for those who don't use aluminum...

[rcr]

What do you use to cover pans in the oven, such as lasagna and mac-&-cheese, so that it cooks but does not burn on the top?

I am trying to cut out all aluminum in my life, but this has been a hard one... any ideas?

[Denvergirlie]

I don't know about others, but I've never covered items like this in my oven. I have used an occasional piece of foil when cooking a whole turkey or chickens, but 99% of the time dishes are not covered in my oven.

I do have a few pieces of cookware that have covers, dutch ovens that have lids or a casserole dish that has a glass lid.

I do wash my foil, so it gets used again, and then recycle it when it's no longer useable. A roll of foil lasts me about 2 years on average, unless we go camping a lot more in the summer and then my use goes up of course.

[staceychev]

Wow. I totally forgot about foil. I've been getting rid of my Calphalon as the aluminum shows through. I don't use it much, but still...

Anyway, would something like this work?

[rcr]

Yes, Stacey, that would work. It is not too expensive either - thanks!

Denver, my concern is not really re-using it... I am worried about neuroligical problems (obviously from my sig)...

[mamadelbosque]

Hi there, I almost never cover stuff in my oven, so I don't worry too much about the 3-4x a year that I do use it for something random. I do want to invest in new stainless steel cookie sheets though - I bought what I thought were really nice ones a couple years ago, without realize they were aluminum

[talia rose]

i use my stainless steel cookie sheets to cover in the oven - unless i've got corning ware with a glass lid that will do the job....

[Shellie]

I wish I could find a nice rectangular baking sheet with an oven-safe glass cover.

[Ruthiegirl]

I do the cookie sheet thing too. Works just fine.

[New_Natural_Mom]

Why would you think that aluminum foil would penetrate the food? Covering a food with foil for the time it takes to cook in the oven (regular) oven should be fine, right? It isn't like microwave cooking which would drive the molecules together.....I guess I just don't see that as an issue.

[cristeen]

I'll usually cover it with parchment and then foil. The foil never touches the food that way, but it holds the parchment in place (which won't stay otherwise).

[talia rose]

for me it is not only the risk that the aluminum foil might offgas or leach into the food (which it may - I'm not willing to risk it) but the fact that aluminum foil is disposable and I am trying to rid my life of as many disposable, earth taxing, end up in the landfill products as possible.

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by talia rose

i use my stainless steel cookie sheets to cover in the oven - unless i've got corning ware with a glass lid that will do the job....

or I use Parchment Paper, depending on what I'm making.

[Llyra]

Another vote for laying a stainless steel cookie sheet over it. I do that all the time and it works fine. I also use corningware type things with glass lids, and my cast iron dutch oven, for covered oven cooking.

I do have one piece of aluminum foil in the house, for DD1's shrinky dinks. I have been using the same one for like three years, and re-rolling it when she's done playing.

[allnaturalmom]

Originally Posted by talia rose

i use my stainless steel cookie sheets to cover in the oven - unless i've got corning ware with a glass lid that will do the job....

Thanks for this. I hadn't thought of it. I don't cover too often w/foil, but next time I am going to use my ss cookie sheet!

[rcr]

Thanks, I never thought about parchment paper - that seems like a great easy/cheap solution until I get new pans (I threw out my aluminum cookie sheets too).

Originally Posted by New_Natural_Mom

Why would you think that aluminum foil would penetrate the food?

I am not certain, but I am not taking any chances. If I heard that cutting off an arm would help prevent Alzheimer's, I would cut mine off right now

[hildare]

Originally Posted by talia rose

for me it is not only the risk that the aluminum foil might offgas or leach into the food (which it may - I'm not willing to risk it) but the fact that aluminum foil is disposable and I am trying to rid my life of as many disposable, earth taxing, end up in the landfill products as possible.

can't you recycle washed aluminum? i have been putting it in the recycle bin, not sure why that's not ok.
also, one of the main manufacturers of aluminum foil has a 100% recycled product now.. i get the food worries and i try to use pans with glass lids for most things, but for things like, say, a pie crust (you know.. when you bake the pie and put the foil on the crust only) nothing else works. but then again i've been operating on the assumption that it was recyclable...