A great recipe always needs not only the right ingredients but the right preparation as well. While your oven is heating, you may be wondering whether you should grease the casserole dish. We have looked into this question for you and have found the answer and some really helpful tips that we will share with you in this post.
When baking with a casserole dish, we do recommend that you grease it. It will prevent your recipe from sticking and provide a better presentation if you need to plate it. Usually, for most recipes you would bake in this type of dish, you can use a product you already have on hand. The traditional way to grease a casserole dish is to use shortening. You can prepare the casserole dish in a few simple steps:
- Choose your greasing product
- Apply grease evenly to the sides and bottom of the casserole dish
Now that you know that you should grease the casserole dish, you may have more questions. Keep reading for the answers! We will go into more details on the application, what to use, the easiest method, and why some recipes may need special consideration.
Choose Your Greasing Product
The first step for preparing your casserole dish is to choose a product. You can use a fat-based product you have on hand or buy one of the following most commonly used items:
- Cooking spray
- Oil
- Clarified butter or ghee
- Butter
- Shortening
When choosing a method to prepare your dish, you want to pay special attention to the type of recipe and how your choice might affect it. For instance, when using butter, keep in mind that though it's used because it gives more flavor and a nicely browned crust, it can cause sticking when baking cakes due to the milk-based ingredients.
Grease Selection Tips
We recommend using cooking spray mainly with lower-fat recipes. These days cooking spray can be sold with the flour already in it, making it even more efficient! We do not recommend using a cooking spray with a homemade cake recipe as these often require a heavier application. When cooking a box cake, it is often fine to use a spray. Click here to see baking spray with flour on Amazon.
When baking a recipe with a shortening crust, you often don’t need to grease at all. In these cases, follow the instructions provided in your recipe.
If you are baking a foam cake or unleavened bread, you should flour your dish or grease only the bottom since these recipes rely on the sides of the dish to rise. If you grease the dish's sides without flouring them, they will be too slippery, causing these recipes to deflate.
Looking for the right casserole dish for your next recipe? Check out "What Sizes Do Casserole Dishes Come In?"
Apply Grease Evenly to the Sides and Bottom of the Casserole Dish
Cooking spray can be the easiest for most people to use. Just spray evenly from left to right and top to bottom, evenly coating your dish --and you are done! Click here to see cooking spray on Amazon.
Oils and shortening that come in a larger container or bottle can be applied to a clean paper towel first and then spread evenly around the side and the bottom to make sure there are no drips, missed spots, or concentrated areas. You may want to use a continuous motion going back and forth, top to bottom, to make sure you have properly covered the sides and bottom of the dish. Click here to see Crisco shortening bars on Amazon.
Applying margarine or butter that comes in a stick is also quick and easy. Unwrap one end and use the tip to apply from left to right, top to bottom to ensure complete coverage. This method usually only needs one application to get the right amount. Click here to see butter bars on Amazon.
Some recipes may call for a flour and grease method. After you have greased your dish, apply the flour using around a tablespoon or two, sprinkled evenly, on the surface. Lightly tap the sides while turning your casserole dish until all sides and the bottom are coated. Shake out any loose flour.
If you are baking a dark-colored recipe such as brownies, or a chocolate cake, you may use cocoa powder to flour your dish to avoid having white flour showing up on the dark surface.
What Kind of Oil Can You Use to Grease a Casserole Dish?
The most common oil to use would be vegetable or canola oil, but really you can use any type of oil you like! You want to note the oil's smoking point to prevent burning if you use one you are not familiar with.
Is your recipe sweet or savory? Coconut oil can add a pleasant flavor and aroma to a sweet dish. Savory recipes do well with oils that have a light or no flavor, such as peanut or corn oil. Click here to see coconut oil on Amazon.
Some recipes will call for grease or an oil with a strong flavor profile to enhance the dish. Darker oils will provide a more intense flavor. You may be surprised to learn that bacon grease is used to provide that sweet and salty experience in some cake or sweet bread recipes!
What is the Healthiest Way to Grease a Pan?
Some ways of greasing are healthier than others. Here are some ways you can make sure you are using the healthiest method:
- Use a brush or clean paper towel to wipe the pan after applying your oil or grease to ensure you only have the thinnest layer. This will help control the calories you are adding to your recipe.
- Use a high-quality oil. Some oils, such as extra virgin olive oil or virgin pumpkin oil, have been shown to have qualities that may make them healthier than other oils.
Can You Use Parchment Paper Instead of Grease
You can use parchment paper instead of grease. If you do not want to use grease at all, you can use non-stick parchment paper. This works best with loaves of bread and baked bars.
You can use parchment paper in addition to grease as a way to provide extra insurance that your recipe will not stick. The most common way of doing this is to:
- Grease the dish
- Cut the parchment paper to fit
- Grease again on top of the paper, making sure the sides of the paper are smoothly covering the sides of your dish
For more great pan-prep tips, check out "Should You Grease or Line a Springform Pan."
Grease Your Casserole Dish for the Best Cleanup Experience
Baking can be a fun and often time rewarding activity. Now that you know that you should grease your casserole dish and how to prepare your dish for baking, cleanup will be fast and easy! Greasing your dish will ensure that your finished product looks as great as it tastes!
