Toaster Oven Cooking: Baking, Broiling, Roasting (not Toasting!). What Do You Do?

[gfweb]

I have the most excellent Breville Smart Oven (as discussed endlessly on various threads). Its big enough to use regular baking dishes that would fit on a 1/4 pan, so I don't have to scale any recipes. 12 big pieces of cornbread or au gratin potatoes for 6 are easily done.

I cook everything on a foil-covered 1/4 pan which catches all the drips etc. So far all the crap that has gotten on the window has wiped off.

[saluki]

I also have the Breville and love it. Clean up has been a breeze, but I do line my pans with heavy duty aluminum foil. I've barely used my oven since I bought this.

I also, use a small lodge cast iron fry pan (about 8 1/2 inches) to start things on the stove and slip into the Breville to finish or top brown.

I don't have any books but most helpful to me was a series Eric Ripert did called Get Toasted. He did all the recipes in a Cuisinart toaster oven. You can see the recipes on YouTube. His tomatoes provencal in the toaster oven has become my favorite side dish.......

If there is any draw back it's the black baking pan. It can't go in the dishwasher, so thats why I line it.

[rotuts]

" 12 big pieces of cornbread "

you use a 'regular' Rx? ive been thinking of studying those aluminum pans, and lining one that fits w parchment paper and using it over and over.

I also plan to get an extra rack :

http://www.brevilleusa.com/wire-rack.html

and see it if can bake two 1/4 pans of cookies. the extra dough can be frozen etc

Edited October 22, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[HungryC]

I don't have a fancy pants Smart Oven, I have a regular ol' dumb Black n Decker toaster oven. Cost around $40-$50. I use "regular" recipes. It's a teensy bit too small for a quarter sheet pan, but the pan that came w/the oven is only a shade smaller. It has a rounded bump-out on the back (to accomodate a 12" frozen pizza) which allows me to use round pans with ease. Cast iron skillet cornbread, muffins, biscuits, single cake layers, pound cake, etc all work exactly the same as my "big" oven. I roast veg (on a foil-lined pan), potatoes....and reheat countless things whose texture would be ruined by the microwave.

My only mod is to tent the top of loaf cakes w/foil--they're tall and closer to the upper heating element, so they tend to brown a bit too fast.

[gfweb]

" 12 big pieces of cornbread "

you use a 'regular' Rx? ive been thinking of studying those aluminum pans, and lining one that fits w parchment paper and using it over and over.

Yup. My regular recipe. Makes enough for three people and one cornbread-eating machine.

I bought this pan x2 and scrub it when needed http://www.amazon.com/Vollrath-5220-Aluminum-Wear-Ever-Heavy-Duty/dp/B0001MS400/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382456962&sr=8-1&keywords=1%2F4+pan

[rotuts]

looking a little closer at mine on the 1/4 sheet pan the 13 x 9 x 2 foil pan 'fits' with a little persuasion on the edges.

thats a "box" brownie mix size

i dont of course use Betty by the Box

[HungryC]

9 x 13 is a standard US size for boxed cake mix...or a scratch recipe designed for two 8" or 9" layers. If you can squeeze in a 9 x 13, you can bake beaucoup desserts, as it's an incredibly common pan size in US dessert recipes. (Second is probably the 8" or 9" square pan, which will fit with ease.)

I make cornbread by popping a 9" round Le Creuset braiser (round, shallow, small loop handles) into the oven while it preheats and I mix the batter. A few pats of butter or bacon grease go into the warm skillet, are swirled, then the excess fat is poured into the batter. Batter goes into the hot, greased skillet and it bakes until well browned. Easy as hell, mixed in one bowl, and doesn't heat up the kitchen. Can be done in the time it takes to prep a salad and reheat some soup. I like 2 cups cornmeal to 1/2 cup wheat flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, NO SUGAR, 2 eggs, a cup of buttermilk (or soured milk), and season as you like (smoked paprika, corn kernels, grated pepperjack cheese, Penzeys Arizona Dreaming blend, peeled crawfish tails, chopped up fresh jalapenos...but not all together, mind you).

[rotuts]

HungryC

thank you for your Rx this is exactly the kind of thing Im looking for.

its a keeper.

PS re " Penzeys Arizona Dreaming blend " do you blend this in? sprinkle on the top? Ive got a bag

of this that needs to get involved.

Edited October 22, 2013 by rotuts (log)

[gfweb]

Here's my cornbread recipe. It is not a cake-y bread, which is an abomination in the sight of the Lord.

> 3/4 cup flour
> 1 1/4 cup corn meal
> 1/2 cup sugar
> 1 cup milk
> 1/2 cup oil
> 1 egg beaten
> 2 tsp baking powder
> 1/2 tsp salt
>
> 1 1/2 tsp Chopped Jalapeno (maybe more)

[rotuts]

perhaps my BV XL was a mistake. I can eat cornbread faster than it can be baked. All Kinds.

now I need to get a cast iron baking dish, seasoned with FlaxOil, brush up on Artisan CornMeal, and renew my Gym membership.

[HungryC]

Here's my cornbread recipe. It is not a cake-y bread, which is an abomination in the sight of the Lord.

> 3/4 cup flour

> 1 1/4 cup corn meal

> 1/2 cup sugar

> 1 cup milk

> 1/2 cup oil

> 1 egg beaten

> 2 tsp baking powder

> 1/2 tsp salt

>

> 1 1/2 tsp Chopped Jalapeno (maybe more)

Cake? That's what you're gonna get if you use 1/2 cup sugar! It will be coarse, but sweet like cake. Go Salty or Go Home.

ROTUS, this is a very standard southern cornbread recipe, nothing special for the toaster oven. I put about 2 tsp Arizona Dreaming into the batter when I'm serving SALTY cornbread with chili, etc. Cornbready things are super flexible--I taught a 3 hr cooking class just on cornbreads a few weeks ago. Cornmeal/maple biscuits, cornbread waffles, faux--corndog mini muffins (make your fav cornbread and poke 1/2" segments of weiner into each one prior to baking)....

[gfweb]

HungryC you are free to eat whatever kind of cornbread you want. If you like it salty, by all means.

I find that the sweetness plays well off of the food that I usually serve it with.

[rotuts]

I think HungryC meant that in good humore

I try to remember to add a or a to indicate this.

clearly CornBread is a Hot Topic.

searching for that thread, because, with my new friend Breville XL, Im planning a new Journey, i'm going to become a

Corn Bread Master ( CBM ) or perhaps if i can add something FR to this Journey, a Corn Bread con·nois·seur (CBC)

ill become a student of All Types. and enjoy them all.

[dcarch]

Smart oven, "The 1800 watt countertop oven that does the thinking for you. ----"

I find that insulting. On, off, bake, roast, boil. Why do I need the appliance to do the thinking for me?

I use mine for all kinds of baking, including making French fries, and pork skin cracklins.

Sometime as a dehydrator.

dcarch

Edited October 22, 2013 by dcarch (log)

[rotuts]

very interesting. i doubt Those Down Under had

dcarch

in mind when they planned there Advit Campaign ie 'All Ads are Lies"

but please

dcarch

share with us ( OK just me )

those FF, PCK's and etc use use the oven for.

[Porthos]

Roasting veggies, warming drawer, and (hangs head) reheating store-bought crusted cod filets.

[rotuts]

Porthos

thanks for the Cod ref.

I used to make a baked dual layer thin white fish Sole-y thing in CA for my father. the white fish were local Dabs and the stuffing

was the best fresh herb-ed white wine bread stuffing i could make mounded up. Tout FR.

coming soon to the BV-XL

[merstar]

I use it mostly to reheat things, but I've also baked brownies and cornbread in it. I always use it for baked potatoes.

[Porthos]

Roasting veggies ...

There is a pound of Brussles Sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper in it right now.

[judiu]

Oooh, corndogs! I never knew them growing up, strictly boiled dawgs wit' kraut, New York style, or Jersey rippers out of the deep fryer. When I went on the road, yeah, corn dogs! I worked for a guy that made his own cornmeal batter, a little bit sweet, with really great hotdogs inside. Wonderful combination, with relish and onion!

Back on topic, my toaster oven is an Oster, and it does a great job of cooking for one. Burger roll garlic toast? Got it! Baked mac and cheese? Handeled. Chocolate chip cookies? Done. Yum!

Edited October 23, 2013 by judiu (log)

[scubadoo97]

Outside of using it in its regular capacity I put the rack on the highest level and when making a frittata and can slide my pan half an inch under the red hot elements to approximate a small salamander

[pbear]

Another veggie roaster, here. It's amazing what the fan does for them.

[rotuts]

""" It's amazing what the fan does for them """"

very interesting thanks.

[lindag]

"I also plan to get an extra rack :"

Do you know if you can get an extra drip pan for the BVXL?

[rotuts]

re drip pans:

http://www.brevilleusa.com/parts/cooking/ovens.html

scroll down to the bottom. the BV site is cheaper than any other parts place ive found on the net.