Olivier Kugler Page 17 of 91

Kitchen Tricks and Tips From Our Expert Cooks

Multitasking Sheet Pans

Measuring a trim 9 by 13 inches, quarter-sheet pans—sometimes called “small jelly-roll pans”—are handy for roasting foods with different cooking times. (Two sheets fit side by side in an oven.) Look at what else they’re great for.

1. Corralling Recipe Ingredients
Want someone else to start dinner? Gather meat, vegetables, and other perishables the recipe calls for on a quarter-sheet pan in the refrigerator to make it easy on your kitchen assistant.

2. Catching Drips in the Oven
To hold the oozy overflow of mini potpies, baked pastas, French onion soup, and fruit crisps, cook them on a quarter-sheet pan. You’ll keep the oven floor clean and leave space on the oven rack for the rest of the meal.

3. Making Deep-Dish Pizza
You don’t need a special pan to cook a great Chicago-style pie. Lightly oil the interior of a quarter-sheet pan, press the dough into the bottom and up the sides, then pile on your favorite toppings.

4. Freezing Cookie Dough
The pan’s slender size makes it ideal for freezing drop dough or berries. Slide the pan directly on top of your ice cream cartons (no need to reorganize the freezer to make room). Transfer the items to a container once they are firm.

Next: Cast-Iron Pans 101

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