Need last-minute gifts for the home cooks in your life? From modest to over-the-top, we have fun and tasty options.
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Need last-minute gifts for the home cooks in your life? From modest to over-the-top, we have fun and tasty options.
Continue reading “2020 Home Cook’s Holiday Gift Guide: Last-Minute Online Gifts” »
The best budget gifts under $ 25! Our 10 favorite small stocking stuffers for home cooks, from a must-have fish spatula to a fantastic chili sauce.
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This post is sponsored by Le Creuset.
Colorful, shapely, and durable, stoneware elevates everyday meals. Cooks have used it for centuries, and it still has an elemental appeal.
From oven to table, it makes even the humblest casseroles feel luxurious. If you’re new to baking in stoneware, you’re in for a treat.
Stoneware is earthenware—clay—fired at a high temperature, which makes it more durable. It’s resistant to chipping and it holds heat beautifully.
You’ll find stoneware in all sort of sizes, shapes, and colors. The stoneware used in most modern kitchens is glazed, and that’s what we’re focusing on here.
There are plenty of baking dishes out there, from metal to glass. What’s so great about stoneware?
Here are a few more tips and tricks for working with stoneware. We mention Le Creuset in particular here; if you’re using a different type of stoneware, be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Choosing between round, oval, square, or rectangular dishes isn’t rocket science, but there are a few considerations:
Some stoneware comes with lids, and some does not. When is a lid an advantage?
No lid? No worries! Foil is a great lid. If you’re covering a dish for most of its baking time, we recommend greasing the foil so any cheese or other gooey ingredients don’t stick once you remove it.
Some recipes call for a dish with a specific capacity—say, a 2-quart casserole—and some call for a dish with specific dimensions, like a 9×13 dish. If you don’t know the size or capacity of your dish, how you tell if a recipe will fit?
Last but not least, see the chart below. We did the conversion work for you!
Any time you do a dish swap, be mindful of the baking time. It may very well be a little shorter or longer than the recipe says.
It’s better to use a larger dish than called for versus a smaller dish. No one wants an overflow situation—particularly if it means any spillover burning on the bottom of the oven.
Doubling or halving recipes often will work, but you want to think of two factors: depth and surface area. Those will affect the baking time and consistency of your recipe.
A smooth, sturdy glaze is your friend here. Le Creuset stoneware’s strong glaze is nearly nonstick and extremely hard. Besides a plastic-bristled brush or scrubby sponge, you shouldn’t need any special tools.
Melted or burned cheese on your casserole? Fill the cooled dish with soapy hot water and let it soak 10 to 20 minutes. That alone will resolve 95% of your cleanup issues.
You can use metal utensils to cut on the surface of your stoneware, but they can leave marks on the glaze. To get rid of those, a small sprinkling of a mild abrasive (such as Bar Keeper’s Friend) in the afflicted area should do it. Amazingly, it won’t leave any scratches.
If you have multiple dishes, you can stack them and not fret about scratches. To prevent them toppling over, it’s best not to stack baking dishes more than two or three high. If there’s a lid, you can invert it and store it in the casserole with the knob or handle facing down, creating a stackable upper surface.
Got a yen to bake comforting casseroles and desserts now? Try these!
>> Shop here for Le Creuset Stoneware