Cast-iron skillets can be used everywhere, from the stovetop (to make the best pancakes you've ever had) to the oven (for my family's favorite Chicken With Caramelized Lemons Olives and Tomatoes) to the grill (for those warm summer nights when nothing sounds better than grilled corn on the cob, burgers and sweet baked beans).

When a cast-iron skillet is seasoned well, it can develop an almost non-stick surface perfect for cooking omelets and other foods using less oil for cooking. An added benefit is cast iron's ability to leach small amounts of iron into food.

A cast-iron skillet is one of the least expensive kitchen tools you'll ever purchase and it's the type of kitchenware that tends to get passed down through the generations. So if you didn't inherit granny's cast-iron skillet that always made her famous cornbread, then get one for yourself and start the tradition in your family.

I recommend this cast-iron griddle and skillet.

Watch Alton Brown make the perfect creamed cornbread in a cast-iron skillet in the video below and then try your hand at these cast-iron skillet recipes.

Catherine McCord is a food blogger and mother of two living in Los Angeles. Her recipes and tips for nutritious and easy family eating are featured daily on her blog, Weelicious.com, and in her new cookbook  Weelicious: One Family. One Meal . Catherine’s advice and recipes can often be seen on Babble.com, Huffington Post, Celebrity Babies, Parents, Parenting and more.