Can you cook gourmet-style meals in a toaster oven?

..i'll do you one better...i can do it in a panini maker..

i place a wooden spoon in between the business ends of the panini maker and go from there...the world is my oyster...

Last Edited by dreadlock sasquatch on 10/21/2010 01:15 AM

i have never owned a toaster oven before.

soups are made in an old paint can
and stir-fried leftovers on a garbage can lid.

now i have to find some free-electricity...

Sure you can! But only if you are feeding one or two people. Hang on and I'll find you some recipes :)

Oh yes you can.

Herb Oven Fried Chicken

You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chicken tenders, or drummettes for this dish. Marinating the chicken in buttermilk overnight makes the chicken extra juicy. Eat it hot right out of the oven, or add it cold to a picnic basket or boxed lunch.

Servings: 2

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves or rosemary needles

Olive oil spray

In a shallow dish, mix together the buttermilk, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the oil. Place the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture and coat them thoroughly. Marinate the chicken in the buttermilk mixture overnight in the refrigerator.

from recipelink.com
Preheat the toaster oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, mix the oats, red pepper flakes, the remaining i teaspoon salt, Parmesan, and basil. Pulse until the oats are partially powdered. Alternatively, mix the ingredients together in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Place the oat mixture on a plate.

Shake any excess buttermilk off the chicken and dredge to coat each piece thoroughly.

For easy clean-up, cover the toaster oven baking tray with aluminum foil and lightly spray it with oil. (Check your manufacturer’s instructions, however, for any cautions against the use of aluminum foil in your toaster oven.) Place the chicken pieces on the tray so that they are not touching one another.

Spray the chicken pieces lightly with oil and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the meat, until the crust is golden brown and crispy.

Remove the chicken from the toaster oven and serve hot or refrigerate and serve cold over a salad

While sweet cheesecakes make delicious desserts, savory cheesecakes make excellent appetizers, first courses, or even lunches when eaten hot or cold with a small green salad. They are rich, but well worth the calories now and again. Try spreading this cheesecake on slices of the Artisan Whole Wheat—Walnut Loaf for a delicious appetizer.

Servings:
4-6 as an appetizer
1-2 as a lunch

FOR THE CRUST:

4 (3-inch) whole-grain or water crackers

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup walnuts

FOR THE FILLING:

2 packages (8-ounce each) cream cheese, room temperature

1 (11-ounce) package goat cheese

3 eggs

2 ounces feta cheese

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup sour cream

6 cloves garlic, pressed

Leaves from 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme

To make the crust: Combine the crackers, butter, cheddar

cheese, and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor or

blender. Process until they form coarse crumbs.

Divide the crumbs evenly among 4 individual-size

springform pans and press them down using a spoon or

smooth, round meat pounder.

Preheat the toaster oven to 300 degrees F.

To make the filling: Cream together the cream cheese, goat

cheese, eggs, feta, cheddar cheese, sour cream, garlic, and thyme with a whisk or a handheld electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Divide the mixture among the 4 pans, lightly tapping

each pan on the countertop to even out the mixture.

Bake the cheesecakes for 10 minutes, until just golden at the edges. Eat while warm, or refrigerate for at least hours or overnight before serving.

To drink:
Choose from the repertoire of easily available
domestic sparkling wines: Poederer Estate, Gloria Ferrar,
Domaine Chandon, or Gruet.

IF you can see it in your mind you can manifest it in reality.

Sure as hell hope that ain't true with all the DOOOOOOOOM people are seeing on this forum.

These scones are good for holiday entertaining, as well as for noshing while watching a good movie. The cornmeal, cumin, coriander, and fresh peppers add a Southwestern flair to a classic English treat. They can be enjoyed plain, or serve with garlic or jalapeno jelly.

Makes 6

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour cup cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped jalapeno pepper

Preheat the toaster oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, coriander, and cumin. Pulse to blend.

Add the cold butter. Turn on the machine and let run

until the butter is just blended in and the dough is the consistency of coarse cornmeal.

Turn the machine off and add the buttermilk and the

peppers, then just pulse long enough to blend the ingredients.

Remove the dough from the processor and knead, using just a few turns to bring dough together.

Dust a cutting board with flour and roll the dough out until it is about 1/2-inch thick. Cut the scones out with a small biscuit or cookie cutter.

Line a toaster oven baking tray with parchment paper.

Place the scones on the tray and bake for about 6 to 8 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove the scones from oven and serve warm.

Freeze any scones you don’t eat and reheat them in your toaster oven for a quick treat. These can also be frozen before baking, then you can pull them out of the bag and throw them in the oven for scones fresh out of the oven.

step 1: egg roll wrappers or wonton skins

2. brush oil or butter on those so not dry out.
soy oil has a tendency to burn quickest to don't use that one

3. stuff with whichever chopped veg combination and bit of cheese you want.

set for not over 12 minutes.

gourmet breakfast lunch or supper is served.

Mmmm....you're quite the cook Pouty! You don't happen to have a ring on that there finger of yours, do ya??

and then there is this

[link to www.toaster-oven.net]

Not anymore I don't but I really just cut/pasted a recipe

I don't cook in a toaster oven. I'm rather fond of my real oven.

Even better.....even better!!

You can make a wicked grilled ham-n-cheese sandwich on an iron. Turn off the steam setting, flip it upside down cover with foil and place between 2 boots to hold it level turn on high and grill away !

I'd bust out the George Forman greaseless cooker instead.

only a little bit at a time

What's gourmet style? You mean home cooked from scratch? Sorry for my 1970s vocabulary...

Toaster ovens do steaks well.

Yes, I have cooked the best filet mignon(hand trimmed,by myself). Just season it with a little celtic sea salt and pepper, cook on 350-400 turn over after 10-15 min. then turn over for another 10 min. Usually perfect med-rare cooked throughout no overcooked areas or excessive charring you would get with a grill. With the sea-salt you don't get that metallic taste and its really hard to oversalt it.

Even if I had kobe beef I would use this method as its the most gentle and even cooking way.

If I did'nt have access to celtic sea salt Id recommend montreal steak seasoning.

Oh yeah, remember the quality of the meal can only be as good as the quality of the product used....

I have known many chefs that hide the crappy quality of say, fish by covering it with a sauce. Because the owner wants to save money on the product.

Cheap vietnese fish=grouper
Skate = scallops

Tin Foil
1 Good steak of your liking
1 can/jar of greek/Italian pepperchinos
1 cabbage
2 sweet peppers red/yellow etc
1 large Red onion
1 Good seasons Zesty Italian seasoning Mix.. Usually found near salad dressing

Preheat toster oven 375

Slice Onion and sweet peppers into strips
Lay out excess tin foil place 4 cabbage leafs down on the tin foil the approx size of the steak.
Sprinkle 1/2 of the Italian season mix
lay out a good bed of pepperchinos.
Place steak on tin foil
apply more of the powder season mix.
In around and on top all of the strips of Onion & Pepper
Add another layer of pepperchinos
Add two to four more cabbage leafs
Finally fold over the rest of the tin foil and create a pouch.
Place in Toster oven for two hours then flip over and cook for the last 1.5 hours. Based on how you like your Steak adjust your time. The Cabbage will keep your meat moist and prevent burning.

Side dish
Get two baking potatoes
1 tbl Butter
1 tbl sweet cream
2 oz cheese shreaded. Monteray & Colby work well
Your tin foil & Cabbage that you got for the other dish

Lay out Tin foil
Mix sweet crean and Cheese vuntil well mixed
Clean and thinly slice the two potatoes
Lay out two layers of cabbage on the tin foil
place 1/2 of the butter down
place potatoes on top of that
On and around Potatoes add your cheese mix
place two layers of cabbage on top of that
Fold over your tin foil and roll the loose end tight.
Cook this for 1.5 hours ahead of time and keep warm while cooking the steak.

I have one of the counter-top convection/toaster ovens and I often use it when I'm cooking just for me. You can cook all kinds of good things in there. The convection feature works great for searing meats.

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