Easy Cleanup Recipes

Best Summer Tomato Gratin, One-Pan Chicken with Kale and Butternut Squash, One-Pot Baked Ziti with Sausage and Spinach [Log In]( [America's Test Kitchen]( [find recipes]( [start free web trial]( Notes from Our Home Kitchens Dispatches from our cooks while we’re in our home kitchens instead of the Test Kitchen [Easy Cleanup Recipes. 9-4-2020]( From Bryan Roof, Executive Food Editor There is a difference between when I cook and when, say, my kids cook. I’m not saying that their creations aren’t delicious. They make great food. Heck, during quarantine my daughter makes me breakfast three days a week with whatever ingredients she chooses from the fridge and wherever the will of the whisk takes her. Some days I’m eating a breakfast sandwich toasted in bacon fat and loaded with a runny egg. Other days it might be stir-fried rice with leftover chicken and a fistful of scallions. And there was that one day with tater tots, sausage links, and Kewpie mayo. That was a good day. I’m a savory breakfast person, and she knows that. No, the difference between our cooking styles is often the aftermath, also known as “THE MESS!”. The sticky bits, the errant crumbs and scallion tops, the pale-yellow trail of an egg that was cracked just a little too aggressively on the counter. The cleanup, or rather negotiating the cleanup with the kiddos, can be exhausting. When I’m cooking, I try to work as cleanly as possible. This means I’m washing dishes as I go; loading the dishwasher in preparation for its third run of the day; wiping down the counter constantly; and keeping the cooking to one bowl, one skillet, or one pot as much as possible. Not a single dish sits in that sink for longer than it takes to chop an onion. That’s my goal, anyway. Easy cleanup starts with not making a mess. It’s easier than you think, you just have to believe. FREE FOR TWO DAYS Best Summer Tomato Gratin Starting on the stovetop initiates the breakdown of the tomatoes, driving off some moisture that would have otherwise sogged out the bread. Toasting large cubes of a crusty artisan-style baguette ensures that the bread doesn’t get too soggy once it’s combined with the tomatoes. Just before moving the skillet to the oven, we fold in most of the toasted bread and scatter the remainder over the top along with some Parmesan to create a crusty, savory topping that contrasts with the custardy interior. [view recipe]( FREE FOR TWO DAYS One-Pan Chicken with Kale and Butternut Squash In order to combine sturdy squash, dark leafy greens, and chicken in a single pan, we need to get them to cook at the same rate. We use bone-in split chicken breasts, which contain less fat than a whole chicken and don’t smother the vegetables underneath. After strategically layering our components, we achieve crisp-skinned chicken, tender but not mushy squash, and lightly crispy kale in just 25 minutes. [view recipe]( FREE FOR TWO DAYS One-Pot Baked Ziti with Sausage and Spinach We start this easy one-pot meal by browning sweet Italian sausage in a Dutch oven before adding canned tomato sauce and canned diced tomatoes. A few pantry staples—minced garlic, dried oregano, sugar, and fresh basil—add complexity and a little heat to the sauce. To eliminate the need for a second pot to cook the pasta, we simmer it right in the flavorful sauce. [view recipe]( Special Offer [All-Access Membership. 12,000+ Reliable Recipes. Free Shipping in our shop. Mobile App. 8,000+ Product Ratings. Cookbook Collection. Join now and SAVE 33%. TRY IT FREE.]( Recommended Equipment for These Recipes winner HIGHLY RECOMMENDED All-Clad D3 Stainless 12" Fry Pan with Lid [buy now]( Ease of Use: ★★★   Performance: ★★★   Cleanup/Durability: ★★★   We like this stainless-steel skillet for its wide cooking surface and low, flared sides that encourage excellent browning and evaporation; steel handle that stays cool on the stovetop and won’t rotate in your hand; and overall weight and balance that hit the sweet spot between sturdiness and maneuverable lightness. [Learn More →]( winner HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Nordic Ware Baker’s Half Sheet [buy now]( Baking: ★★★   Warping: ★★½   Handling: ★★★   Roasting: ★★★   Rack Compatibility: ★★★   Rimmed baking sheets, also called half-sheet pans, are true workhorses in the test kitchen. Everything we prepare in this sturdy, warp-resistant sheet cooks appropriately and evenly. It’s just what we need for our One-Pan Chicken with Kale and Butternut Squash. [Learn More →]( best buy RECOMMENDED Cuisinart Chef’s Classic Enameled Cast Iron Covered Casserole [buy now]( Cooking: ★★★   Durability: ★★½   Ease of Use: ★★½   Is there anything you can’t do with a Dutch oven? With an exceptionally broad cooking surface and low, straight sides, this 7-quart pot gives us good visibility, and the looped handles are comfortable to hold. [Learn More →]( From Our Online Cooking School Time-Saving Prep Tips If you take a little time to prep ingredients before beginning a recipe, it will save you more time when you get cooking. [VIEW COURSE]( Stay Connected with the Test Kitchen [2020 Webby People's Voice Award Winner]( Proof is a podcast that solves food mysteries, one story at a time. LISTEN FOR FREE: [APPLE PODCASTS]( [GOOGLE PODCASTS]( [STITCHER]( [SPOTIFY]( [OVERCAST]( [America’s Test Kitchen on The Splendid Table]( Tune in to your local public radio station or listen at [splendidtable.org](. A Word from the Sponsors of our public television show, America’s Test Kitchen [Kohler]( Kohler Learn about the latest new products, plus great ideas for building efficiency and convenience into your kitchen, at [Kohler Kitchen Solutions](. [Pete and Gerry's Organic Eggs]( Pete & Gerry’s Pete and Gerry’s small family farmers are committed to supplying the highest quality, organic, free range eggs for you and your family. We take pride in our farms, and take pride in our hens. That’s the way it’s always been, and will always be. Visit [peteandgerrys.com]( to learn more. [Wolf, Sub-Zero, and Cove]( Sub Zero, Wolf, and Cove As a family-owned and operated company, Sub-Zero refrigeration, Wolf cooking, and Cove dishwashing believe in gathering more families to the table to celebrate fresh, home-cooked food – more often. With proven decades-long performance, completely customizable appliance designs, and pioneering technology, Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove equip, enable, and inspire us all to live deliciously. Learn more at [subzero-wolf.com](. [Raymond James]( Raymond James Raymond James is a financial services firm focused on transforming lives, businesses and communities through tailored wealth management, banking, and capital markets solutions. With sophisticated resources and access to a broad team of specialists, our advisors help clients create plans suited to their unique needs, from retirement, charitable and estate planning to business growth and succession strategies. Learn more at [raymondjames.com](. Our family of brands [America's Test Kitchen]( [Cook's Illustrated]( [Cook's Country]( [Kids]( [Cooking School]( America’s Test Kitchen is the home of Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines, America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country public televisions shows, all-new America's Test Kitchen Kids, dozens of cookbooks, member websites, the America's Test Kitchen Cooking School, and the Webby award–winning podcast Proof. We have a single mission: to help you succeed every time you cook. FOLLOW US [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [YouTube]( [Pinterest]( DIGITAL MAGAZINES [Cook's Illustrated]( [Cook's Country]( Find digital editions of [Cook’s Illustrated]( and [Cook’s Country]( for iPad on the App Store. THE AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN APP The America’s Test Kitchen App is free for All-Access Multi-Site Members and is available on [iOS]( and [Android](. [Forward to a friend →]( View this email in a [Web browser](. Offer expires September 18, 2020. All prior sales excluded. No substitutions. We sent you this email because our records indicate that you requested to receive email from America's Test Kitchen. We don’t want you to miss out on our emails: Please [add our email address]( to your address book or “safe” sender list today. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC. Unsubscribe or manage your [email preferences](. View our [privacy policy.]( DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. Unfortunately, replies to this email will not be answered. If you have questions, please visit our [Customer Service]( page. America's Test Kitchen, 21 Drydock Avenue, Suite 210E, Boston, MA 02210