Le Creuset arrived yesterday! What are your favorite recipes to cook in your dutch oven? I am very eager to start cooking...

Oh, oven roux sounds like such a genius idea. Also brought to mind this great oven polenta that would be good for the Le Cru
http://www.sfgate.com/food/recipes/detail/?rid=11524&sorig=qs

I, too, make my gumbo in the Dutch oven, but I use Alton Brown's recipe, which really makes use of the Dutch oven (and is pretty awesome). Basically you bake the roux instead of cooking it on top of the stove. The even, steady heat of the oven takes longer but it's much easier to keep your roux from burning and really involves no hands-on time, other than stirring it two or three times. Give it a try! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shrimp-gumbo-recipe/index.html
I also use my Dutch oven to fry things like pickle chips and onion rings. Mmmm...

I love all the braise ideas, and that was how I broke in my first Le Creuset. It's also great for making fried chicken!

I love to use a Dutch oven for soups, stews, and braises of all kinds. It's also nice to cook dried beans in. The chief advantage of the Dutch oven is its thickness-this transfers heat evenly and prevents burning on the bottom (you still have to stir every now and then, but it's much, much better than using an aluminum pot).
Some of my very favorite things to cook in a Dutch oven include hearty meat ragus (The Canal House recipe is awesome), pot roast, and any type of jam or conserve. But really, you may start to love your LC so much that you cook damn near everything in it.

Way too hot for braises. But 40 clove garlic chicken, and Paula Wolferts Beef Daube from 'Southwest France' cookbook.

http://leitesculinaria.com/9918/writings-paula-wolfert-authentic-beef-daube.html

I'd hate to use my enameled pot for bread. I use an inexpensive plain cast iron for no-knead bread.

i bake sourdough bread in mine!

I make a lot of jam and a lot of bread in mine.

The easiest and best artisan bread you could get anywhere! The secret is a heavy dutch oven like yours. Mark Bittman has a video to show you how. http://www.nytimes.com/video/2006/11/07/dining/1194817104184/no-knead-bread.html

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions! I was thinking about the Boeuf B. from Amanda's cookbook...trying to decide between the two or the dijon beef stew. The gumbo looks great too and my husband always loves chili. The bread baking recipe is awesome...I make bread on a weekly basis but I wouldn't have thought of it. BTW, I got the black onyx. So sleek!

I think I'd inaugurate with something classic, and of course, French. How about Boeuf Bourguignon?

I like Dan Barber's braised short ribs (http://food52.com/recipes/9111_dan_barbers_braised_short_ribs) but practically any short ribs recipe will come out well. Slow cooked meats are all worth doing in the dutch oven.

I also like making bread in mine, I haven't tried this one yet but I want to.(http://food52.com/recipes/9301_orange_honey_and_cardamom_dutch_oven_bread_with_orange_cardamom_compound_butter).

I recently made an absolutely delicious beef stew but haven't had a chance to post the recipe here yet. (http://meatballsandmilkshakes.wordpress.com/2011/12/08/the-ultimate-beef-stew/)

Ragus are another great thing to make, I've done a duck ragu in mine that was great and lasted for a couple meals with different pastas...it's always better the next day. (http://meatballsandmilkshakes.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/pappardelle-with-duck-ragu/)

Soups, Beef Stew, Chili, brittle, Lamb Stew, too many recipes to mention. Jams until I buy a real jam pot. Basically my LC never gets put away.

Oh, I like to cook tripe, oxtail, tongue, that kind of stuff. But then I'm a nose to tail wierdo.

Susanm's answer is actually interesting because when it comes to Le Creuset there are always big sales on last season's colors. My own collection is totally mismatched. But girly girls (like my sister) want stuff to match their paint or laminate floors or something.

These short ribs are my go to: http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/12/braised-beef-short-ribs/
and a LC is SUPER useful for cooking up dried beans (no soaking required!) by this method - I do it all the time... http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-beans-a-faster-foo-102908
Enjoy! Mine is a joy to use every time :).

mine pretty much never gets put away. braise, braise, braise!
short ribs and brisket...plus, any soup, stew or even a big batch of red sauce. - with enough left over to freeze for next month. enjoy!
most importantly - what color did you choose?

Congrats! It's a workhorse. There are TOO many awesome recipes to list but here's my favorite on the site that I've made repeately (cant link because cant find the recipes in my recipe box, ugh!, but search the site):
A Bowl of Red - Chili with NO beans : )
Secret Ingredient Beef Stew
Lentil & Sausage Stew for A Cold Night
(yeah, love beef!)
and One Pot Kale & Quinoa (contest winner)
Next up is Lizchef's Hungarian Goulash
ENJOY!

Gumbo!
http://www.food52.com/recipes/3528_shrimp_gumbo