Hellomy Foodie Friends!   

Autumn spice and foods are among the beauty of this time of year. Along with the scents and visually stunning colors, is the time of year for hearty stews, salads, and spectacular comfort foods. With the chilly autumn nights, we yearn for the warm cozy foods. Autumn is such a beautiful time of year for foodies. It’s time to take trips to the orchards, time to get back to roasting and baking, and maybe even experimenting with delicious hot beverages. 

Baked macaroni and cheese has always been one of my favorite autumn comfort foods. During my childhood, pasta was always a staple to almost every meal. However, it was always a treat when my mother would make us homemade mac and cheese. 

There are many baking dishes to bake macaroni and cheese in:  stoneware/ceramics, cast iron, glassware and metal. 

Cast Iron Bakeware
Cast iron is affordable, and it only gets better with age! The most popular type of cast iron bakeware is the cast iron skillet, but you can get just about any shape of bakeware in cast iron. As long as you care for your cast iron and season it properly, you won’t have to worry about the metal reacting with the food. Cast iron skillets are the holy grail of bakeware. They are truly are the ultimate kitchen utensil. They have the versatility of metal, the reliability of glass, and produce the quality of flavor from ceramic stoneware.

Just make sure you season your cast iron skillets are seasoned properly. Doing this will prevent the metal from reacting with your food; plus, it makes it much easier to clean.

Glass Baking Dishes
Glass bakeware is probably going to be your go-to for most recipes. And that’s for a good reason: it’s good at conducting heat. 

Ceramic Stoneware Baking Dishes
Ceramic stoneware is really the best option for baking things evenly. It behaves similarly to glass, so it’s probably best to stick to more savory dishes, although desserts muffins and quickbreads do well in stoneware.

Metal Baking Dishes
Metal baking dishes are probably the most common type of bakeware. They are versatile, easy to clean, and they’re great for baking things like quick breads, muffins, and other sweet treats.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs to pick up an array of bakeware items, cast iron and many other cool tools to assist you with your autumn culinary needs. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care, John & Paula