Food - Drink
Is A Baking Dish The Same Thing As A Baking Pan?
By C. MORRIS
Using baking pans and baking dishes interchangeably is a simple mistake that can have complicated consequences for your cooking. Knowing the difference between the two tools can help you make the right decision for your recipe, and one of the main distinctions between these tools is that they are made of different materials.
Baking pans can be made of metal (usually aluminum) or silicone, while baking dishes, AKA casserole dishes, are typically of porcelain, ceramic, or glass. Baking dishes are usually two inches deep and can be square, rectangular, or oval-shaped, while baking pans can be shallow, deep, or shaped uniquely, such as bundt pans or loaf pans.
Baking pans are the best choice for roasting vegetables or baking cookies and cakes, and suit recipes that don't have a lot of acidic ingredients, since acid can interact badly with metal. Baking dishes are best for cooking casseroles, enchiladas, or cobblers, and porcelain or glass is better at handling acidic ingredients like fruit.
Also, baking dishes are oven-safe and many are microwave-safe, but it's important to remember that cold glass, ceramic, or porcelain can shatter when put into a hot oven, so your baking dish needs to be at room temperature first. If you don't have a baking dish, you should substitute it with a frying pan, rather than a baking pan.