holiday casserole – Thrifted Kitchen

Christmas Dinner 2018

Arcopal’s French Hen pattern reminds me of The 12 Days of Christmas, so I made it the starting point for my Christmas dinner tableware this year. I haven’t had a chance to use my Arcopal casserole dish since finding it last year, so I’m excited to finally put it to work. I’ll combine it with some red and green Pyrex to round out the Christmas motif.

I’m also using some Corning Ware petite pans to make individual bread puddings for dessert. They don’t match, but they’ll allow me to prep the puddings a day in advance and then go directly from refrigerator to oven for baking — so hey, function over form!

The only thing I’m missing is a vintage platter for my Cornish hens. I’m going to have to start looking for one on my thrifting adventures.

Tentative menu:

Roasted Cornish Game Hens with Lemon and Herbs (recipe)
Barley and Herb Pilaf
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Salad
Mini Bourbon Bread Puddings (recipe)

Pictured: Pyrex Verde 404 Round Mixing Bowl, Arcopal French Hen Casserole, Pyrex 024 Holiday Casserole Round Casserole, Pyrex 024 Lime Round Casserole, Corning Ware Spice O’ Life P-41-B Petite Pan (x2), Corning Ware Blue Cornflower P-41-B Petite Pan (x5), Corning Ware Blue Cornflower P-89-B Lipped Saucepan

7 Must-Have Pyrex and Corning Ware Dishes

Much as I would love to collect every piece of vintage kitchenware that I come across, space constraints demand a more practical approach. I try to buy things that I will actually cook with, and if they have multiple uses, even better. Of course, I must admit I own more ovenware than any one person really needs, because I also collect dishes that interest me or that have a pattern I haven’t seen before. I’ll get around to using it all … eventually!

That got me thinking about which pieces I really couldn’t live without. I managed to narrow the list down to seven items that get the most use in my kitchen:

Pyrex 404 Round Mixing Bowl (pictured in Verde)
This is the largest of the nested mixing bowls (4 quarts) — perfect for batters and doughs. It’s also a nice size for serving salads, rolls, chips, etc. Plus it’s ovenware, so you could totally bake a casserole in it.

Pyrex 024 Round Casserole (pictured in Holiday Casserole)
I’ve used this shallower bowl (2 quarts) for marinating chicken, as a serving piece, for storing leftovers in the fridge, and for baking casseroles. Plus: It seems fairly easy to find lids in this size.

Pyrex 472 Round Casserole (pictured in Spring Blossom)
This is my favorite size (1 1/2 quarts) for hot or cold party dips, or small side dishes like cranberry sauce. You could also eat out of it.

Corning Ware A-5-B Saucepot (pictured in Spice O’Life)
This is Corning Ware’s largest pot (5 liters), great for soups, chili, roasts and the like.

Corning Ware A-10-B Skillet (pictured in Pastel Bouquet)
This one shares the same lid with the A-5-B, which is handy. I’ve put it to use as a frying pan, for braising meats in the oven and as a baking dish.

Corning Ware A-3-B Casserole (pictured in Country Festival)
This holds about the same amount as a 13x9x2 pan (3 quarts; the conversion works better for casseroles than for cakes). It’s an all-around nice size for cooking and serving.

Corning Ware Grab-It Bowls (I’ve only ever found these in white, although some patterned versions do exist)
These make great everyday tableware — for cereal, soup, salad, etc — but they are also a perfect size (15 oz) for individual casseroles like pot pie. And being Corning Ware, they can go under the broiler, in the freezer and everywhere in between. How can you beat a cereal bowl that you can also put on the stovetop to heat up soup, melt butter or fry an egg? Grab-Its also have both glass and rubber lids available, making them handy for storing single-serving leftovers.

Sheet Pan Roasted Chicken with Fennel, Orange and Rosemary

This recipe was inspired by an old friend, who first introduced me to roasted fennel years ago while working on a recipe for a magazine assignment. That recipe seems to have dropped off the face of the internet, so instead, my starting point was The Kitchn’s Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fennel & Lemon.

For a vegetarian version, try tossing the roasted veggies with cannellini beans (one can, drained and rinsed).

Serves 4

Ingredients

4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 small fennel bulbs, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
2 carrots, cut on the diagonal in 1/2-inch slices
1 red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix orange zest and juice, olive oil, vinegar, rosemary, garlic and salt. Add chicken, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours (30 minutes minimum).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, combine fennel, carrots, onion and chicken mixture. Toss to coat veggies in the marinade.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken pieces and veggies to an oiled sheet pan in an even layer. Season with fresh-ground pepper.

Roast until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 40-45 minutes. Veggies should be tender and brown on the edges.

Pictured: Pyrex Holiday Casserole 024 Round Casserole; Pyrex Lime 909 Rimmed Pie Plate; Pyrex Dessert Dawn Yellow 209 Rimmed Pie Plate