Calphalon Classic 12" Non-Stick Everyday Pan ~ Incredible Baked Meatballs

My girls check out the new Calphalon Classic Skillet.... 

How many of you slog through each day dealing with a "non" stick skillet that sticks? I have had my current skillet for over 10 years and absolutely LOVED it until it decided to start sticking. It's a Circulon 12" skillet that I picked up at the outlets in Colorado right after I got laid off. I had gotten a sizeable package from a company I had worked at for several years and treated myself to a vacation and came across this wonderful skillet that was clearanced for $25. I have been a Circulon fan ever since!

Then I started having issues and I'll be honest I've been to lazy to take it to the post office and mail it back to Circulon to see if they can do anything with it. It has a lifetime warranty so really I should just bite the bullet and take the time to do something about it.

So, when I was offered the opportunity to try a Calphalon Classic Nonstick 12" Everyday Pan I said "Heck YES!" I definitely would love to give you my honest opinion on your pan!

I can honestly say that I did (and am) thoroughly enjoying my new skillet. It's big enough to cook 3-4 smallish hamburgers, a 1/2 recipe of delicious Italian meatballs (recipe below), 6 scrambled eggs and I'm sure quite a bit more. We don't cook a lot of fancy foods and my fibro doesn't give me the energy (or want to) to make fancy french dishes anymore (Chicken with 30 cloves of garlic being one of my faves!)....

Pro's:
1) I love the roominess of this pan. It's deep enough to make a nice "stir fry" or pasta dish without worrying about going over the edge (unless my 8 year old gets too into his cooking).
2) I LOVE how easy it is to wipe clean. So far I haven't had any issues with sticking or burning. Granted I've only made a few items with it so far - I do have several recipes in my "too make" file though. This one will likely be coming soon.)
3) It can be used in the oven up to 450 - I like the handles. You do need to use hotpads with the handles obviously but I really like how the weight seems more evenly distributed somehow and not as awkward as my old Circulon pan is. It just seems much easier to carry when it's full of food and needs to be pushed into the oven.

Cons:
1) The lid doesn't have a steam release so if you need to release steam you will need to cock the lid a bit. The lid also doesn't fit down into a groove & can be nudged or knocked off the rim of the pan easily especially when moving it to the oven.
2) The handles do get hot but I use hot pads regularly so it really doesn't bother me all that much. It's just common sense to use pads anyway.

One of our families favorite meals is Meatballs. It seems like whatever I make whether it's actually meatballs or chopped hamburger in a casserole everyone calls them meatballs especially 2 year old Gianna. Sorry, I don't seem to have any pictures on FB or my phone. Meatballs are meatballs though.

Incredible Italian Meatballs
1# hamburger (could also use hamburger/pork mixture)
2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup breadcrumbs (I use the Italian seasoned one - hence the Italian in the name)
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced

I use the following ingredients to change it up some & directions:
1) breadcrumbs - I use the Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2) onion - I use the frozen chopped ones or the 'Mirepoix' blend from Baker's. I like this way to add extra veggies. =D
3) I mix it all together and fry them up in the skillet. I don't really cook them all the way through just brown them nicely.
4) Pour a can of Contadina Pizza Sauce in a 8x8 baking pan or if cooking all the meatballs use a 9x13 baking pan and use a large (about 16oz?) can of Pizza sauce or use a whole jar of Spaghetti Sauce (I use the HyVee Chunky Garden Spaghetti Sauce for even MORE veggies in my kids).
5) Make golf-ball sized meatballs (or larger if you want)
6) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with extra sauce and breadsticks or garlic bread. YUM!

You can find the Calphalon Classic Everyday Pan in stores like JcPenny, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Williams-Sonoma. Online you can find it for $39.99 here.

I'd love to hear which pan is your favorite - just share it in the comment section below.

Disclaimer: I received this pan for free in exchange for my honest opinion. I really enjoyed using this pan and though perhaps my readers would as well.

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