Kitchen Gadgets: The Pie Tin

There are a lot unnecessary kitchen tools out there in the retail world and most of them you don't need. This new kitchen gadgets section will focus on kitchen must-haves and useful tools you may not know about.

Which leads me to my first gadget, the pie tin. You may think I'm joking, but the pie tin may be the most inexpensive and useful tool in your kitchen. What can you use it for?

Roasting:
Before you make your next dinner grab a pie tin, some cloves of garlic, drizzle some olive oil over it and add a pinch of salt. Turn your oven to 275º F. and throw it in. An hour later the place smells great and you've got some fresh roasted garlic. Now what? Grab a stick of butter, soften it, mix roasted garlic in with it, add some fresh minced parsley, and salt to taste. Now you've got herbed garlic butter. Grab a loaf of bread. Cut lengthwise. Spread. Broil. Chomp. Smile. Refridgerate the rest of it and you're good to go for next time. Wasn't that easy? All you needed was a pie tin.

Toasting:
Toasted nuts are a great thing to add to any salad or entree and it is so easy. Grab a pie tin and a handfull of nuts. Preheat oven to 325º F. Put nuts in oven and check every 10 minutes. Depending on the nut it should take 20-30 minutes but don't count on that number. It doesn't take much to overdo them. When they are ready they should have just a little more color and still be soft when hot. Don't worry, while they cool they will get nice and crunchy. If you smell them without checking them, they've been in for too long. If you are forgetful (or a little careless, like me) simply preheat the oven a little lower (275º F.-300º F.)

Miscellaneous:
Another good use for pie tins is storage. If I am cutting up a bunch of vegetables I will grab a pie tin so my counter stays clean and clutter free. After you cook your meal you can keep your food hot by covering it with a pie tin. I do that to keep eggs warm. Nobody wants to eat cold eggs.

Pie tins might not be the most glamorous kitchen gadget in the world but I hope I have opened your eyes of how useful it can be. I guess if all else fails you can always use it to bake a pie.

Now get in the kitchen and make something great!