Today, on my 45th birthday, a toaster that came to live in our home from the Salvation Army Thrift store years ago, finally kicked the bucket! It isn’t much to look at, but this little toaster oven was a real trooper. We used it for far more than just making toast!
Did you know you can use toaster ovens to:
- Make toast
- Cook meat
- Warm up pasta in pasta dishes just like the microwave but without wrecking the nutritional content of your food in the process
- Bake fresh pasta dishes such as baked spaghetti
- Bake Scalloped Potatoes
- Bake scones or biscuits if you’re only doing a single batch
- etc.
These handy little ovens are far more useful than most people give them credit for. In our home, cooking the evening meal often involved cooking the meat in this toaster oven’s much smaller space rather than heat up the entire oven below the stove.
Not only did we get marinated steaks, breaded pork, sausages, meatballs, and other dishes cooked on time, but for far less electrical cost as well. When you’re on a tight budget, saving money on electricity is something that should be looked at with a critical eye. Our little kitchen helper proved quite helpful in this regard.
It is important to realize that this toaster was used when we got it, meaning it is far older than the years it spent in our home. We will be seeing if it’s possible to resuscitate it’s wiring system, but if not, we will be forced to say good bye to an awesome little kitchen helper!