Uses for Roasting Pans

Roasting pans come with a rack, but if that rack is removed, and set aside, the roasting pan can be used for almost any food or cooking method. Our mothers and grandmothers probably roasted in an enamel pan, speckled with white dots. These roasting pans were sturdy enough to hold the largest bird at Thanksgiving, but because they were made of aluminum with an enamel overlay, they were thin and lightweight.

Over time, though, cooks have learned that thin, lightweight roasting pans are not always the best choice, even if they are the lowest priced. A thicker, sturdy roasting pan will serve a cook well for any recipe.

After Thanksgiving is over, Christmas has come and gone, and the good china is put away until next year, cooks can still use their roasting pans to prepare a myriad of dishes. Roast beef is the most popular roasted food, but poultry, fowl, and even fish can be roasted, then after the meat is removed, the juices left behind can be used to prepare sauces and even gravy.

Roasted potatoes and other root vegetables such as carrots and onions are enormously popular and many families consider them just as important as the roast beef they may accompany.

Cobbler and custards can both be cooked using a roasting pan. Cobblers are warm and tasty no matter what shape they come in, and a thick, sturdy roasting pan can keep the cobbler’s sugars from browning too soon, giving the crust and fruit a burned sugar taste. Custards can be prepared easily when using the roasting pan as a water bath to keep the cooking temperature uniform.