Kitchen Workhorse: The Sheet Pan

life is hard; food doesn't have to be #42 [vol2, 2.2]

A sheet pan is definitely at the top of the list of work horses in the kitchen. Almost every night of the week, one or three of these pans are being used. I've been known to travel with my chef's knife and a sheet pan.

I like this size 13x18; it's the equivalent of two 9x13 pans, if you wanted to:

• double a recipe for say, breakfast bars

• sheet pan dinners like this or Change Your Life Chicken

• roast veggies

• use as a tray for deboning chicken

• chocolate sheet cake for a crowd

• give stability to a flimsy disposable pan

• baking granola

• dehydrating lotsa something

• a defined area for toddler's play doh, water color, Lego building

• freezing zip top bags flat 

• bake muffin pan on top so the bottoms of the muffins don’t over brown.

In professional circles, this size is called a half sheet. This one is made of aluminum, so I use parchment paper as a barrier. I don't want my food touching aluminum. Nor am I an advocate of non-stick pans. (Here’s a story why.) Stainless steel baking sheets are more expensive; they don't heat evenly and warp in the oven.

<<Why don’t I want aluminum touching my food?  Aluminum is the one common denominator in Alzheimer’s cadaver brains. Both my grandmothers suffered. I experienced their confusion. Definitely don’t want any part of that so I avoid aluminum where I can: cooking pans or foil touching food as well as in antiperspirant and most injections.>>

This kind of sheet pan can be purchased from Amazon, or your local restaurant supply store (google for one near you, they’re really fun to visit.) If you're in Little Rock, check out Aimco or @krebsbrothers.

GIFT IDEA: Usually sheet pans this size and quality aren't on the registry -- mostly because they're not sold at typical registry places. And let's be honest, who knows at 21 years young what you will actually use?

Links I’m Using

1. Need a decadent Valentine’s Dessert? Wow your taste buds with this super easy Pots de Creme (Pronounced "po duh krehm" in your best French accent.)

2. Iron supplements: A friend chronically low in iron, regularly donates blood and is sometimes rejected because of this.  She started taking a children’s chewable and found that it helped iron levels.  I recommended trying a real food option: desiccated encapsulated liver.

3. Roasted cauliflower is great on its own but even better with schug and yogurt sauce. Trader Joe’s has a labneh (sort of like yogurt or kefir) that works beautifully here.

4. I made this banana cake with fudgy chocolate frosting.  The cake was great.  The frosting was amazing.  The combo wasn’t my fav.  I will make that frosting again.  The technique was perfect.

5. Ever made Pad Thai?  This recipe from Venison for Dinner is so good.  The prep work takes a bit (you can do it early in the day, or the night before).  It comes together quick and is v yummy.

6. This Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a crowd pleaser. I found myself with an excess of raw milk this week and was too sour to drink but still usable for making soup for this casserole. (Raw milk doesn’t putrefy like pasteurized milk, sour raw milk can be used like buttermilk.) Double or triple the recipe and freeze some. Your future self will thank you.

7. Remember to read labels and educate yourself. The beauty industry wants to keep you in the dark.

   

Little Rock was hit with an ice storm in the night. Thankfully we still have power. Before bed, I filled my InstantPot with water and set it to pressure, so we would at least have a hot drink this morning if the power went out. More ice and a week of subzero weather is on the way. But after this week, it will be spring and I will be gardening!

Julie