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Table of Contents

  • Benefits of cooking vegetables in cast iron
  • Dishes that go great with broccoli
  • Recipe: Pan-Roasted Broccoli with Crispy Garlic
  • Other sides to make with cast iron cookware

For many reasons, broccoli is one of the best vegetables out there: it’s nutrient packed, affordable and easy to source year-round, and absolutely delicious when prepared well. Broccoli can also be cooked in a variety of ways. Whether simply roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper, or blended up into a creamy broccoli and cheese soup, broccoli is sure to be the star side dish at the dinner table.

Benefits of cooking vegetables in cast iron

We love to cook broccoli in a cast iron skillet because cast iron is excellent at retaining and distributing heat, so you can cook broccoli at whatever heat level suits your needs, from a gentle low-and-slow braise to a high-heat sear.

Dishes that go well with broccoli

Once you master cooking broccoli in cast iron, you’ll want to have it on your dinner table every night. Broccoli is extremely versatile and goes well with any style of cuisine. It can be eaten raw or cooked, served with a dip as an appetizer, or thrown into a salad. Broccoli pairs especially well with cream or cheese-based dishes; melting cheddar cheese over roasted broccoli is one of our favorite ways to enjoy it. And broccoli goes great with Asian-inspired dishes, and holds up well in stir fries or pasta dishes.

Though there are endless ways you can cook this delicious vegetable. Below we’ve included some of our favorite Field recipes to pair with your new favorite way to cook broccoli.

Cast Iron Skillet Mac and Cheese

The broccoli and cheese combo is one of the best ways to enjoy broccoli—the creamy, tangy, melty cheese goes perfectly with this sturdy vegetable that holds up great in cooking. Pair your cast iron broccoli with our Cast Iron Skillet Mac and Cheese recipe for a healthy side with your hearty, cheesy dinner.

Seared Salmon

We love to pair fish with broccoli, which is why we already have a seared salmon with broccoli rabe recipe on our blog—swap out the broccoli rabe recipe with our Cast Iron Broccoli recipe for a light and nutrient-packed meal.

Chicken Under a Skillet

Our chicken under a skillet recipe yields a juicy, crispy final result that pairs perfectly with our cast iron skillet roasted broccoli recipe—you will absolutely love this combination.

Recipe: Pan-Roasted Broccoli with Crispy Garlic

Notes about our recipe:

1.

Making the crispy garlic first infuses the olive oil with the garlicky flavor, which will further flavor the broccoli.

2.

It’s important to slice the garlic as thinly as possible; use a mandoline if you have one.

3.

This uses a technique we call “steam and sear,” in which you add water and briefly steam the broccoli with the skillet covered, then uncover the skillet and continue cooking until all of the water has evaporated and the broccoli begins to caramelize. You can use this method on other vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, carrots, and green beans.

Recipe: Pan-Roasted Broccoli with Crispy Garlic

Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Print Recipe

Ingredients

½ pound broccoli (1 medium head)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons water
1 lemon, for zesting

Tools

No.8 Field Skillet

 

Resources

The Field Method for Cast Iron Care

Instructions

1.

Trim the bottom, woody part of the broccoli stem. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough, outer layer from the stems. Starting from the bottom of the stem, cut the broccoli stem at an angle into ½-inch slices until you reach the florets. Break the florets apart with your hands into florets.

2.

Pour the oil into a No.8 Field Skillet and add the sliced garlic. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring the garlic occasionally, until it begins to sizzle. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the garlic is lightly golden brown, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to paper towels and set aside (the garlic will crisp up as it cools), leaving the garlic-infused oil in the skillet.

3.

Increase the heat to medium high. Add the broccoli and pepper flakes, if using, and season with salt. Add the water, cover the skillet, and steam until bright green but still plenty crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

4.

Uncover the skillet and continue cooking the broccoli, stirring frequently, until the water has evaporated and the broccoli is crisp-tender and beginning to brown in spots, about 2 minutes longer.

5.

Grate some lemon zest over the broccoli, sprinkle with the crispy garlic and serve.

Other sides to make with cast iron cookware

Field cast iron skillets are perfect for not only our cast iron skillet broccoli recipe, but so many other vegetables as well. Check out our Cast Iron Asparagus and our Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts recipe for more. You can also try out the above method for vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, bell peppers, green beans, carrots, mushrooms, and more.

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