I've been writing about cooking long enough to see the same topics — the same points of contention — come up over and over in Food Discourse. Often it's a judgmental hot take on an ingredient or piece of equipment that plenty of other people like. Are the instigators just stirring the pot, so to speak, in a ploy for followers or clicks? Maybe. I try to limit my annoyance to an eyeroll, but there are some things that get me more worked up than others. Instant Pots and sheet pans are two pieces of kitchen equipment most targeted by people who claim they're overrated, create meals that all taste the same and are a crutch for lazy cooks. To which I say, "huh?" The breadth of delicious dishes you can make in a pressure cooker or on a sheet pan is boundless — and, yes, there is nothing shameful about streamlining your cooking to get dinner on the table faster and with fewer dishes. I could write an entire ode to the glories of the sheet pan, but thankfully my colleague Olga Massov just has. She and co-author Sanaë Lemoine this week published their new book, "Hot Sheet: Sweet and Savory Sheet Pan Recipes for Every Day and Celebrations," and we featured two recipes from it. First up: Sheet Pan Quesadilla, which lets you feed a crowd with one giant parcel full of cheesy beans, no standing over the skillet required. For dessert, there's Sheet Pan Chocolate Cake With Cherries and Mascarpone Whipped Cream, a Black Forest-esque treat that employs one of my favorite tricks: baking one cake slab and cutting it into pieces to stack instead of having to use multiple pans for the individual layers. Ellie Krieger also made use of her sheet pan this week with a delectable recipe for Spaghetti With Roasted Tomato-Almond Pesto. For the red pesto, she pops drained canned tomatoes in a hot oven for a lovely char-kissed flavor and a change of pace from the typical basil sauce. A sheet pan isn't the only tool for getting dinner on the table with less fuss. Aaron Hutcherson pulled out his trusty skillet to make cookbook author Ali Rosen's Garlicky Shrimp Fried Rice, a 15-minute, pantry-friendly meal that uses a healthy pour of garlic powder along with scallions, grated ginger and sriracha for loads of flavor. Let's not forget meals tossed in a bowl either. Daniela Galarza's Winter Salad With Crunchy Greens and Sardines comes together in half an hour and features croutons, romaine lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, canned sardines and loads of herbs dressed with lemon juice. How else can we make your cooking easier? Mark your calendar for the live chat Aaron and I host every Wednesday at noon Eastern. We'll be back next week to answer your questions, which you can submit at any point in advance. Thanks for reading, and happy cooking. (Rey Lopez for The Washington Post/food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post ) In this pantry-friendly weeknight dinner, a sharing-size quesadilla is made by arranging overlapping tortillas on a sheet pan. By Olga Massov ● Read more » | | This chocolate cake delivers moist, rich layers, separated by barely sweetened whipped mascarpone and cherry preserves. By Sanaë Lemoine and Olga Massov ● Read more » | | Roasting canned tomatoes doubles down on their savory flavor, imparting a fire-cooked essence in this pantry-friendly pasta. By Ellie Krieger ● Read more » | | Dinner in 15 minutes sounds like a dream, but this shrimp fried rice flavored with garlic powder turns that into a reality. By Aaron Hutcherson ● Read more » | | Canned sardines get dressed up in this lemony chopped salad. By G. Daniela Galarza ● Read more » | | |
More from Food Celebrate the Academy Award nominees with recipes for pasta, stir-fry, ham, desserts and more. By Anna Luisa Rodriguez ● Read more » | | Rosemary lifts these recipes that include biscotti, pasta, bread and lemonade. By Becky Krystal ● Read more » | | Celebrate the season with cobb salad, crostini and crisp. By Aaron Hutcherson ● Read more » | | ADVICE Sheet pans are not showy, but they can help you tackle hands-off breakfasts, snacks, appetizers, mains and desserts. By Olga Massov ● Read more » | | ADVICE Can superfine and granulated sugar be substituted for each other? We answered this reader question. By Becky Krystal ● Read more » | | AI-generated recipes are showing up all over the place. But you might want to double-check them. By Emily Heil and Drew Harwell ● Read more » | | Eat Voraciously Celery, radishes, cucumbers and croutons add crunch to a salad with sardines and lots of lemon and herbs. By G. Daniela Galarza ● Read more » | | Nourish Pantry staple canned tomatoes reach new umami heights when roasted, harnessing even more of their savory flavor. By Ellie Krieger ● Read more » | | Dinner in Minutes Author Ali Rosen wants cooks to give themselves permission to use shortcuts to save time in the kitchen. By Aaron Hutcherson ● Read more » | | PERSPECTIVE Plus American zinfandel and pinot gris to sample this week. By Dave McIntyre ● Read more » | | ADVICE Every Wednesday at noon Eastern, Aaron Hutcherson and Becky Krystal answer your cooking questions. By Aaron Hutcherson and Becky Krystal ● Read more » | | |
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