Why Your Cast-Iron Skillet is a Must-Have Grilling Tool

Cast-iron skillets are great for all-year-long cooking on the stovetop, but their ability to take serious heat means they're also great on a grill. We have a few favorites when it comes to choosing a cast iron, but the tried-and-true Lodge 12-inch is a great choice (FYI: here are our tips for caring for your cast iron). From smoky grilled beans to sweet graham cracker-studded cake, here are five reasons a cast-iron skillet will be your go-to for summer grilling.

1. Cast-Iron-Grilled Romano Beans with Garlic Aioli

Chef Sarah Schafer makes this starter over the fire-pit grill at her beach cabin and serves them right out of the skillet. Any other meaty, flat bean can be substituted for the romanos.

Get the recipe: Cast-Iron-Grilled Romano Beans with Garlic Aioli

2. Easy Grilled Paella

To cook this seafood-and-chorizo paella, chef Pete Evans uses his grill as both a stovetop and an oven, simultaneously using direct and indirect heat.

Get the recipe: Easy Grilled Paella

3. Grilled Philly Cheesesteaks

Use a cast-iron skillet on the grill to make butcher Tom Mylan's incredible steak, onion, pepper and cheese hoagies.

Get the recipe: Grilled Philly Cheesesteaks

4. Grilled Lamb Chops with Cucumber Relish

A grill pan or cast-iron skillet is a quick way to cook lamb chops. Chef Renee Erickson serves them with a sweet-savory Moroccan-inspired relish that includes pine nuts, golden raisins and lemon. She recommends eating the chops with your hands. "The bones should be picked clean," she says.

Get the recipe: Grilled Lamb Chops with Cucumber Relish

5. Skillet Graham Cake with Peaches and Blueberries

Star chef Stephanie Izard's cake, which bakes on the grill, gets amazing flavor from graham crackers mixed into the batter.

Get the recipe: Skillet Graham Cake with Peaches and Blueberries