Customer Reviews

9 x 13: The Pan That Can (Better Homes & Gardens Cooking)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This cookbook is filled with bodacious recipes. I couldn't believe it when I started going through to find any recipes I might be interested in trying and saw how many of my old tried-and-true favorites are included. I finally stopped flagging the ones I wanted to try when I got to page 281. I had run out of sticky notes. My book looks like it has feathers!

Seriously though, I have tried 5 recipes so far: the classic lasagna on page 56 (very good), meatball and polenta casserole on page 92 (good but needs work for my family),zucchini-sausage casserole on page 121 (fabulous), corn bread for a crowd on page 272 (not iron skillet good but very tasty), and coca-cola cake on page 295 (just like my 30 year old original). At no time does this cookbook profess to be completely "healthy" or "easy" or "quick". But, if you can gather ingredients and then follow simple directions I just don't see how you can go wrong. I make it a point to always follow a recipe exactly the first time, then make any adjustments to suit my family when I make it the next time. These adjustments are noted on the recipe page. This book will be no different but I just couldn't be happier with all the choices I now have, all contained in one book. And every recipe is not for cooked foods either, there are many dishes which don't require cooking, just preparation. Dishes such as layered salads, and gelatin desserts. Also included are 16 vegetarian entree recipes plus many in the lasagna and casserole sections which could be adapted to be vegetarian with no trouble at all. There are breakfast dishes, coffee cakes and french toast, meats, poultry dishes, fish and seafood, bars and brownies, plus catagories I've already mentioned. I am very impressed with the recipes.

What I am not so impressed with is the book itself. I am not a fan of spiral binding for any book but I bought this one knowing it was bound in that way so I can't actually complain about that. I don't like it but I won't complain. What I really don't like is the lack of pictures showing finished recipes. There are 16 pictures of 16 finished dishes. All 16 are located together in the first quarter of the book. It would have been nice to have had each picture at or near the recipe it showed. Also, the paper quality is not quite as good as I would want it to be. I don't know if these pages will be able to stand up to the kind of wear and tear one of my cookbooks takes (and I try to be VERY careful but accidents happen). Also, the color chosen for the major pages is an orangey-pumpkin which I don't like at all. I also miss index tabs. Those tabs make it so much easier to navigate within a cookbook. And some thicker paper for the chapter divisions would have been nice.

Having outlined all of the drawbacks, I still say that this is one whale of a good cookbook. I already have my plan in mind for what I'm going to do if the pages begin to tear away from the spiral.

I love the concept on a one pan dinner. This book has GREAT meal ideas, but I would like to have seen more visuals of what the meal will look like when prepared.

This book is FULL of great recipes! We flagged the ones we were interested in and ran out of our little Post it note flags!! Would highly recommend it!!

I ordered several of these books for myself and co-workers and we got them fast and in perfect condition.

If you need an x-mas,shower-wedding gift-this is perfect! I recieved a year ago for birthday,and gave my kids one,and now ordering for x-mas gifts on request of relatives!! ITS a great cook-book!!!! I highly rec.for anyone,new cooks and years of exp.cooking!!!!!

i had actually bought this cookbook for my aunt for christmas and upon reading some of the recipes, decided that i had to have this book. i was suprised at how many things you can actually make in one pan. i would recommend it to almost anyone, especially people that are looking for recipes with less mess to clean up.

Until getting this cookbook, I pretty much confined my use of the 9 x 13 pan to sheet cakes. This book gives me more flexibility and ideas. All I need now is a good silicone pan.

I was intrigued by the idea for this cookbook, and for the most part I've been pleased. There is a wide variety of recipes - breakfast/egg/brunch dishes, coffee cakes, lasagnas, casseroles, meats, poultry, seafood, vegetarian, salads - and desserts!(cakes, bars, brownies, puddings, cobblers). I have marked many recipes to try.

Some of these recipes are tried-and-true favorites of BHG (Our Best-ever Chocolate Cake really is the best - we've loved it for a long time!) and recipes you may be familiar with. But many are new and interesting. This would make a great bridal shower or wedding gift, along with a baking pan or dish.

My only criticsm is the heavy reliance (especially in Casseroles) on convenience foods. Many recipes use canned soup, purchased tomato pasta sauce, meatballs, stuffing croutons, cake mixes and such. I try to cook from scratch using fresh ingredients as much as possible, so I'll steer clear of those recipes. But busy cooks may appreciate the short-cuts.

There are 370 recipes in all, and plenty that I want to try. I think you can count on the reliability of BH&G recipes - I've used them for many years with good results.

9x13: THE PAN THAT CAN

Love the title of this cook book. I have always been a fan of the 9x13 pan and find I am more likely to make a recipe when it goes into a 9x13 pan. When I saw this cook book I simply had to have it.

The recipes are great and delish. The ingredients are ones that you already have stocked in your house. Another good thing about this book is the variety and diversity of the recipes. Need a good hot meal for a dinner party? This book has tons of them! Want to try a quick and easy yet different dessert for your family? Yep, this book has what you want and need.

Everyone I have showed this book too loves it and I have cleaned more drool off the pages than I care to think about. I have purchased several of these books as gifts for friends. Hearing them holler and be happy about receiving such a great gift is rewarding. It's nice to also include that world famous 9x13 pan in with the cook book as part of the gift so they can start creating the fabulous recipes ASAP.

I have a thing for the 9x13 pan. I pick them up at garage sales as I feel you can never have too many 9x13 pans. Sometimes when cooking for a party I have used almost every 9x13 pan I have. Now I have this stupendous cook book to help me make some delicious, different, and mouth-watering recipes that everyone enjoys.

Thank you!!!

Pam

I was intrigued with the concept of the cookbook and was pleasantly surprised with the good recipes. There is a wide variety of choices in various categories from main dish meals to side dishes to desserts.