When 18 quarts just isn’t enough
I guess you know you’re a large family when 18 quarts just isn’t enough.
My Very Brilliant Daughter finally solved a longterm dilemma for me. We have an 18 quart electric roaster that we use quite often, but it would be even more useful if we could cook in layers. To do this, we needed to find a rack that would allow us to cook a casserole on the bottom and another casserole or a pan of rolls, etc. above it. The roaster is tall enough, but we couldn’t seem to find a good way to stack the pans securely inside and still allow for circulation between them. Everything we tried was unstable, or too long or wide to fit inside the roaster, or too tall to allow another layer above it, or not designed to withstand normal cooking temperatures.
We finally found something that works, and it was rescued on its way out the door. I had bought it for another purpose and found that I didn’t like it, use it or need it, and was going to pass it on to someone else who would.
Our solution is this: the Pampered Chef Large Rack, item #1380. It’s just $4.75 and is designed to help you lift and hold stoneware, but we will be turning ours upside down from now on and standing it over a 9×13 in the roaster. It’s just wide enough to clear the sides of the 9×13 but still fits comfortably inside the roaster. It is tall enough to provide plenty of clearance above the lower pan without eating up all the headspace, leaving plenty of room for another 9×13 or other dish on top. If we want to use 1 or 2 smaller dishes on top, we’ll first cover the rack with a cooling rack to provide a secure surface that will not interfere with circulation.
Can you hear the happiness in my fingers as I type? This is going to revolutionize the way we use our electric roaster and open up a lot of new options for summertime cooking and church potlucks. We’ve already done a dry run; now I can’t wait to try it out for real!
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Filed under: WFMW: works for me, big family, food
Kim, don’t you just love it when the Lord switches the lightbulb “on” and you see a creative (frugal, available, ingenious) solution right under your nose! Good idea! We have recently “repurposed” some small items around the house, too. I like going “shopping” in the storage room, or looking around the house with new eyes.
And I love those roasters, too! We have large family dinners fairly often, and they are quite handy.
Bonnie in FL
We have outgrown all of our cookware. My big stock pot is about all that still fits us. I have my large Pampered Chef baker but even it is overflowing. I keep talking to hubby about us putting in one of those big flat grills like they have at resteraunts. That would be lovely!
wonderful idea! Smart girl! :0)
How do you use the roaster as an oven - are you just setting your 9×13 on the bottom of the roaster? What settings do you use? This would make my life so much easier. All I use my roaster for is big meats!
I also have some of those racks for the stoneware!
That is simply genius! I love how practically anything can be a multitasker (even if the original purpose isn’t what you use it for at all) and that necessity is the mother of invention.
Kim-
Would you consider posting your favorite recipes for your roaster, particularly the cook times and setting and/or temp?
Thanks a bunch!
Kendra,
I haven’t quite mastered the specifics of the roaster yet, but this is what I do:
If I’m cooking directly in the roaster, keep the temp at 300 or less and allow plenty of time. I try to allow at least 60-90 minutes for most casseroles (2-3 hours at a lower temp if it has whole chickens or pieces pieces). When I’m using a pan inside the roaster, I recently figured out that it’s important to remove the big liner pan that came with the roaster. Leaving it in can double cooking times!
Breads, cakes and desserts seem to take a bit longer than in a conventional oven but come out very moist.
Casseroles baked in a 9×13 in the roaster also take a bit longer - maybe 50% longer?
Other than alllowing extra time, I don’t make any changes to the recipe.
Tammee,
My roaster came with a rack to make it easier to raise and lower pans into the roaster. It also keeps them slightly off the bottom which probably improves circulation. If I layer pans inside the roaster, though, I might have to try putting the lower one directly on the bottom of the roaster. We’ll see if that causes any problems.
I just bought a large roaster before Thanksgiving, and haven’t used it yet. I too was thinking that it would just be for cooking meats, but if I can use it as a second oven, that would be great! Please let us know what kinds of things you are cooking in yours and how you do it!
Thanks!
Thanks– that was very helpful!
Mine came with that rack also - I think I will give this a shot! Thank you!