A successful experiment, and an unsuccessful one

OK, I know that instant mashed potatoes don't hold a candle to real mashed potatoes. And sometimes I actually make real ones.

But tonight I did a little experiment with instant, and it was successful.

Normally they are cooked in the microwave. Mix the flakes with water, milk and butter, pop in the microwave, take out, stir, serve. So I thought, why can't I just do the same thing in the oven?

So I mixed the ingredients in a cast iron skillet instead of the usual glass bowl, and popped it in the oven along with the chicken. After a while* I removed it, stirred it, and it was indeed done.

*OK, I don't know how long it was. About 15 minutes or so.

So, that's one less thing I'll be using the microwave for, and one less item to clutter up my dishwasher!

Next time I will try the same thing with wild rice mix, which is also normally cooked in the microwave.*

*No, that didn't work out. After 30 minutes it wasn't even close to being done. I'm sure it would cook eventually, but it takes too long to be practical.