All the Things to Cook in Our Giant New Stock Pot

During your day-to-day home cooking, most of the time you can get by with a large pot, whether that’s a 5-quart Dutch oven or an 8-quart stock pot. For everyday braises like Red Wine-Braised Pot Roast, easy soups like Kimchi and Tofu Soup, or even homemade sourdough, these pots will do the trick.

But there are some dishes that benefit from extra room. We’re talking a lot of extra room. Thankfully, our new 12-quart stock pot is here to make your dreams come true. Tall, sturdy and double-handled, the 12-quart stock pot will be your go-to dish for big batch family cooking, meal prep for busy weeks ahead, and special occasions like summer lobster feasts or shrimp boils.

WHAT SHOULD I USE A STOCK POT FOR?

A stock pot gets its name from—you guessed it—stock. Big enough to corral the things you’ll want to make a batch of homemade stock, including meat and poultry bones, aromatic vegetables like onions, leeks, garlic and carrots, and plenty of water to extract those ingredients’ flavors.

A stock pot is good for so much more than stock, though: Summer lobster rolls, a Southern-style Cajum shrimp boil, and homemade broth and stock are all much easier in a huge pot. Doubling up on recipes for your favorite chili or beef stew is so much easier in a large stock pot, too. And when you’ve got that leftover Thanksgiving turkey carcass waiting to be transformed into soup? The stock pot’s got your back. Of course, if you’re into doing big-batch meal prep, then you’ll be no stranger to the concept of relying on a big pot for everything from an extra-large batch of boiled brown rice or poached chicken breasts for lunchtime chicken salad or laid-back dinnertime pasta.

3 STOCK AND BROTH RECIPES TO MAKE IN YOUR NEW 12-QUART STOCK POT

A well-stocked kitchen doesn’t just have a stock pot, it has a batch of stock at the ready, too. Make one of the three recipes below and freeze it in labeled 2-cup pint containers for easy defrosting and using in your favorite soup and stew recipes. If you’re wondering what the difference between stock and broth is, the technical difference comes down to a few things: Stock is generally unseasoned and made with bones, while broth is made with meat (including the bones) and is seasoned with salt and pepper. All this being said, it’s not worth obsessing over the differences between the two. Season your recipes to taste with freshly ground salt and black pepper, whether you’re using homemade or store-bought broth or stock.

GO-TO CHICKEN STOCK

Every cook needs a back-pocket chicken stock, and this simple recipe is up to the task. You’ll use a mixture of chicken parts to get deep flavor. Don’t chuck the meat after it’s done cooking–pick the meat off the bones to stir into pastas, fold into chicken salad, pile onto grain bowls or make chicken soup.

Get the recipe for Go-To Chicken Stock.

BIG BATCH BONE BROTH

Stop paying for overpriced store bought bone broths and make your own with a mixture of marrow bones, oxtails, bone-in short ribs, shanks, and knuckles (and no, that’s not a tongue twister). This recipe draws out all the rich flavor of the beef bones and adds a hit of apple cider vinegar to balance it out. Enjoy a mug on its own or use it to make any of your favorite soups and stews.

Get the recipe for Big Batch Bone Broth.

UMAMI VEGETABLE BROTH

Much of the rich umami flavor in chicken or bone broth comes from the meat, but there’s no reason your vegetable broth should lack in savory flavor just because it skimps on the meat. Our recipe includes fresh and dried mushrooms, kombu, miso, tamari, and nutritional yeast for a cornucopia of complex umami taste.

Get the recipe for Umami Vegetable Broth.

2 MORE CLASSICS TO MAKE IN YOUR 12-QUART STOCK POT

MAINE-STYLE LOBSTER ROLLS

Though we’d all like to be in Maine on a warm August day eating a lobster roll, sometimes, it’s just not possible. Bring the taste of the seaside to you with this easy recipe for homemade lobster, which you’ll cook quickly in your stock pot until tender before mixing it with classic lobster salad ingredients like celery, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Piled into buttered New England-style hot dog buns, you might just be able to hear the gulls crying in the distance.

Get the recipe for Maine-Style Lobster Rolls.

CAJUN SHRIMP BOIL

Get the newspaper out, it’s time to host your own Southern-style Cajun shrimp boil, complete with corn, potatoes, sausage and of course, shrimp. You’ll throw the whole thing together in your 12-quart stock pot. Set it out with crusty bread, remoulade, and plenty of napkins.

Get the recipe for Cajun Shrimp Boil.