As most parents will readily attest, kids have simple, unsophisticated tastes in food. Their taste buds haven’t fully matured, and in many cases they cling to their old favorites more out of a sense of comfort and security than anything else. It’s in the best interest of kids to try new things, of course, and parents should convince them to do so in subtle ways. Why not start with a traditional childhood favorite: pizza.

Rather than ordering a few pies for delivery, take out your cast iron pizza pan and allow the kids to decorate the dough with their favorite toppings. Mushrooms, onions, green peppers and tomatoes are healthy additions that shouldn’t prove too jarring to a child’s palate. Make a deal with them beforehand that they must try at least one new ingredient before regressing back to cheese and pepperoni.

Are you tired of turkey? Does the nearly daylong process of thawing and cooking the bird to perfection seem less appealing now than in years past? There’s no harm in switching up your holiday recipes this Thanksgiving, as long as you stick to a few late-November staples. Switching to ham or a roast wouldn’t hurt, but make sure you make mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and – most notably – this cast iron dutch oven stuffing recipe.

Ingredients:
1 pound sausage
½ cup margarine
2 diced red onions
4 celery stalks
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 cloves garlic, chopped
9 cups dried bread cubes
1 Tsp. dry thyme, tarragon leaves, parsley
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Brown the sausage in a Lodge cookware Dutch oven. Stir in margarine, onions, mushroom soup, celery and garlic. Saute until onions are tender.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in bread cubes and allow them to soak up the broth. Add all ingredients together in Dutch oven and stir.
3. Bake covered for approximately 1 hour.