dish retains the real flavour. The next common variety is stainless steel which is non-reactive in nature but might offer an uneven heat distribution. However, since it is durable and dishwasher safe, many cooks prefer it too. Continue reading to explore more about casserole pot.

Casserole cookware vs Dutch oven vs French oven

Casserole, French oven and Dutch oven might appear similar to you. They bear some same characteristics, such as they are round, have helper handles, tight lids and offer slow cooking. However, to reach the right cookware, you must know the slight differences that matter. A Dutch oven is basically a heavy pot that comes with a tight lid. It is used for both stove and oven for searing, braising and then slow cooking. A French oven can be called a modern version of a Dutch oven but made in France. A casserole pot is a shallow cookware for baking in the oven but slow cooking.

Cast iron casserole pan vs other materials

Casserole pans come in a wide range of materials, but you will see many cooks preferring and basically loving cast iron varieties. It is not because it is the traditional style but for its excellent heat retention properties. Moreover, a cast-iron dish with enamel coating performs even better. You can even find some of the styles with the non-stick coating but might require regular seasoning. However, the best non-stick casserole pans perform well. The other prominent materials in which you can find casseroles are Stainless steel, Aluminum and copper. Stainless steel is non-reactive, durable and dishwasher safe but does not have good heat conductivity. Copper or aluminium pans would offer better heat distribution, but you have to look for coated pans since they may be reactive.

Best recipes for a casserole dish set

You can make an array of dishes in a casserole pan. If you are planning a dinner for two, then sausage casserole and garlic bread would work well. The excellent heat retention capabilities of a casserole make the tomatoes break down in the palatable sauce. Similarly, preparing fish stew in this cookware will result in tender and flaky fish. Casserole recipes for a family can range from Mexican chicken stew and Simple seafood chowder to jambalaya and more.