what to cook in a gi-normous Le Creuset dutch oven?

Jeff Bond

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After lusting after Le Creuset's Feed an army models--the 15 quart Goose Pot and 13 quart round dutch oven--for years, I came across both today at a Le Creuset factory outlet at 50% off. (And in the same color as my 7 quart oval dutch oven, to boot.) I couldn't help myself and bought the 13 quart beast. Got it home, set it on the stove, it's beautiful and all ... but my wife remarks, "What on earth are you really going to cook in that?"

So? Help me out. Chili for a crowd is a no-brainer. What are some other favorite giant cooking-vessel dishes?
 

cornflake

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Cassoulet... soups (I seem unable to produce soup in quantities besides 'vat,' stews, tomato sauce, stuff to can, oh if you've got access to green tomatoes still, I've made tons of this, it's worth it.
 

blacbird

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If you have enough potential victims, say a large family gathering, a big version of a crock-pot stew that I make now and then would work well.

Beef or lamb, enough to feed the numbers.
Root and stem vegetables: potatoes, rutabagas, golden beets, kohlrabis, daikon radish, celery, swiss chard, turnips, rooted parsley, carrots, parsnips, bok choy, brussel sprouts, onions, leeks. I marinate the meat overnight in a standard commercial marinade (many varieties exist) with juice from a squeezed orange and maybe a bit of ground pepper. Slow cook for however long it takes (in a crock-pot I just leave it going at the low setting all day). The amounts you need are dependent on the number of people you need to feed. But it sounds like fun.

caw
 

Jeff Bond

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Thanks for those suggestions! No excuses now.

It occurs to me we have a neighborhood tailgate coming up in a few weeks-- for a balloon festival; we are a bit tailgate sport-deprived here in the middle of Michigan. I'll have to break in the big fella with one of these recipes. Will report back ...
 

M Louise

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So envious. I love cooking for multitudes in a ginormous pot. You can also make baked beans and freeze or preserve portions.
 

Fruitbat

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Crab boil! Crabs, shrimp, sausage, corn-on-the-cob, small red potatoes and seafood seasoning. Then drain and pour out on a table covered in newspaper. :)
 

Esmae Tyler

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Pulled pork!

A slab of pork butt big enough to feed an army, slathered in a generous amount of dry rub overnight, popped in the oven in the morning low and slow to cook all day. My favorite recipe includes pouring half a bottle or can (maybe 8 oz) of root beer over it at the beginning. When it's done it falls apart into meaty little morsels and you can pick out whatever bits you don't like (bones, bits of residual fat, whatever) and then prepare as you will. I usually make barbecue sauce to mix into it, and then add another round of root beer to that. Enough to make it loose, not watery. Serve as you like, how you like; I usually make sandwiches with it.
 

Jeff Bond

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Pulled pork did end up being dish #1, after I happened upon an appropriately enormous pork butt at the store. Didn't manage the overnight rub, but did loosely take Esmae's advice and poured over a couple cans of Faygo Rock 'n' Rye after browning in the morning, then cooked all day at 300. I'm hoping red dye #40 cooks right off, yes? Roast turned out yummy.

(Obligatory explanation for why Faygo Rock 'n' Rye was in the house: we celebrated the end of a summer spent reading Harry Potter with butterbeer and the Sorcerer's Stone movie for the kids. Of all the online butterbeer recipes, cream soda-based looked easiest to pull off.)