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This Roasting Pan’s Not Just for Roasting

A roasting pan may seem like a one-time-use investment. But it’s handier than you’d think.
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Published Oct. 28, 2022.

This Roasting Pan’s Not Just for Roasting

To most people, a roasting pan might seem like an extravagance–something you pull out once or twice a year, on holidays or special occasions. 

But as I’ve learned, a good roasting pan comes in handy for much more than roasting that Thanksgiving turkey or prime rib, though our favorite, the Cuisinart Multiclad Pro 16” Roasting Pan with Rack, excels at those tasks, too. 

Our favorite is easy to handle and very durable. Better still, it’s one of the less expensive models we’ve tested, so it’ll give you good returns on your investment, too. (Especially now—find it on sale in our Shop for 30% off!)

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Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 16" Roasting Pan with Rack

This pan seared pork loin nicely without buckling or burning and put an even, golden-brown crust on potatoes. It held a 19-pound turkey easily and its flat bottom aided deglazing.

Basically, a big roasting pan is a great thing to have whenever you’re cooking for a crowd. Think of it as a supersized cooking vessel, perfect for all your large-format needs! 

It’s also ideal if you like cooking one-pot meals, as it’s big enough to roast or braise all your meat or poultry and vegetables at the same time.

Here are some of the less conventional ways we like to use it.

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1. Paella on the Grill

Everyone’s favorite part of paella is the soccarat, the crispy layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pan. But you don't need a paella pan to get those crispy bits. Our winning roasting pan has a really generous cooking area, so all your guests will be sure to get some of the good stuff!

Lan Lam looking at paella on the grill
Lan Lam developing the recipe for Paella on the Grill.

2. One-Pan Big-Batch Beef Stew

It’s cold outside and your entire extended family’s coming for dinner. This ingenious beef stew recipe, braised low and slow in a roasting pan, will feed them all.

3. Oven-Steamed Mussels

You might typically make mussels on the stovetop, but oven-steaming mussels is the way to go. The roasting pan’s large cooking area again gives you lots of room to steam as much as 4 pounds of mussels at a time, ensuring that they all cook evenly, too.

While those are in the oven, make some Easier French Fries using our foolproof cold-start method. Moules frites for everyone!

Oven Steamed MusselsBig Batch Beef Stew

Our winning roasting pan showcases its versatility as the cooking vessel for both Oven-Steamed Mussels (left) and One-Pan Big Batch Beef Stew (right).

4. Casseroles for the Masses

Sometimes one batch of mac and cheese is not enough to satisfy your friends and family. Our favorite roasting pan is about twice as big as our favorite broiler-safe 13x9 baking dish, so you can double most casserole or stuffing recipes and cook them successfully, though you might have to adjust your cooking times and temperatures a bit. 

295 Roasting Recipes

How To Roast Everything

How to Roast Everything is the first cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen devoted to the art and science of roasting, pulling together decades of test kitchen experience and knowledge to help you roast everything from meat and fish to vegetables and fruit.

If you have our favorite roasting pan, you’ll use it more than you thought you would. Happy cooking!

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