My best tool in the kitchen!

I had a friend email and ask me about cooking my oven fries (her's almost burnt on the bottom) so I wanted to share a secret with you all. My secret weapon in the kitchen is Pampered Chef Stoneware!!!!  I honestly don't know how I cooked anything before it. Maybe I didn't cook. LOL I can't remember.  I have been using it for about 6 or more years now and it is amazing!  My go-to item is my large bar pan but I also love my pizza stones (I have two!!), my bread pan, my large casserole pan, my round casserole dish and my muffin pan.  Awesome stuff!!  (And no one is asking me to promote these...I just really love them!) (You know, I can't remember if I had a problem with the bottoms of things burning when I lived in California...could be after I moved to a higher elevation (alomst 6000 ft.) or could just be that I didn't cook as much before...anyhow, just thinking out loud!)

Let me tell you why stoneware is so amazing.
1. It cooks food evenly. Things don't get too brown on the bottom before the top of the food gets browned.
2. Food doesn't stick (well, a little bit sometimes, but hardly at all if you season them well!). 
3. It's easy to clean (once again, if you have seasoned them well...I'll explain that below.) Ever soak a lasagna pan forEVER to remove the stuck on cheese?? It cleans off of stoneware so easily!
4. It keeps food hot longer.
5. It is both oven and microwave safe (and freezer safe but I never put mine in the freezer)....but never put it in the dishwasher or use soap!!!  Soap will ruin stoneware.  I use the little scrapper that comes with stoneware and a dishrag that never comes into contact with soap.

Now, you might notice that the stoneware is a little pricey.  In my opinion, it is well worth the investment.  I have had mine for years and it works even better now than when I first got it.  Just being able to bake cookies, biscuits, etc. without the bottoms burning is worth it to me! And don't even bother to try the less expensive stoneware you might find at the store.  I have tried it and it is not nearly the same. Look up a PC consultant near you and buy it from her.  You can even host a little cooking party if you like...I have hosted and been to several-I love PC stuff!

As I mentioned above, the key to having wonderful results with stoneware is to season it properly.  You MUST cook high fat content foods in it the first several times.  Don't be tempted to skimp here.  You know you want those croissants, bicuits, brownies and cookies anyhow.  (Or give them away to a neighbor if the temptation is too great for you.) But really, this is key.  Spray it with non-stick spray AND cook something high in fat. I always do this at least 3 times before I cook low fat goodies.  Your stone will turn dark brown over time.  This means it is well-seasoned and how it is supposed to look so don't worry. Now, I have heard a consultant say that all you have to do is spray it with cooking spray to season it...if your's says this, don't believe her! Trust me.  I have many well-loved and seasoned pans and can tell you from experience that you cannot skip this critical step of seasoning it well. LOL

Ok, I will stop going on and on about PC Stoneware now.  :) Feel free to ask if you have any questions about what pans I use/recommend or if you need a good recipe to season your new stoneware.
*One last thing to mention is that all ovens are different and you often need to adjust the cooking temperatures or times of a recipe to fit your particular oven.  Keep that in mind and try to learn if your oven cooks extra hot or takes longer to cook things. It's helpful to have an oven thermometer as well.)
Happy baking!!!