Disposable bakeware options

I am making chicken pot pie to take to a friend who is ill, and it needs to be in a disposable pan so she doesn't have to worry about returning it.

In over-thinking this, I have decided I would like to avoid aluminum, because in my mind's eye I have visions of hot filling flying all over a) my kitchen as I move the pan into and out of the oven; b) my driveway when the pan warps as I'm carrying the pan from house to car; c) my car interior during the transport process; d) while I'm carrying it from the car to my friend's house and/or e) when my friend brings it inside her house.

Chinet and Glad both have a line of disposable baking pans that seem sturdy when viewed online; however, Chinet does not seem to be sold anywhere remotely near and the closest store for the Glad Ovenware line is the Strack and Van Til on Elston, according to the website's product locator.

Has anyone used or seen these products? Or know of any other options? Or have suggestions to ease my furtive imagination?

Thanks!
Sharon

Perhaps I'm not fully understanding your concern but why couldn't you just double up the aluminum pans, either for the whole process or by placing the cooked item into a 2nd pan when you pull it out of the oven. Or maybe you need to look for a bit sturdier aluminum pan--I buy the 1/2 pans at costco and never thought of them as flimsy.

I would double the aluminum pan and put it on a cookie sheet or other suitable flat plan to bake in the oven. You could even transport it after wrapping it with foil that way. I also save flat sturdy cardbord boxes to tranport dishes in. I got the idea from my family, years ago each of my aunts would bring food on the holidays and they put a oblong pyrex dish in a sturdy cardbord box and stuffed the area around the pan with balled up newspaper. Covered pan with foil. Put extra newspaper on top. Pan arrived warm too.

Doubling or tripling the pan and using box stuffed with newspaper or bath towels is your best bet. I like bath towels because I can warm them up in the dryer to help insulate and if there is a spill I can use the towel and wash it.

I use an aluminum pan lid and wrap with foil keeping the seam on top.

Thank you everyone -- aluminum it will be! And a box! Luckily, we also have lots of old newspapers, too, for insulation. Now I can concentrate on finishing the cooking part of this -- that will be easy ...

Sometimes the old cheap ways are best. In the old days they could not run out and buy things so they had to make do with what they had. Just to show how ancient I really am, I recall my grandmother transporting her date nut cake (like a banana bread) in a clean used graham cracker box that she carefully wrapped the cake with waxed paper and then slipped it into the box. She then put it into a paper shopping bag. People saved old tins to put things in as plastic was not readily available and expensive.

toria wrote:Sometimes the old cheap ways are best. In the old days they could not run out and buy things so they had to make do with what they had. Just to show how ancient I really am, I recall my grandmother transporting her date nut cake (like a banana bread) in a clean used graham cracker box that she carefully wrapped the cake with waxed paper and then slipped it into the box. She then put it into a paper shopping bag. People saved old tins to put things in as plastic was not readily available and expensive.

Your grandmother was very practical! I dropped off my dish a little while ago, and delivery worked out fine -- my fears were unfounded, probably because I followed everyone's advice!

Since I doubled the recipe, I'm going for a twofer -- we will be with friends tomorrow evening, so I am taking another dish of chicken pot pie "with."

Another suggestion is to use cheap bakeware found at garage sales and thrift shops. I use these items when I bake/cook stuff for neighbors, school functions and work. Also works well for platters and plates. I just tell the recipient that I do not want the pan/platter/plate back.