A perfectly roasted turkey — its skin crisp and golden. A succulent pork roast infused with aromatic herbs. A ham glazed to perfection with sugar and spice and everything nice. These dishes are not just meals; they are holiday traditions, memories in the making, and the centerpieces of holiday gatherings. But how do you achieve such culinary perfection?
Our enamelled cast iron Dutch Ovens create the ideal environment for slow-cooked recipes to come together for a hassle-free holiday meal preparation. Featuring a self-basting cycle and a tight-fitting lid, these versatile pieces of cookware have been carefully designed to tenderize ingredients, delivering delicious final results.
Mastering these three staple holiday meals may require an element of patience and finesse. With the Dutch Oven by your side, learning new cooking techniques and recipes is easier than ever. Dutch Oven recipes are typically slow-cooked on low heat, ensuring all the rich flavours and aromatics gradually infuse themselves throughout the dish.
What is a Dutch Oven?
A Dutch Oven is a heavy-duty, cast-iron cooking pot known for its versatility and exceptional heat retention. Le Creuset refined the traditional Dutch Oven design, replacing the pure cast iron with enamelled cast iron, improving its heat retention and distribution properties. Dutch Ovens come equipped with thick walls and a tight-fitting lid, making them perfect for various cooking techniques, such as roasting, browning and braising, baking and simmering.
When it comes to holiday feasts, an enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven is indispensable. This versatile piece of cookware embodies the set-it-and-forget-it nature of holiday cooking, giving you the ability to spend time with your loved ones as ingredients slow-cook to perfection. Best of all, the enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven pot can go from stovetop to the oven to the table, doubling as a bold serving dish.
Our Favourite Dutch Oven Holiday Staple Recipes
Turkey, roasts and hams have established themselves as the undeniable ‘big three’ of holiday dinners, each taking center stage during festive celebrations. Be sure to have your enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven pot handy and let’s get cooking!
Turkey
The tradition of serving a beautifully cooked turkey is deeply ingrained in holiday celebrations, serving as a centerpiece that brings families and friends together. Its generous size also ensures there's enough to feed a crowd, making it a practical choice for holiday gatherings.
Our Classic Roast Turkey and Stuffing recipe has rightfully earned its place at the heart of any holiday table spread, delivering a delicious meal in just over two hours. Our Goose Pot is the ideal piece of cookware to prepare this turkey recipe due to its oversized, elongated shape and large 13.9 L capacity.
The Goose Pot, much like Le Creuset’s enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven pots, has been carefully crafted to lock in heat and moisture, basting the turkey in its own juices until it is perfectly tender. Our Oval Dutch Oven can also be used for this recipe, depending on the size of your turkey. Combining butter, chicken stock, onions and a range of herbs and spices, our classic stuffing complements the turkey for a well-balanced main course.
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Ham
Known for its ease of preparation, traditional ham recipes are increasingly popular holiday menu options. Its rich, smokey and slightly sweet flavour, along with the appealing presentation of a glazed and glistening ham, makes it a beloved centerpiece for festive gatherings.
Our Red Wine Glazed Ham with Green Bean Almandine and Spiced Cranberries elevates traditional ham recipes, offering a bold centerpiece for any dinner table rich in flavour. Our versatile Hosting Set earns its name with this recipe, equipping you with all the essentials you need to prepare this dish.
From roasting the ham in our Rectangular Roaster to preparing the green beans in our Stainless Steel Saucepan, this Hosting Set does it all. Best of all, leftovers from a holiday ham can be repurposed into sandwiches, soups and other dishes, extending the joy of the holiday feast. Alternatively, you can always try our classic Maple and Spice Glazed Ham recipe.
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Pork Roast
Whether it is a succulent loin roast or a slow-cooked shoulder, the sight of a beautifully browned pork roast has all the makings of becoming an instant holiday classic. Its succulent, tender meat, when prepared with the right blend of seasoning, offers a delicious alternative to the traditional turkey or ham.
Our Herbed Stuffed Pork Roast is yet another great Dutch Oven recipe you can experiment with this holiday season. Featuring a boneless pork loin and a rich blend of spices, including garlic, parsley, thyme, a dash of lemon and, of course, a whole lot of love, this dish is the perfect show-stopping main course.
Our Shallow Round Dutch Oven pot offers the ideal shape for your pork roast to come together, since it offers a wider base and shallow sides. This, in turn, makes it particularly effective for searing and browning the pork roast before slow-cooking it. A well-prepared pork roast has the power to create cherished memories and make the dinner table a focal point of celebration this holiday season.
See the recipeComplementary Holiday Recipes
No main course is complete without delicious side dishes and an indulgence of sweetness at the end. From our poultry gravy to our sautéed green beans, these recipes have been curated to complement your holiday table spread.
Poultry Gravy
A side of poultry gravy is an essential component of any holiday dinner table, complementing main courses like turkey, ham or pork roast with its rich and savoury goodness. What makes poultry gravy truly indispensable is its versatility – it can be drizzled over slices of succulent turkey, poured generously onto pieces of ham, or used to moisten slices of flavourful pork roast.
This Poultry Gravy recipe comes together in just under 30 minutes, making it a convenient option when holiday hosting. Like any gravy, this recipe starts with making a roux. Featuring a mix of flour and pan drippings from the meat, the roux is designed to thicken the gravy while adding an intense flavour and velvety texture. Look no further than our Enamelled Cast Iron Saucier when preparing this as its rounded bottom makes stirring effortless.
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Sautéed Green Beans with Grapes & Feta Cheese
Looking to shake things up this holiday season? Our Sautéed Green Beans with Grapes & Feta Cheese is the perfect recipe to do just that. Much like most Dutch Oven recipes, this dish is hassle-free and can be prepared following a few simple steps.
Begin by bringing your enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven pot to a boil before blanching the green beans for two to three minutes. Next, sauté the green beans in an Iron Handle Skillet until slightly caramelized. Finish by adding the grapes and sprinkling crumbled feta cheese over the green beans before drizzling balsamic vinegar. This Iron Handle Skillet recipe serves four portions in under 30 minutes but can easily be adjusted for larger holiday gatherings.
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Holiday Tiramisu
A holiday meal should always culminate with a touch of sweetness to provide the perfect finale to the feast. After all, desserts hold a special place in our holiday traditions. Among the array of dessert options, a Holiday Tiramisu stands out as the ideal choice.
This classic Italian dessert, with its layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers, creamy mascarpone cheese and dusting of cocoa powder, exudes elegance and decadence. Our Rectangular Casserole is perfect for this recipe, ensuring every layer of the tiramisu is perfectly arranged. This recipe accommodates up to 12 portions and can be prepared in just over two hours.
See the recipeHow to Clean Your Dutch Oven
Taking proper care of your enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven ensures its longevity well beyond this holiday season. To begin, be sure to have our Cookware Cleaner as well as soft, non-abrasive brushes on hand. Our Nylon Brush is ideal for removing stuck-on foods from your Dutch Oven, without scratching its surface.
To clean your Dutch Oven, soak it in water and baking soda before gently scraping off stubborn food residues. It is crucial not to plunge a sizzling Dutch Oven directly into cold water as it can lead to thermal shock. Once all food residue has been removed, begin cleaning the outside of your enamelled cast iron Dutch Oven with a mix of hot soapy water and baking soda.
With the outside taken care of, simply rinse your Dutch Oven pot one final time before wiping it down and letting it thoroughly dry. Storing this versatile piece of cookware while still damp can potentially lead to rusting. While the Dutch Oven is dishwasher safe, it is recommended to hand-wash it as constant dishwashing can lead to the dulling of the enamel over time. For a step-by-step guide on how to clean your Dutch Oven, read our full blog post here.
Dutch Oven and Holiday Feasts: A Dynamic Combination
Our enamelled cast iron Dutch ovens are the unsung heroes of holiday feasts, perfectly equipped to tackle the big three recipes that grace our tables: ham, pork roast and turkey. Dutch Ovens do not just cook; they elevate the holiday feast, ensuring that each bite is a memorable, delicious experience.
From three delicious Dutch Oven recipes and side dishes to complement them to post-holiday feast cleaning of your cookware, you are equipped with all the information you need to host your family and friends in style this year. Visit our blog for more holiday inspiration and learn how you can make the most of your Le Creuset cookware! Plus, discover the most popular cooking, baking and knife techniques with easy-to-follow how-to videos in our Cooking School series.
