The 8 x 8 Cookbook: Square Meals for Weeknight Family Dinners, Desserts, and More—in One Perfect 8 x 8 Dish

Strahs follows up her Ultimate Panini Press Cookbook with another collection based on a common kitchen item: in this case, the standard eight-inch-square dish most often used for brownies. Readers will find a brownie recipe here, but they’ll likely be surprised at Strahs’s other imaginative, practical uses for the dish. Whether readers choose to use a glass, ceramic, or metal pan (being mindful to reduce the oven temperature if the pan’s dark), Strahs offers dozens of tasty , simple recipes. Kid-friendly dishes include hot ham-and-cheese sliders, mac and cheese, and chocolate chip cookie bars. The book is dominated by simple main dishes, such as shortcut chicken enchiladas and spinach-pesto lasagna, but Strahs offers a few surprises, such as a roasted cod with gremolata and lemony orzo; smoked salmon, spinach, and herbed goat cheese phyllo pie; and carrot custard. The majority of the recipes call for just a handful of ingredients and can be assembled in a matter of minutes, though some (curried chicken pot pie, Greek pastitsio, overnight apple cinnamon rolls) require some planning. Rounded out with helpful tips on potluck-friendly and freeze-ahead dishes, this is a helpful resource that cooks of all skill levels can appreciate, and it will likely lead to many meals out of the oft-overlooked brownie pan. [em](BookLife) [/em]