It’s no secret that I love making crepes and that means I get a ton of use out of my crepe pan.
My family loves sweet and savory crepes but the crepe pan can be used for so many more recipes.
Don’t think of your crepe pan as a one trick pony, crepes and galettes are just the beginning.
Before we get to the great dishes you can make with your pan, check out these great recipes for more crepe inspiration.
Grilled Chicken a la Plancha
This dish translates to “chicken on the grill” but can be made regardless of whether or not you have a grill. This dish can easily be made on a crepe pan or other type of flat-top griddle. Your chicken should be browned on each side for a few minutes before being plated.
In order to get a particularly juicy and flavorful chicken, be sure to marinate it for at least 30 minutes in whatever marinade you choose to use. Traditionally, the chicken is marinated in garlic, sour orange juice, oregano, and cumin. If you can’t find any sour orange juice, you can simply substitute regular orange juice and lime juice. Chicken a la Plancha is served best with a side of rice and beans.
Eggs
A crepe pan is also ideal when making any type of egg. The flat, non-stick surface makes it easy to flip the eggs and keeps them from sticking to the pan or burning up. An omelette is also a great dish to make with a crepe pan because it allows the egg mixture to spread evenly.
Not to mention, it’s big enough that you can also cook the ingredients for your filling on the side while the eggs cook. If you’re a fan of fried eggs, a crepe pan is also ideal for this. All you need to do is make sure that your pan has been preheated before you crack your egg.
Add a bit of olive oil to your pan and then crack your egg right on top of it for best results.
Pancakes
Since pancakes are so closely related to crepes, it is perfectly normal to use a crepe pan to make them. You don’t need to do anything differently and you can rest assured that your pancakes will turn out just as delicious and fluffy as they would if made on a griddle or a skillet.
Grilled Sandwiches
Those who are fans of a classic grilled cheese will be thrilled to know that crepe pans are a great way to make them. They cook the sandwich thoroughly without burning the bread and will provide a perfectly crisp texture on the outside with the right amount of gooeyness on the inside.
Any type of panini can also be made using a crepe pan and will end up tasting identical to, if not better than, if it were cooked on a panini press or grill. Be sure that before you put your panini or sandwich on the grill, you butter the outside of it so it can get as crispy as possible.
Meats
Believe it or not, you can give your meat a nice sear using a crepe pan. The outsides of your steak will be nice and seared while the inside will remain juicy. Of course, this all depends on the material that your crepe pan is made out of.
Iron crepe pans are perfect to use for a steak because of their ability to reach extremely high temperatures without warping or bending.
Pizza
Crepe pans are also ideal for making pizza and make a great alternative to a traditional pizza stone. Because of how round they are, crepe pans are easily able to hold in all of the pizza’s ingredients without risking them spilling out and into your oven.
If you want to ensure that your pizza crust us as crispy as possible, be sure to preheat your crepe pan in the oven prior to adding the pizza to it. This way, you can make sure that your pizza’s dough cooks at the same time as the rest of the ingredients.
Flatbreads
This is yet another ideal dish to make on a crepe pan. A flatbread can be anything from a tortilla to naan to even pita bread. Due to the fact that a flatbread does not need to rise, it does not need to be cooked in a stove.
Cooking a flatbread on a crepe pan allows it to rise perfectly. The crepe pan won’t overcook them so your bread will turn out nice and fluffy every time.