Tastefully Tuesday - 3 Non-Dessert Foods to Prepare in Metal Baking Pans

Out of all my metal baking pans, the oblong one is my favorite. It’s so versatile! I use it for everything from enchiladas to Rice Krispy Treats. It cleans well, and the edges are just slightly darker showing a lifetime of delicious meals that I managed to not burn. (Because oven cooking is good, and the stovetop hates me.)

Baking Doesn’t Mean Dessert

When most people think of the oblong-shaped baking pan, they think of cakes or brownies. But my oblong baking pan has brought many delicious entrees to our family’s dinner table, and not one of them had to do with baking desserts! Here are some of our favorites:

1. Shake & Flake Chicken – Heat your oven to 400F degrees. Dip tenders of chicken breasts into a small bowl containing a mixture of 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of buttermilk or heavy cream. Then dip them in a bigger bowl that has 2 cups of crushed, plain cornflakes, a dash of pepper, 1/2 a teaspoon of paprika, and 1/2 a teaspoon of garlic. You may have to press down to get the seasoned flakes to stick to the chicken. Lay them in a baking pan and let them cook about 35 minutes, or until the outside is to a golden crisp and the inside is done.
   
   
2. Breakfast Enchiladas – This bakes up just like regular enchiladas, with slightly different ingredients. Fill your tortilla wraps with sausage, scrambled egg, green and red peppers, onions, mushrooms, and anything else you like. Fold the tortilla around the ingredients and lay in your metal baking pan. Continue until you have a row of tortillas! Instead of enchilada sauce, pour country gravy over the tortillas and liberally sprinkle cheddar cheese over the entire dish. Bake at 250F until cheese is bubbly and contents are warm, and then enjoy!
   
   
3. Chinese New Year Spareribs – You don’t have to wait for any New Year to enjoy this dish. Cut apart 2 pounds of spare ribs and put them in a gallon-sized plastic bag. Add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of pure, local honey, 1 tablespoon of white wine, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, an entire clove of garlic diced into fine pieces, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Marinate overnight. The next day, preheat oven to 350F, empty contents into oblong pan, and bake for about 45 minutes. Turn heat back to 300F and heat for about 20 minutes longer. When meat begins to shrink, the ribs are ready to eat.

The Perfect Spatula for Metal Baking Pans

When my husband and I were first married, we were given a spatula from a popular pizza restaurant in the town where I grew up. It had a sturdy metal base and a durable wood handle, and was just perfect for use with metal baking pans! A few weeks ago while surfing Amazon, I finally found a similar replica.

As you can see it is the perfect size! And it does not only work with square-cut pizza, but also with brownies, cake, or lasagna. Click the picture to order your own today, and you’ll be wondering how you ever served up food without it!

Tastefully Tuesday - Orange Cranberry Rice Krispy Treats

Nearly everything I put on top of the stove tends to catch fire. Therefore, the first installment of Tastefully Tuesday is snacks that are (almost) guaranteed not to involve flames.

When I make Rice Krispy Treats, I can't stand leaving them plain. Anyone can do that. I like upping the ante, adding ingredients or replacing plain marshmallows with flavored ones. Here's a recent variation that was inspired by an orange cranberry scone I purchased at the local Farmer's Market a couple of weeks ago.

Rice Krispy Treats

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. margarine or butter
• 1 tbsp. fresh orange zest
• 1 cup of dried cranberry pieces
• 4 c. mini marshmallows (about a 10 oz bag will work)
• 6 c. any kind of crispy rice cereal

Directions:

1. Prepare an 9x12 (or similar size) baking dish by coating the inside with butter.
2. Put orange zest, cranberry bits, and margarine or butter in a large glass bowl and melt it in the microwave for 20 - 30 seconds.
3. Take bowl from the microwave and stir the contents a few times with a wooden spoon. Add marshmallows and mix well, coating marshmallows with the orange-butter mix.
4. Microwave it again until the marshmallows start to swell and are double in size.
5. Take bowl from microwave and still using a wooden spoon, immediately add the crispy rice cereal, thoroughly mixing all ingredients.
6. Coat wooden spoon with butter and press mixture into your baking dish.
7. When cool, cut into squares and serve.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen squares.

Tips:

• You can also melt white chocolate and drizzle it diagonally back and forth over the squares while they're still slightly warm.
• While you don't -have- to use a glass bowl and a wooden spoon, they work a heck of a lot better than plastic dishes for this.
• You can replace the orange and cranberry with lemon and blueberry, or lime and strawberry, and they're JUST as good as this version. I promise.