After what feels like endless weeks of sweltering weather, the first signs of autumn are starting to appear. Leaves are turning golden, evenings are drawing in, and we're reaching for an extra layer. In true British style, it also means one thing — the return of hearty meals cooked in our favourite casserole dishes.
Slow-cooked curries, beef bourguignons and comforting soups may be the obvious use for a cast-iron casserole, but it turns out your Le Creuset dish has a clever second function. It's one of those 'how did I not know that?' discoveries you'll immediately want to share with fellow owners.
The secret lies in the lid. Simply unscrew the knob, flip it upside down, and it becomes a cast-iron cooking surface that can be used separately from the casserole as a frying pan.
'The knob in the lid can be removed, then the lid can be lined with baking paper or pastry and used for baking,' Ali Haigh, Home Economist at Le Creuset, tells House Beautiful UK.
Ali's suggestion? Bake 'a pillowy soft and airy focaccia, with the perfect golden crunch in the lid' while a fresh tomato sauce gently simmers in the casserole below, finished with creamy burrata. It's 'food that feels deeply satisfying and yet so simple to cook.'
It's a surprisingly simple feature that makes an already hardworking piece of cookware even more useful, particularly if you're cooking for family or entertaining and need every inch of your hob and oven to work a little harder.
While plenty of budget alternatives have appeared on the high street, there’s a reason
Le Creuset has remained a kitchen staple for generations. ‘The name doesn’t do it justice. I believe this is the one piece of cookware that you can own for a lifetime and cook anything in!’ says Ali.
That longevity comes down to how each piece is made. Every Le Creuset casserole passes through roughly 40 pairs of hands during production, with each one carefully inspected before it leaves the factory. Made from durable enamelled cast iron and backed by a lifetime guarantee, it’s the kind of cookware that’s built to stick around, earn a few scraps and eventually become a family hand-me-down.
At £259, it's certainly an investment, but discovering your casserole dish has effectively been hiding a second pan in plain sight makes the price feel that little bit easier to justify.
If you've been tempted to invest, Le Creuset's newest colour, Forêt, might be its most beautiful yet (in our opinion). The rich forest green would look just as good in a modern kitchen as it would in a traditional scheme. Here’s a few of our favourites to consider adding your first piece - or another one - to your kitchen.
