All you need is a good ceramic tray and an inspiring cookbook to have your autumn meal ideas sorted. I've found two new releases that are on sale already, so, together, we've covered all your dinners for the next six months for just £70.
This isn't just the time of year for pumpkin-spiced latte and autumn decor ideas. It's the time of year for traybakes, roast dinners, and crumbles. Whilst I love the cosy comfort food season, it always comes with a little bit of dread. These meals, whilst delicious, take a lot of preparation and a lot of washing up. But what would you say if I told you I'd found the solution for both of those problems?
Ready for the autumn, STAUB has launched a beautiful range of ceramic baking dishes. They're classic, chic, and utterly gorgeous. You can't go wrong with adding these to your kitchen. Perfectly coordinated, the author of The Roasting Tin series, Rukmini Iyer, has released The Green Cookbook. A mouthwatering collection of easy recipes.
So now, my kitchen is kitted out with trays for all my bakes and a book that focuses on cooking delicious meals in just one dish. When I was setting myself up to share these autumn hacks with you, I spotted that they're both on sale. I had to pinch myself, but they are. You can pick up a STAUB dish and a Roasting Tin book for just over £40. That's a steal.
STAUB Ceramic Baking Dishes
Owning a classic set of ceramic baking dishes should never be underestimated. Before I got my hands on the new STAUB collection, I owned a large Pyrex dish set. Whilst these are robust and reliable, they're not really pretty enough for me to take straight from the oven to put on the table. I often used to end up re-plating food so that it looked prettier, but that's not an issue that I have with the STAUB set.
Since expanding its ceramics range, the brand offers chic ceramic dishes in a range of colours. I have the set of three in an ancient grey, but you could opt for a pastel pink, pale green, or light blue. There's even a eucalyptus shade that matches their saute pan.
These trays are lined with a crisp white and then all the colour sits on the outside. They're nice to hold, with a premium, but not overly weighty feel. They're dishwasher safe (and they clean up nicely) and you can heat them in the oven up to 230 degrees. The reason I haven't stopped using these in rotation in my kitchen is because they make life so easy. I can cook whole meals in the tray (tender vegetables, a warming crumble, mac and cheese, and I even managed a whole roast dinner in a large dish). Then, I can present them in said dish and, when we've eaten all of the food, that's all the washing up that needs to be done. And the trays can really just go in the dishwasher.
This is the set that I have and you get a wonderful range of uses across the different sizes. I used the largest one for a roast dinner, the smallest one for a crumble, and the medium one for a slow roast meal for five. They're kitchen staples. I don't know what I would do without them. You can use the code AUTUMN20 to get 20% off the RRP.
If you can see yourself getting great use out of these classic dishes, I have a special deal for you. This 20 x 16 dish is one that would cover pretty much every function in your kitchen, and there's 30% off the price right now.
Depending on the size and colour, you can pick up a Le Creuset dish for £37-58 at John Lewis. All their ceramic pieces come with a ten-year guarantee, but you won't need it. This lasts for a lifetime.
The Green Cookbook
Now, I know it's all well and good that I can boast about my one-dish dinner successes, but I promise you, it's not down to talent or skill. My recipe books look like a collection from the Rukmini Iyer collection. I have her original 'The Roasting Tin' book alongside 'The Quick Roasting Tin', 'The Green Roasting Tin', and then, of course, 'The Sweet Roasting Tin'. Her recipe concepts are designed around the idea that you can throw everything into one tin, stick it in the oven, and then you're good to go. It's minimal mess and maximal flavour.
In a recent interview about her new book, The Green Cookbook, Rukmini said, "lots of the recipes follow the same (one dish) formula because I love simple, easy food that doesn't need a lot of prep or washing up. I took all my favourite recipes for this book and they very naturally came together." So, if you need some inspiration for what to cook in your brand-new STAUB dishes, I think Rukmini has the answers. If you head over to Amazon, you'll even find 25% off her new book right now.
This is the original book in Rukmini's collection and it's like a Bible in my house. I paid the full £20 price tag for it, but it's reduced by 50%, so you could pick it up for £10.
If the minimal prep and invisible washing up pile appeals to you, the idea of quick 30 minute recipes will sound heavenly. Rukmini is true to her word here, these recipes are as speedy as they are delicious.
There's nothing better than a sweet traybake. Whether you're looking for sticky date gingerbread, passionfruit chocolate brownies or the ultimate bread and butter pudding, these are minimal effort recipes that deliver maximal rewards.
So that's all of your autumnal baking sorted. You can thank me later. I am accepting traybaked gifts, especially ones from The Sweet Roasting Tin, but I'm not fussy. If you want to get fully in the autumn mood, don't forget to take a look at our guide to the best autumnal candles. They smell good enough to eat.
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