Whenever I chat with friends about their cooking habits (which is a lot), I'm continually struck by one thing: The fact that not one of them turns on the broiler.
I use rely on my broiler at least three times a week. And not because I'm whipping up anything fancy—because I'm generally lazy and time-strapped and love knowing my broiler's got my back. Here's how I use it most:
1. Melting cheese in one minute flat
Nachos, cheesy garlic bread, tuna melts = broiler's best friend. Oh, and the easiest way to spruce up a lackluster vegetable side? Crumble or shave some cheese over them and, you guessed it, put them under the broiler.
2. Toasting bread
Whether I'm making crostini for a crowd or toasting bread for dinner, I turn on the broiler. Why? Because brushing your bread with olive oil and then toasting it tastes SO.MUCH.BETTER.
3. Making personal pizzas
My fallback dinner when I don't have much more in the fridge than pita bread, cheese, and an egg? Pizza for one. Brush pita with olive oil or slather on a sauce like jarred marinara or pesto, layer cheese, crack an egg, and broil until whites are set. Don't limit yourself to pita: You can mimic this five-minute dinner with a tortilla, sandwich wrap, naan, an English muffin, even a crusty loaf of bread.
4. Caramelizing citrus
I might be stuck in the '80s, but I still love creme bruleed grapefruit as an easy (and healthy) dessert. And this winter I also got into broiling blood oranges for topping on vanilla ice cream or salads. For dessert, sprinkle the fruit with sugar and broil until it caramelizes, about 10 minutes. When using the citrus in something savory, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before broiling.
5. Cooking vegetables
Don't try this technique with tough-to-tenderize vegetables like sweet potatoes or butternut squash. Do try it with asparagus, kale, zucchini and summer squash, tomatoes, and corn kernels (cut off the cob). Season them with salt and pepper, toss in olive oil or top with butter, and broil until tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Cooking perfect steak
If I'm cooking steak at home, I'm broiling it. But don't just stick in there without first preheating your skillet. Once the broiler is hot, place a cast-iron skillet in there for about 5 minutes to heat up—you want it SMOKING hot when you're ready to add meat—and then cook steak for no longer than three minutes per side for medium rare.
7. Getting brown spots
The worst part about baking macaroni 'n cheese or lasagna? Knowing that it's ready, but still doesn't have those deeply desired browned spots of cheese. Rather than overcook the dish, turn on the broiler for 1 minute to get the look.
8. Toasting marshmallows
Unless you're the type who owns a kitchen torch (power to you), the best and fastest way to make indoor s'mores or toast marshmallows for, say, these Layered S'mores Brownies is broiling them. (Disclaimer: Marshmallows are one ingredient that goes from toasty to burnt in seconds; leave your oven door ajar to keep a closer eye on them.)
9. Making eggs for a crowd
Here I follow the lead of Mark Bittman, who brilliantly recommends cracking eggs into a muffin tin and broiling them when you need to make a big batch for brunch guests. All it takes is about six minutes and spares you slaving over a frying pan.
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