If you’re a sourdough bread fanatic, chances are that you’re also the owner of a beautiful cast iron Challenger Bread Pan. We’ll, you might be wondering what else you can cook in the Challenger Bread Pan when you’re not making bread. I’ve got you! Here are nine things to cook in the Challenger Bread Pan besides bread.
9 Things to Cook in the Challenger Bread Pan Besides Bread
1. Brussels Sprouts
Roasted brussels sprouts are one of my favorite side dishes, and they’re an easy vegetable to cook in your Challenger Bread Pan. You’ll only use the base of your Challenger for this recipe since you don’t need to cover and steam the veggies with the lid.
Try following Ina Garten’s recipe for simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts. Pre-heat your Challenger base to 400°F for about 30 minutes while you prepare the brussels sprouts and other ingredients in a separate bowl. Then, cover the base of the Challenger with a sheet of parchment paper, layer it with brussels sprouts, and bake for 35-40 minutes. Works like a charm, and the veggies get a delicious crispiness from the hot cast iron pan.
2. Whole Chicken
A whole chicken roasted in the Challenger Bread Pan is the perfect weekend meal that will make you feel like your grandmother is cooking for you. Who roasts a whole chicken anymore? Well, you can, because you’ve got the perfect pan!
The cast iron Challenger is the perfect size to fit a small to medium-sized chicken (3-5 lbs), and its oval shape works for roasting a whole or spatchcocked chicken.
Treat the Challenger just like any other roasting tray, but make sure that the cast iron is seasoned will (for easy cleaning later) or you may even want to cover the base with parchment paper before adding your chicken. You can use any roast chicken recipe you wish; I like this simple Juicy Roasted Chicken recipe from AllRecipes.com, but I choose to use butter instead of margarine.
If you’re still considering getting the Challenger Bread Pan, consider reading this post first where I compare the Challenger Bread Pan to my Lodge Dutch Oven. I baked in these two vessels side-by-side to see the differences, so check it out!
3. Roasted Potatoes
Roasted Potatoes are a great side dish you can make in the base of the Challenger Bread Pan. Since the base is essentially a cast iron roasting tray, it will work perfectly for potatoes.
Try out this recipe for Oven Roasted Potatoes from WellPlated.com. Instead of using the sheet pan recommended in the recipe, use the base of your Challenger. Pre-heat the cast iron base in the oven for 30 minutes at 400°F while you prepare the potatoes in a separate bow. Then, when the base is hot, line it with parchment paper, transfer your potatoes onto the base, and bake them until brown and crispy.
4. Salmon Filet
Salmon filets are an amazing entrée to cook in the Challenger Bread Pan. With the hot cast iron base of the Challenger, you can cook delicious and flaky salmon filets, with crisp skins on the bottom to hold in the juices.
One of my favorite weeknight dinners used to be lemon-butter salmon. I don’t make it much anymore, but when I do, it’s amazing! The best thing is that it’s best when cooked on cast iron, so the Challenger Bread Pan is perfect.
Pre-heat your Challenger base in a 425°F oven for about 30 minutes. Then, carefully spread two tablespoons of olive oil over the base where you’ll be cooking your salmon. When the oil heats up, lay a one pound salmon filet onto the cast iron pan with the skin side down.
As the fish skin starts to sizzle and cook, sprinkle the fish with salt, a few pats of butter, a dash of dried dill, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Then layer three to four slices of lemon on top of the fish and move it into the hot oven. Cook the salmon until flaky and tender, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.
5. Any “Sheet Pan Dinner”
You can make absolutely any sheet pan dinner in the Challenger Bread Pan. Literally any dinner that is designed to be cooked on a metal sheet pan will bake up just as well on the base of the Challenger.
Since the cast iron text a longer time to heat up, I suggest preheating the base of your Challenger in the oven as the oven pre-heats. Then, take the base out, line it with parchment paper, and proceed with your sheet pan dinner recipe like usual.
To get some dinner inspiration, here are 50 sheet pan recipes from Food Network, and here are 16 vegan sheet pan dinners from The Inspired Home.
6. Baked Mac and Cheese
Mac and Cheese is one of my all time favorite comfort foods. With the great heat radiation that dark cast iron has to offer, you can make an amazing tray of baked mac and cheese in the Challenger Bread Pan.
As with most baked macaroni and cheese recipes, you’ll want to cook the mac and cheese on the stove top first. Then, when it’s almost done, you can throw it into your Challenger (lined with parchment paper), sprinkle a little extra cheese or bread crumbs on top, and then bake for about 30 minutes.
One of my go-to mac and cheese recipes is this one from Alton Brown. It’s a classic! Try it out in your Challenger.
7. Roman-Style Pizza
Roman-style pizza is a delicious pizza style that is perfect for baking in your home oven. Because this type of pizza is typically baked in a pan, you can make a great Roman-style pizza in the Challenger Bread Pan.
If you’re unfamiliar with it, Roman-style pizza is a large, rectangular, thick-crust type of pizza that is usually baked in a sheet pan or directly on the oven floor. Because of the thick crust, this is truly a bread lover’s pizza! Plus, you can load it up with any toppings that you like.
Check out the Keep It Simple Roman Style Pizza on the Challenger Breadware website here.
8. Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s pie, or technically “Cottage Pie” if you’re using ground beef, is a great comfort meal to cook in the Challenger Bread Pan. This dish will involve a little bit of cooking on the stove top before you bake, but the end result is definitely worth it.
Try this Skillet Shepherd’s Pie recipe from JoCooks.com. I like to cook all of the beef mixture and mashed potatoes in a separate non-stick pot and pan. Then, when they are ready to bake, I transfer them in layers into my well-seasoned Challenger Bread Pan base and proceed as per the recipe.
9. Fruit Cobbler
When you’re done with a long day, sometimes the best comfort is a great homemade dessert. Why not try a homemade fruit cobbler in your Challenger Bread Pan? The Challenger Bread Pan is perfectly suited for baked fruit desserts like cobblers and crumbles.
Try out this Skillet Berry Cobbler recipe from TheNoviceChef.com. Just make sure to double the recipe so that you have enough to fit in your Challenger Bread Pan base. The great thing about this dessert is that it involves no pre-heating. As long as your cast iron is well seasoned, just pile the ingredients into your Challenger, as per the recipe, and bake! In about 35 minutes you’ll have a delicious and bubbly cobbler ready for dessert.
Conclusion
The Challenger Bread Pan is definitely designed for bread, but it’s not limited to it! You can cook plenty of your weeknight meals and even desserts in the Challenger Bread Pan. Consider adding a few of these to your weekly rotation.
If you still don’t have a Challenger Bread Pan, please check it out for yourself on the Challenger Breadware website here.