Who doesn’t yearn for dinners that are delicious, healthy, fast, and EASY? There’s a reason why you’ll find a plethora of books, blogs, and other online resources dedicated to a variety of simple, fast meals. An online search for “easy dinner ideas” brings up countless results—from Instant-Pot recipes to one-pan meals to sheet-pan suppers.
I gravitate to straightforward processes that can be memorized, customized, and
made on the fly. That’s why, years ago, I introduced my version of a quick, fuss-free dinner I named a BakeOver®. A BakeOver is a one-skillet meal comprised of four cups of vegetables (or fruit if you’re making a dessert) piled into a wok-shaped skillet, lightly sautéed, topped with a rolled MaryJane’s Budget Mix® crust, and baked for 20 minutes. I love the idea of a BakeOver because it’s a fast, simple dinner, made from scratch (mostly), using nearly any combination of vegetables you can dream up. As easy as a BakeOver is, when time is short, the idea of rolling a crust can seem like
too much. Or what if you need a larger or smaller meal? That’s where my BakeOver-Easy idea comes in. All you need is a cast-iron skillet and a few minutes—no rolling pin necessary.
Not only is it quick; it’s a great way to use whatever you have on hand and a fantastic way to make the most of your garden produce. The only equipment you’ll need is a tried-and-true cast-iron skillet (or four if you plan on making a variety of serving sizes).
Over the years, I’ve collected a wide variety of cast-iron cookware, but I needed to make sure that anyone could find the cast-iron skillets to make my BakeOver Easy recipes. I found all the skillet sizes I wanted to use for my recipes from Backcountry Iron. These pans are perfect—they’re affordable, cure well, and are easy to maintain. Plus, they’re made in the U.S.
To start, you'll need to decide how many servings you want to make. The number of servings you'd like to make determines the size of cast-iron skillet to use. For 2 servings, use a 6-inch skillet; for 4 servings, use an 8-inch skillet; for 6 servings, use a 10-inch skillet; and for 8 servings, use a 12-inch skillet.
Then, you'll need to assemble a filling. Your filling can be nearly any combination you can dream up, using whatever you have on hand—think fresh vegetables, beans, cheeses, and meat, or fresh fruits for a dessert dish. Simply follow the filling volume guidelines below that correspond with your skillet size:
- 6-inch skillet: 1½ cups of filling
- 8-inch skillet: 3 cups of filling
- 10-inch skillet: 4½ cups of filling
- 12-inch skillet: 6 cups of filling
Once you've decided on an ingredient combination, preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly butter a cast-iron skillet and set aside. Combine your ingredients in a mixing bowl, and transfer to prepared cast-iron skillet.
Once your filling is added to your skillet, in a small bowl, whip up either the Basic BakeOver-Easy Crust or Gluten-Free BakeOver-Easy Crust by following the amounts in the appropriate chart below that correspond with your skillet size.
Pour crust over filling in skillet. If your filling is thick, you might need to gently lift it with a fork to allow the crust mixture to disperse throughout the skillet. Bake for the time specified according to your skillet size (below), or until center is set and top is pale golden brown.
- 6-inch skillet: 25 minutes
- 8-inch skillet: 30 minutes
- 10-inch skillet: 35 minutes
- 12-inch skillet: 40 minutes
For even more customization, get creative with my other versions of Budget Mix. Replace the All-Purpose Budget Mix in the Easy Crust recipe cup for cup with of any of my Budget Mix versions. Breakfast Sausuge & Hash Brown BakeOver Easy with Buttermilk Biscuits? Delectable. How about a Zucchini and Feta BakeOver Easy with Garlic-Basil Bread? Delicious!
