CASSEROLES 101

Before you shop or chop, take this quick-and-easy casserole “class” where you will learn insider tips, updated recipes, and baking basics.

Tool School

Nothing is more important in the kitchen than the right tools for the right job. All six pieces of equipment below may not be essential to preparing every casserole, but they certainly make whipping up a chicken potpie and all the fixings a lot easier.

BAKING DISHES come in all shapes and sizes, but start with a standard, ovenproof 13- x 9-inch glass or metal pan. Change things up if you want by using individual ramekins, or round, oval, and even brightly colored baking dishes.

A great pair of KITCHEN SHEARS can do everything from snip fresh herbs and trim fat from meat to chop canned tomatoes and cut pastry dough. Dishwasher-safe shears are essential for good kitchen sanitation and preventing cross contamination.

MEASURING CUPS AND SPOONS are must-haves for casserole cooking. Need to save shelf and drawer space? Get one clear liquid measuring cup with quantities marked on the side, and a set of nesting measuring spoons.

BOX GRATERS are major multitaskers. They grate cheese and chocolate, and they make zesting citrus a snap. But most also have a large slicing blade and can do the same work as a mandolin—churn out thin slices of veggies, potatoes, and cheese.

Chop your chopping time in half with a FOOD PROCESSOR, which makes short work of big batches of vegetables. They’re also ideal for grating big blocks of cheese in seconds, and making homemade piecrust and pasta dough, fresh breadcrumbs, and more.

Fresh salad on the side? Yes. Wet salad on the side? No. Use a SALAD SPINNER to dry those rinsed greens in a flash. But don’t stop there. You can use that same salad spinner to dry out freshly washed herbs, fruits (like berries), and even pasta.