What else can I cook in the oven whilst....

Frugal_Goblin

Anzac biscuits

Not sure it was a great idea to look at this thread today though. There I was baking my one potato in the oven, read the thread, felt guilty. Rushed downstairs and thought I'd make biscuits and a crumble. Only when I checked my flour stores it didn't look like quite enough for both, so I measured it, but then couldn't get it back in the jar so had to use it all. Double the anzac biscuits I thought hurrah! Only not quite enough sugar either, but found some that a lodger had left which was a bit solid, so put it in the food processor (once hitting with a wooden spoon really hard didn't work) which left me with extra washing up.
Then moved on to the butter melting and golden syrup adding only to be adding the syrup when someone knocks at the door. I'm expecting an amazon parcel so abandon sticky spoon on side and rush to door to greet double glazing salesman.
Then realise that I don't actually own enough baking trays to do the amount of biscuits I'm making and that I need to turn the oven down so my baked potato will be ready next Tuesday. Have now realised that I forgot to set the timer and have no doubt burnt everything! I'm not sure I've saved any money today at all and I am infact supposed to be working from home!! :-)

DianaMattos

I like to do a lot of baking, especially now DH takes his own lunch to work. However, being more frugally minded, it seems almost extravagant to turn the oven on just to cook one batch of cakes/tray-backs.

So my questions are two-fold:

1. What things can I bake together? I don't want different batches cooked together to absorb each other's smells! (Recipes very welcome too!)
2. What freezes well? With only two of us eating the baked goods, they tend to go off quickly (or get eaten too fast!:D) if I don't preserve them somehow! I have found that cookies cooked from frozen don't taste as nice as fresh, Twinks Hobnobs don't seem to survive and when I froze muffins in freezer bags, they tasted of plastic:eek:!

Thank you for your help!

mashup_2

One tip from my Nan was to plan your cooking so that once the oven went on you cooked several things one after the other if you were worried that things might taint each other. Somethings can also be cooked or dried in a cooling oven don't forget. I make fake sun dried tomatoes when the season is right that way and meringues too.

MushyPeas

vfairbrass wrote: »

I always put a large pan with water in the bottom of the oven so that when the cooking's finished I have hot water for washing up. Have to take care when removing from the oven.

Gosh what a great idea! I'll have to try that, have one solitary jacket cooking at the moment and it tastes much nicer than microwave... but I'm aware it's a lot of electricity.

I guess I could nuke the jacket first..

shirleytch

Hi All

On Sunday I made jacket potatoes for dinner and did a few spares in case there were any hungry Horaces at the table. In the event I had 3 left over. I scooped the flesh from these, mashed it up and added cheese, ham and onion and then rebaked in 20 mins for a quick, tasty dinner on Monday.

It made me think about using the oven more efficiently - and I came up with the idea of on Sunday doing a roast, at the same time doing jackets for twice baked potatoes for Monday dinner, and also heating a casserole for a quick dinner on Tuesday.

What do you all do to maximise using the oven?

Thanks

Mrs_Tradition

Fab idea re potatoe filling.
When I meal plan on a Sunday for the week ahead I see what I can cook together but I must admit it doesn't always work out like that as "life" gets in the way (3yr old and newborn!) so I will watch this thread with interest.

shirleytch

Yes I should consult my meal plan and see what can be cooked together. Fairly new to doing all this - bit of a beginner :rotfl:

ladylouise62

I like to stick a tray of veg at the bottom to use as a roast veg salad the next day, or maybe tomatoes (they get much tastier when roasted) either to use in a pasta dish or to turn into soup if I have a glut.

Patchwork_Quilt

I try to bake something at the same time as making a main meal, either for dessert or to put in the cake tin for later. It does mean that there are some days when we just have to use the hob.

Also bake potatoes at the same time as the meat or even, bake the rice.

shirleytch

I never heard of baking rice before - how do you do that?