Meet the Team

My passion for one-pot cooking commenced when I was preparing cafeteria lunches for school students.

Hearty one-pot meals as a mid-day meal gave them a healthy boost in energy to get through the remainder of the day.

Overseeing the preparation of cooking fresh hearty old-fashioned meals in a school cafeteria presented many challenges.

I overcame the challenges of preparing cooked meals by streamlining our processes and preparing meals with one-pot cookware and appliances.

I am now on a mission to assist you in choosing the cooking pot or appliance that you will use every day. These include seasoned and enamel Dutch ovens and skillets, multi-purpose cookers, slow cookers, rice cookers, braisers, and the list goes on.

I use cast-iron Dutch ovens and other cast-iron cookware for outdoor cooking as well as enamel Dutch ovens and cookware for cooking at home. For entertaining large numbers Dutch ovens are a no-brainer…

Personally, I love to use the freshest ingredients available including good old-fashioned full fats. Real ingredients bring out the flavors of everything I prepare. To that end arguably the cast iron Dutch oven is the best cooking pot to achieve this.

I first fell in love with cast iron Dutch ovens as a young girl on family camping trips. My mom would use old aluminum pots for cooking meals and it was laborious.

Ahhh but my aunt used a very old cast iron Dutch oven, she would throw everything inside place the lid on, then sit back and relax until the meal was cooked. So my love affair with cast iron and one-pot cooking began…

Naturally, as I got older I was able to experiment with one-pot cooking in its many forms.

My attempts at cooking in different pots varied widely. I mean let’s face it if you want to prepare a certain meal the recipe can require 2 to 3 bowls, pans for frying, and then a cooking pot.

As I got older with more responsibilities (partner, kids, work, grandchildren) my enthusiasm for meal preparation dwindled.

The one thing that did not dwindle however was the need to eat fresh, healthy yet filling meals (complete with leftovers).

I am not a gadget person and I hate clutter with a passion. So cooking meals in one pot became a personal mission. I even cook soup in a Vitamix blender…

I have two adult children, a daughter-in-law and a grandson and I determined that they will be able to buy fresh and prepare a healthy meal in the most convenient, shortest time with the least amount of mess possible.

Dutch Oven Shopping

This is me shopping for my new Le Creuset cast-iron Dutch oven. Testing out the size and the weight of the Le Creuset 5 1/2 quart round Dutch oven. The weight was perfect but I have decided to go for the Le Creuset 7 1/2 quart oval Dutch oven. Because I want to prepare larger cuts of meat and meats on the bone.

Cooking With Dutch Ovens Everyday

This is my recipe for preparing my fluffy Dutch oven rice in my trusty little Crofton by Aldi cast-iron Dutch oven – it is a perfect size to make rice for a family of 4 or more. I have never had a mishap making rice in this Dutch oven it turns out perfect every time.

I make my rice early in the day it takes me 15 minutes then I prepare my dish in another Dutch oven on my gas top cooker or in my conventional oven at dinnertime.

This size Dutch oven size is also perfect for a standard loaf of artisan Dutch oven bread.

Cookware I Use for One-Pot Cooking

My cookware includes but is not limited to Le Creuset enamel and Staub cast iron cookware, Lodge seasoned cast iron, Camp Chef seasoned cast iron, GreenPan stainless steel, and Crofton.

Appliances I Use for One-Pot Cooking

I received my first slow cooker as a wedding gift 29 years ago that $20 slow cooker lasted 24 years.

I invested in a new Crock-Pot slow cooker with a saute function. Trusting the Crock Pot brand I purchased my first pressure cooker with added multi-cooker functions.

I am so passionate about using one pot every time I cook I want to share the joy of preparing an easy delicious meal with little preparation time, easy to cook, wonderful to eat, picky eater friendly, and a no-fuss clean-up.

Just like these porcupine meatballs that can be made in a Dutch oven, a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, or a good old-fashioned saucepan with a lid. I was taught to make these in my house economics class in high school and have been making them for 40 years.

What Michelle Writes About

Sourcing one-pot cookware and appliances inspired me to use, and maintain all aspects of the product and report the findings on OvenSpot.

Also sharing some of my easy and adaptable recipes cooked in one-pot cookware and appliances for all to enjoy.

Questions or topics I haven’t covered that you want to see on OvenSpot? I love to connect with my readers so reach out to me via email at michelle@ovenspot.com or connect at Linkedin.

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